“You’re not good enough,” it whispers. “You’re fooling yourself.”

The words rise unbidden from the deep waters under the confident image you cultivate.

“That’s not so original.”

“This won’t turn into anything useful.”

“You’re wasting your time.”

The phrases overlap — before one finishes the next begins.

“So what if your heart sings while you even think about it? It’s a trifle. It’s a small, insignificant, pointless exercise.”

Words no one has spoken to you, words that come from within yourself bubble up and as they pop their toxicity pollutes your air until it feels like breathing through a heavy blanket.

Something inside you is nearly smothered with discouragement, something that was shining and hot is diminished, it’s gleam dulling. It is your dream, your hope, dying.

Until…

Your mind begins to repeat, “Don’t listen to it. Don’t listen to it. It doesn’t know. Don’t listen.” And in that small act of rebellion, something happens.

The thing itself unfurls. It’s size and scope have been concealed within the core that lay dormant. Now it begins to bloom.

It takes up more and more space, and the larger it expands, the less room there is for the tinny voices of doubt. Your spirit revolts against their reedy words until the strength of it drowns out anything but the beauty and pureness of that dream.

Fully stretched out, glowing and strong, it turns to you and asks, “What shall we do first?”

Today’s post is a link up for Five Minute Friday. So tell me, do you have any dreams which need tending?