Martha Graham

There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is, nor how valuable it is, nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open.

- Martha Graham to biographer Agnes DeMille in Martha: The Life and Work of Martha Graham (New York: Random House, 1992).

I had came across the above quote in two books, but I have yet to read Martha: The Life and Work of Martha Graham.

I interpret it as a call for one to get in touch with one's true self, so that one could be free to express one's true uniqueness, and be congruent with oneself.

Quite a liberating quote to urge one to be more congruent with one's true self. Yet, it takes lots of practice to master this state of congruence. The society, the external environment and one's culture is inevitably placing expectations on oneself. Even if expectations may be a form of guide to help speed us in finding our roles and positions in life, if we were to follow expectations too blindly, we might risk steering further away from our true selves.

I feel lost, and puzzled. What is the unique expression that I have for this universe? How could I be more aware of the urges that truely motivate me? How do I keep my channel open?

Perhaps for now, I shall just allow myself to be more in touch with my inner self, even if it speaks a different voice than the expectations of the external world. For the moment, I shall listen, so that I could hear the voice of my inner self, if it were to speak.