“It is the beauty within us that makes it possible for us to recognize the beauty around us. The question is not what you look at but what you see.” – Henry David Thoreau
“Be a fountain, not a drain.” – from the movie The Forge
I see that the original Dr. Scholl’s sandals are making a comeback. I will not be participating. The worst sprained ankle that I ever got as a kid came from tripping while wearing my Dr. Scholl’s. Dr. Scholl’s sandals were a drain on me, not a fountain.
There are a lot of draining people, news, experiences, etc. happening around us these days. It is so easy to feel depleted and overwhelmed. So that is why it is vitally important to stay self-aware. What are you looking at? What are you “seeing”? Are you surrounding yourself with fountains or with drains? What about you? Are you a fountain, or are you a drain to others? Are you a fountain or a drain to yourself? Are your thoughts and actions replenishing, uplifting, refreshing, and coming from deep within yourself, like a fountain? Or are you choosing to do things and to think things that deplete you, leaving you feeling empty and exhausted?
I don’t spend much time on social media. I find it to be more of a drain than a fountain. However, when I want to be uplifted and inspired I like to look at Gregorio Catarino’s feed on X. He mostly posts beautiful, inspiring artwork. Every once in a while he posts captioned art. Gregorio recently posted this picture from Disney:
Be a fountain for yourself right now, and conjure up some of your favorite memories. I had a interesting conversation lately with a group of friends and we all came to the conclusion that our best memories rarely came from the big, well-planned, carefully orchestrated events or holidays in our lives, but more from the spontaneous, out-of-nowhere, surprise gifts of unexpected wonderful moments. When we were reflecting on each of our favorite memories, they tended to be the moments that unexpectedly came together, almost like magic, like gifts showered from above, when least expected. Likewise, when I reflect back on my many travels and vacations, my favorite memories are usually experiences with individuals, or the ambiance of a certain place, or happening upon things that I have never come close to experiencing anywhere else. The tours and the famous sites are interesting, but what sticks out to me, in my fondest memories, are the “fountains” of friendly restaurant owners, and artists whom I only shared the language of awe and appreciation with, or the times laughing with my loved ones, like the time our family was famished and we were all staring at a food elevator in a Chinese restaurant in New York City, salivating like dogs every time that the elevator’s bell rang, praying that the food being delivered was finally ours.
If you choose to be a fountain, and if you choose to look at things more deeply than with just your eyes, you have a better chance at having fun, which alchemizes into your treasure box of your most cherished, beautiful memories. Be a fountain. Be a fountain for others. Be a fountain for yourself. The world can never have enough fountains.
Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.
Great reflection, Kel.
I immediately thought, “I’m a fountain!” because I think I AM that for a lot of people. Then I began reflecting on who is a drain in my life, and the client that fired me last Friday immediately came to mind. After a few more moments of reflection, however, I realized that I was a drain for her!
From the beginning, I knew in my gut that we were a mismatch, and I found myself crafting our communications to subtly discourage her from engaging my services. She was guarded with her personal information, which was an immediate flashing red light. She wanted me to work on her memoir but didn’t want to answer questions about herself? Not a match. But she chose me anyway, and I’m still trying to figure out why I didn’t tell her I didn’t have enough time to dedicate to her project or some other equally plausible excuse. Perhaps it’s the remnants of the disease to please.
In any event, it was a tremendous relief when she asked me to send a final invoice. In reading your post, I realized that I made myself a drain on her to bring about the result that I was too chicken to implement, even though I knew it was the right thing to do. It makes me a little sad to have handled the situation that way. If I had a little more courage, I could have saved us both from having an unpleasant experience. Perhaps that was another life lesson that I was meant to learn. I think I got it (with your help, thanks!)
You have great self-awareness, Kelly. For what it’s worth, I experience you as a fountain in my life. <3