What do you value most?
<img src= "https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/k0xgfudxftksvrs/sunset.png?dl=0">
[[Yourself]]
[[Your Friends]]
(set: $confidence to "self")
*"It was my father who taught me to value myself. He told me that I was uncommonly beautiful and that I was the most precious thing in his life."* —Dawn French
<img src="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/1114mm9taigtlvo/beach.png">
Red: the color of selfishness, but also the color of passion. It is firm, unyielding, and thus, it is feared. And yet, as hesitant as the human heart may be, it still pumps fervor through our veins.
You say you value yourself above all, so tell me: are your feelings marked by selfish desire, or do you have more confidence in yourself than you do those around you?
Or, is it neither, and you have yet to find someone to value more?
[[Selfishness]]
[[Confidence->Confidence(Self)]]
[[Neither->Isolation]]
(set: $confidence to " friends")
*"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival."* —C.S. Lewis
<img src= "https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/lri7mhflvy46epb/orchard.png">
Those who peer through the blue-tinted lens see the people who have supported them, guided them, and pulled them from even the deepest of ravines. You too see your friends on a higher pedestal than yourself.
I ask you this: what do your friends give you that makes you care about them as much as you do?
[[Confidence->Confidence (Friends)]]
[[Happiness]]
*"Selfishness is one of the qualities apt to inspire love."* —Oscar Wilde
<img src="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/j6w1epcggkaerzh/altar.png">
Selfishness, as often as it may consume the heart, is a necessary feeling. If you live a lifestyle for the sole purpose of serving others, you will never be able to make yourself happy.
Good deeds are always rooted in compassion. It is the nature of altruism, and thus, helping the people around you is great. But still, do not feel that you are a servant to people. Sometimes, a dark green hue can seem as natural as the leaves of evergreens.
Are you happy with where you are?
[[Yes.->Happiness]]
[[No, but I know I can get there.->Hope]]
[[No, and I'm not sure I will ever be able to get there.->Self-doubt]]
*"I am in no way different from anyone else, that my predicament, my sense of aloneness or isolation may be precisely what unites me with everyone."* —Franz Wright
<img src="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/ntfr8gem4gxo56h/island.png">
Some prefer to distance themselves from others for one reason or another. Others put their best foot forward and try to connect with someone, but fail. These people have been drained of their color, if on purpose or accidental.
But even though they are drained, there is color nonetheless. In fact, there may be an even more diverse blend. We all need some time alone to remember what colors are beneath the surface of our hearts. What really matters is that we have not been emptied of hope.
Do you have hope for the future?
[[Yes.->Hope]]
[[No.->Hopelessness]]
*"There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved."* —George Sand
<img src="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/28tidww8di6rr1l/happiness.png">
You are loved. There is someone out there who sees you and cannot bear the thought of losing you. For some, this is apparent; they know exactly who that person is. For others, it is not as obvious, and so, you may feel lost, alone, and hopeless.
But when that person appears before you—or perhaps, several people—then you will know what true happiness is, if you haven't already.
Have you found someone who cares for you as you care for them?
[[Yes->Love]]
[[No->Isolation]]
*"Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence.* —George Washington
<img src="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/49gu86txcaz13ar/friends.png">
Keep your friends close, for they are the reason you do not shine too harshly. Those who allow themselves the opportunity will find people to empathize with, and through those inseparable bonds, for their confidence and determination to press onward.
Like peaches growing from a tree, you depend on your friends to sustain you, just as others will come to depend on you for satiation.
Question is, how much do you depend on them?
[[I depend on them too much.->Weakness]]
[[I am capable of taking care of myself when I need to.->Strength]]
*"If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life."* —Marcus Garvey
<img src="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/ca4n1smsptn4mjc/view.png">
Self-confidence is what allows us to soar to greater heights. It is our drive, our motivation to transcend ourselves, and above all, the adrenaline that simmers in our blood. It radiates a vibrant mauve; it is calm, yet enduring, ready to conquer whatever obstacle appears in front of it.
However, confidence in overabundance is as calamitous as a lack thereof. Should you emanate the perfect amount, you will never fail.
How close to that perfection do you think you are?
[[I have too much confidence.->Arrogance]]
[[I could use some more.->Self-doubt]]
*"Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow."* —William Pollard
<img src="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/pwopdkg2qjg50dl/castle.png">
There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance. Those who have recognized the border know exactly where to stand to succeed. You are the most prosperous when standing between confidence and humility, far from hubris and pride.
You may believe you are strong enough, but the fact is, no one is ever "strong enough." When every day is devoted to improving, you will find that William Pollard has a point.
Do you honestly believe you are strong enough?
[[Absolutely.->Strength]]
[[I can get stronger.->Hope]]
*"A hero is someone who, in spite of weakness, doubt or not always knowing the answers, goes ahead and overcomes anyway."* —Christopher Reeve
<img src="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/086o79qdauc0gv7/canyon.png">
Doubt is as destructive as arrogance. If you refuse to tell yourself that you can conquer anything, you will never be able to do so. The voice within our heads has a powerful influence, but it can be silenced by sheer force of will.
And, of course, there is one power by which it can be muffled for good: hope.
Even though you have your doubts, do you still have hope for the future?
[[Yes.->Hope]]
[[No.->Hopelessness]]
*"There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love."* —Washington Irving
<img src="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/9vd5qsfk2fhdtqi/tears.png">
You are not weak for being so dependent on your friends. It is that dependency which reminds you why you continue to trudge through the mud. Pale green is not just the color of weakness, but also the greatest strength that lets you lift your boots out of the quicksand: empathy.
After all, no one has ever been successful all on their own. Everyone has had someone to keep them on the right track.
Do you have hope for the future?
[[Yes.->Hope]]
[[No.->Hopelessness]]
*"I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but they whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their principles unto death."* —Leonardo da Vinci
<img src="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/gw4jz067j5iwfpk/mountain.png">
Just as blood pumps through our veins, strength does in a similar hue. It is only a matter before you tap into it. What will trigger it is still up in the air, but patience is the key to finding the will to carry on.
Strength is often disguised in weakness. It is not the callous heart, hardened to stone, which is most powerful. Instead, it is the fiery core forged into steel by the flames which are the emotions it bathes in. The coal used to craft the greatest blade is, in fact, hope.
Are you hopeful for the future?
[[Yes.->Hope]]
[[No.->Hopelessness]]
*"Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend."* —Martin Luther King, Jr.
<img src="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/ljnic8usw3pzbkc/love.png">
If you feel that you are not loved, take another look around. If you know that you are, remember the people who are giving you everything they have. Their essence glimmers a captivating fuschia, the kind that gleams brighter than all others. It is a color which catches the eye, especially in places where other colors are absent. Among the greys and blacks of the world, love finds a way to cut through.
So, what is it that love gives you, or that you wish it gave you?
[[Hope]]
[[Confidence.->Confidence (Friends)]]
Under iridescent skies sings the harbinger of light.
For once the darkness casted a mighty shadow
and sucked us dry of our hue.
A prophet of the heart, he collects his lyre
and gently plucks the veins which steady him.
He sits high atop the Pedestal of the Clouds,
carefully warding off the ever-growing darkness.
Emanating from the center of the universe is a kind of hatred
we can hope to divert for only a while longer.
Humanity is not yet strong enough to purge the looming malice,
and perhaps, it never will be.
Only time will tell.
Antipathy, by which we lead our lives,
slowly seeps into the veins of the lyre.
The herald of the healthy heart writhes
as demented tendrils flood his bloodstream.
He was incomplete, but now,
he knows what true darkness feels like.
For that reason, he is able to lash out against his rancor
and restrain the black blood that chained his passion.
However, his darkness simmers deep within,
because every light casts a shadow regardless of size.
But so long as the preacher of light remains hopeful...
His heart will feign purity.
[[The final page.]]
<img src="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/ruqj284opt5hbdz/sky.png">
Dare she under brackish waters
Drown as deep as light can reach.
Her eyes flooded with blackened cries
Of bloodied battered souls.
For them, an invocation,
But for her, a damning.
Resounding against the precipice of fear
Was once the shrieking of a heart sent awry,
And awry did it go.
But she did not drown.
And try as she might she could never drown.
For she carried grace upon her shoulders
Heavier than the screeching mountains.
And try as she might to dim the glare which ensnared her,
She would fail, but only to herself.
For the world, she had succeeded.
Dare she under the melancholy river
Cast herself asunder to drift downstream
Until the precious luminescence which she sheltered in her breast
Is snuffed out like a candle light.
For them, a damning.
But for her, an invocation.
Thus the word she preached saddled
Like a castigation to carry the world.
As did Atlas, and yet he remains.
As does she.
But who, pray tell, is a god to the darkness
Which constrains them and binds them
To an edifice of our misery?
And who, pray tell, may lift the world upon their shoulders
Whilst enduring the endless spinning
Which is faster and stronger than all we have held?
Thus says the one who has already been torn asunder.
Thus says the coward who has been asphyxiated by eternal darkness.
Thus says the narrator of the light, blessed be the vitality he has amassed.
Thus says she, the girl who shines brighter than the heavens...
for there is always hope.
[[The final page.]]
<img src="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/ruqj284opt5hbdz/sky.png">
Every color has a value, and every value has a color. When you find what you value most, you will find the essence your heart radiates, and it will shine brighter than ever before. We all have a certain aura that defines us; we just have to find it.
So go, search for the color of your soul. Remember, as grim as it may seem, so long as you have **hope,** nothing will stand in your way.
It all leads back to **hope.**