Everyday Canvas

A Secret (story) and Mindset

For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" 

Prompt: Write a story that either starts or ends with someone asking, “Can you keep a secret?”

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“Can you keep a secret?” You ask me this with a smile and your eyes twinkling.

I want to answer, “No, I can’t,” but I don’t. I just watch your face, not saying anything.

But I think, ‘Surely, I can keep a secret, but how can I keep something when I don’t know what it is about? I don’t want to play with fire, you know.

What if your secret has to do with hurting someone or, Heaven forbid, me?

What if knowing your secret will make me scared for my life?

What if your secret can make me ashamed of being your friend?

What if I end up reacting to you differently, afterwards?

To tell the truth, I am afraid of secrecy, and when I am afraid, I might not be objective or rational. Also, depending on your secret, you might not be honest or true to yourself. Remember, George Orwell said, “If you want to keep a secret, you must also hide it from yourself.” But you haven’t done that, have you?’

So, I keep staring at you, wishing for that lurking possibility that you’ll give up telling me any secrets.

You chuckle at my indecision. “Whether you keep my secret or not, I’ll tell you anyway,” you say.

Oh, oh! I hope inwardly that your secret doesn’t cause heartache or isolation for me.

“I’m not only your friend,” you say. “I am in love with you.”

Well, now. This is different, isn’t it? It is okay if I can’t be objective or rational. And I am not afraid, either.

Instead, I rejoice.

Yes, I will be reacting to you differently, now that I’ve learned your secret, and it won’t be the scariest thing in the world.


(Note: This is only a made-up story in a few minutes. Don’t anyone read anything into it.)

For: "Space Blog" 

Prompt: From Monty ’s "YOU CAN DO ANYTHING" 
“You can do anything if you but try to be like the eagle and set your thoughts high.”

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I guess the second part of the quote has more meaning to it, rather than the first part. Most goals usually depend on the second part. As to the word “thoughts,” I would rather say mind. Thoughts may have been a replacement for mind during early twentieth century, but I think there has been a lot of meaning change by then.

“You can do anything?” No, you can’t. You can’t change yourself into a fish or get a different set of genes as if another being, for example. Yet, “You can do anything if…” makes sense. The trigger word here is if.

Now that I’ve taken the quote apart, I do love the meaning it conveys. The real challenge the quote puts forth is about sharpening and maintaining the focus. This type of focusing makes personal productivity possible, manageable, and of significant value. You take any person who is famous for high productivity, and you’ll find a focused mind.

Most of us usually complain that we have too much on our plate and too little time and strength to do it. This is because we haven’t learned focusing and using our time wisely. Still, not everyone can do everything at the same time. Focusing is the catalyst and finishing what we start is the magic touch for the success of all projects.

How efficient we can be depends on our focusing, choosing and eliminating, and finishing up what we have started. This way we can do almost anything if we set our minds on it.