The word “receptive” has more meaning than being open or open-minded. You see, hear, taste, or feel something and you take it in. One of the many things I love about Suzy is she is receptive. She takes in a new word, an article in the NY Times, or a work of art and it becomes part of her spirit. She takes in the ramblings of a first draft of my books and they become part of her thoughts and events. She is still researching my use of swamp and bayou in my latest, and won’t be satisfied until they are used correctly.
Are you receptive? James Baldwin said about Shakespeare found his poetry in “the lives of the people.” Emerson noted that every master found his power with his people and the love of his materials and that great writing is not being original art all, but by being receptive. Twain wrote, “all ideas are second-hand, … drawn from a million outside sources.
I have known a few great souls in this long lifetime. The greatest were receptive to the needs and pains of others, and took action. Are you receptive?
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