Honor Your Gifts.

Anyone see Whitney Houston the other day on Good Morning America? Wow. So sad to me, where she is now, and how she wound up there.

I was never a Whitney Houston fan, but that VOICE, it was something! I could appreciate it for the thing of sheer beauty that it was. I remember as a kid actually being moved to tears by the perfection of her instrument, and the control she had over it--all that power, all that clarity, those crystalline notes, and it was just there; it seemed to come so easily to her...the creation of beauty. I know so many people who would have killed to have that voice.

It's not there anymore. A lot of people are saying that Whitney lost her voice because she got older. I would refer them to Cyndi Lauper, who is almost ten years older than Whitney--her voice, always regarded by critics as one of the strongest in rock, has gotten even better as she's gotten older. She's stronger, clearer, and more powerful...she's also more elegant in her phrasing, and more expressive in her delivery. She's still hitting those high notes, too, and her latest cd was pretty amazing by any standard.

I think it's a matter of honoring your talent. We're born with talent and gifts that make us unique. While most of us do not have the gift of a voice like Whitney, or Cyndi, or Adam Lambert, we all have things at which we excel. I think we have a responsibility to our gifts.

We have these gifts because we are supposed to use them, and make a gift of them to others.
Whitney Houston was meant to belt out The Star Spangled Banner, and inspire millions with thoughts of patriotism. She was meant to sing those sweet love songs. She was meant to age gracefully, and become a legendary old-school icon in her old age, and to be joyfully sharing her music with the world for many years. Cyndi Lauper was meant to tell a generation of women to get some fun, some life for themselves. She was menat to become an artistic voice for the disenfranchised...the drag queens, the gay kids, and all the people who look to her now as an inspiration. She's using her gift to make positive changes, working on opening a group home for gay and transgendered kids, and singing out against oppression.

Whitney, well, she made her own choices.

Drug abuse is never a good choice. It's physically damaging, not to mention what it does to your self-esteem, your family, and your loved ones. Yep, I know people become addicted to drugs. I was addicted to one of the most addictive drugs, tobacco, for many years. I have a different voice now because I smoked for so long. I made a really dumb choice once when I decided to smoke, and repeated the choice because I became addicted. I stopped smoking, but I know I chose unwisely.

Whitney's gift, because of some poor choices, is gone. She says she's stopped using drugs. I hope she has.

Yep, she has a "comeback" album. I decided to listen to it after her really sad performance on GMA. While better than what she managed to do live, (blaming her poor performance on talking to much while being interviewed by Oprah,) it sounds pretty generic, vocally. The voice could belong to any number of singers. And from many people, it would be a pretty good cd. For Whitney, it sucks. She sounds old, and tired. She's no longer an ingenue. But she's not ready for the old folk's home, either. She should still be singing beautifully at 46. She should be in her "leading lady" phase right now. Listen to other "divas" her age and older. The ones that cared enough to take care. They have honored their gifts, and they have voices to show for that honor.

Whitney lost her clarity, her sparkle.

I'd like to challenge each one of you to honor what makes you special. To treat what you're doing as if it matters. To remember that what you're given is precious, and part of your dharma is to share that gift with the world. You have the power to make the world better. Your responsibility to your gift is awesome-it's basically a responsibility to the world. You're supposed to shine your light out for everyone to see...to make your contribution. If you have a gift, honor it. Commit to nourish yourself. Eat well. Get rest. Have fun, but remember to take care of what you're given. Drink water. Do yoga. Make choices that empower you. Kick the rest to the curb.