The Dead Sea, which we know isn’t really a sea, is completely devoid of any life. The water is full of salt. It’s seven times more salty than the ocean, so the lake is completely dead. It can’t support life. The Sea of Galilee on the other hand, which isn’t really a sea either, is just north of the Dead Sea. It’s a thriving lake. There is an entire fishing industry based on the fish that come from the Sea of Galilee. It has a thriving and beautiful ecosystem.

The Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee couldn’t be more different from each other, but they sit near each other, and are both fed by the Jordan River.  While one “sea” flourishes, one is completely dead.

The difference between the two? The Jordan River flows through the Sea of Galilee, while it only flows into the Dead Sea. The Sea of Galilee has an outlet, while the Dead Sea does not. Without an outlet, it’s completely dead.

There is a moral that typically goes along with this story. That as you give back, and let what you have flow through you, typically in the form of charity, you will find life – just as the Sea of Galilee. When you keep what you are given, and keep what you earn, you slowly become more like the Dead Sea, devoid of real life.

A thought recently occurred to me. As we’ve individually cultivated creativity, we should share that gift, just as the Sea of Galilee freely shares it’s gift of water.

What if Leonardo DaVinci hadn’t shared his gifts, but had kept his need to create inside, maybe out of fear? What if Marie Curie had let the culture of her field at the time dictate her contributions? What if Thomas Jefferson had let his feelings fester instead of doing something about them? What if Albert Einstein had just let school fluster him to the point that he gave up? What if Rosa Parks had just listened to what she was told?

Instead of letting their contributions stay inside them, as we often do, they shared their creativity and passions that they had cultivated. They shared what they knew to be true in their souls. What they shared are gifts to history. Had they let those things build up within them with no outlet, their souls may have dried up, with no need to share what they felt was so important to them, and history would have been robbed.

Do we let fear, doubt, and frustration keep us from sharing what we know is important in our own souls? What external or internal forces do we let keep us from sharing our creativity, from sharing our own passions? What stops us from being who we are? You may be a “something” because of a job, out of a need to provide for your family; and that is certainly a noble cause to pursue. But, do we not evolve into who we could be because we don’t embrace an outlet?

Do our souls dry as the Dead Sea? It may look like a soul, but maybe it doesn’t flourish. With an outlet, we can flourish. The creativity we cultivate, our passions, they are gifts to the world. They are uniquely ours, and when we share them, we do give. See your passions and creativity as gifts, cultivate your creativity, and give.

Just as both seas receive what they need in the form of water, we receive what we need in the form of inspiration, love, and time (among others.) Will our souls share fates with the Dead Sea? Or will we thrive as the Sea of Galilee? 

Make the world a better place by embracing an outlet or two.