John came to prison as a pre-teenager. He was angry, hurt, and he really did not fully understand what had brought him to behind those walls. He fought. He was belligerent and combative. He lived in a childish, youthful frame so he was smaller than his compatriots. He spent many months in isolation. During that time he slept, he swore and he scowled. He was alone in his gloomy cell with nothing but his thoughts.

One day, just when John thought he might lose his mind, his eyes fell on a lead pencil. He had trouble discerning whether the pencil was an illusion. Finally, tentatively, he picked up the pencil.

That very act changed his life forever. Using that pencil, he made a simple sketch. Then he made another. Before long, he had created a portfolio of black and white drawings and his work was improving. With every line John made, some of the anger that had raged inside him seemed to evaporate.

Johns attitude and behavior warranted his move from the small cell into the general population. His anger no longer flared; instead, he began to smile. He felt better physically. He regarded the officers around him with respect. As he matured he became a leader in the clubs he joined and among his peers in his housing unit. He continued to draw; he was using pastels and he was receiving accolades for his efforts.

Drawing was not Johns only mode of expression. He is interested in music and was delighted to learn that getting down with the beat helped keep his attitude up. He goes around the campus, grinning, humming, singing, playing air drums and spreading good cheer in his path.

John gave a speech about his journey through prison. He spoke about realizing that the only way he ever would be released from all the anger and frustration he felt as a child and teenager was to sit in that awful place, alone with the reality of his thoughts, experiencing who he was. By doing that, he became transformed into a leader who, despite his surroundings, experienced joy. At this time he is a magnificently talented artist. He has learned to be hospitable, charitable, and gracious. His art work is gloriously beautiful and matches his smile in its brilliance and warmth. His musicality is infectious and uplifting.

It is highly unlikely that John will leave the prison walls and live unencumbered in society. But John, in his adult wisdom, understands that he created this life. He has made the best of a bad situation and used his time to become a much better, highly productive person. He is living with his own consequences and creating the best life he knows how, given his restrictions.

Suffering from the human condition, we tend to imprison ourselves within our own minds. We whine and complain; we lash out and blame others. We may be endowed with all the physical and mental attributes to accomplish anything at all. Yet, we hang back, live with regret, do not forgive ourselves-or others-and we suffer the consequences. We live in the same type of misery in which John found himself mired. We may not have stringent rules about our behavior as we go about our lives, the way incarcerated people have, but we place our own limits on ourselves. We make excuses. We procrastinate. We fail to take action. We are not accountable. We remain imprisoned by our own ugly, negative thoughts.

Each of us may not have the fabulous artistic ability John has displayed, but every single one of us has unique gifts to offer the world. A portion of those gifts includes simply living and breathing our authentic selves.

I move we all get down with a beat to keep our attitudes up! In reality, we could even give ourselves permission to move to the beat of our own drummer!