Paying the tithes . . .

"tithes": any tax, levy, or the like, esp. of one-tenth.

"mana": a supernatural force believed to dwell in a person or sacred object; power; authority.

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Too often I find myself in doubt of who and what I am. Too often I foresee failure in my endeavors; too often I feel the wrench of apprehension at predicted tragedy. There is a light within me; within you; within the whole of humanity that begs to be let out but is forced within the deep recesses of our minds until it is nothing more than a flicker, wavering in time with our nervous heartbeats. How can we expect to let that light shine if we are to doubt it's very existence? How are we to discover the potential of our flame if we are so prone to douse it with the filthy waters of carefully planned inadequacy?

A flower cannot bloom without the water it craves; a fire cannot consume its desires without fuel. We are the dampers that contain our own flames, tightening when a surge of inspiration threatens to breach our walls. If we were to give in a little - let a few licks of flame leap past their barriers and spill out on a page; a canvas; a field; a stage; any place it longs to consume - then we have taken the first step toward releasing our flame's full potential.

The will to let our fire out is within every positive thought and action; anything that feeds the flame within us. The flame is its own potential - infinite in its future and intricacy. If we are to coax it out of our shaking frames we must first learn to bear it; live with it; nurture it; encourage it; and finally share it with the world.

For the sake of your soul; your mind; your body - for the sake of others; the world; the universe; your very salvation! - offer your tithes to mana.