Agnes Martin:

We, each of us feels that our life is not like anyone else's life and that is absolutely true, infinitely true. To live an absolutely original life one has only to be oneself. In nature there is no sameness anywhere. There are no two rocks alike, no days alike, no moments alike even forever. And no two people alike or any moment of their lives. It follows from this that we cannot help one another since our responses are not alike. Since we are not alike the experience of others is of no use to us. This is particularly obvious when we wish to know what to do. We are all born with a certain potential. It is different from that of anyone else and it is necessary to life. We must unfold our potential as a contribution to life. We are born to do certain things and we are born to fill a certain need. If there is a bare spot on the ground the best possible weed for that environment will grow. In the same way our lives are created out of necessity and we are created with the potential to meet the necessity. The resistance to function, that is our resistance to the unfolding of our potential is due to the strength of the negative in life. We are born as verbs rather than nouns. We are born to function in life, to work and do all positive actions that will carry out our potential. When our potential is fully expended we will not be back. Our concrete existence will come to an end. Our ideas - deductions made from observed facts of life, are of no use in the unfolding of potential. Only obedience to the conscious mind counts. That is like saying only inspiration counts. Inspiration is a command. While you have a choice that is not inspiration. If a decision is required that is not inspiration and you should not do anything by decision. It is simply a waste of time. Things done by decision even if it is a summit decision are ineffective and they will be undone. Only actions carried out in obedience to inspiration are effective.

Children make a perfect response to life. They see everything as beautiful and perfect, often telling their parents how beautiful and wonderful they are. Children always love their parents with perfect love regardless of what the parents are like. They have to learn to bear frustration which makes them seem unhappy at times. Living without sufficient inspiration which is the incentive to life we tend to forget the perfect response we made as children and we become more and more blind. It is necessary to make an absolute about face and search out our true response. You will be thinking: "It is easy enough for children because they have no responsibilities", but I assure you that you also can make a perfect response to life without worry or strain. You have to see what you have to do in your mind's eye. You have to give it time. It is hard for your mind to get through to you because of the jumble it is in. With seeing the direction the energy necessary to carry out the action is given. When it is carried out the energy is taken away so that you can rest. If you feel tired it is because you cannot see. If you cannot see the next step you will take and the happiness you will know taking it. Then you cannot see. If you cannot see you must withdraw yourself till you see what your next action will be. In confusion and blindness there is no help for you anywhere except from your own mind. From your own mind there is all the help you need.