August 2007 Archives

IF your life were a painting, what would it look like? Sit back, close your eyes and imagine your life on a canvas. What colors are most dominant? Tell me about the figures you see, the shapes and lines that are forming. Is it abstract? Is it defined by still life? Is it set in a meadow with red poppies? Tell me what you see.

"LIFE is a great big canvas and you should throw all the paint on it you can." -- Danny Kaye

We may not all be great painters like Van Gogh, but each one of us does hold a paintbrush and a palette. Inspired and moved by everyday experiences, we create a beautiful work of art with our own strokes and colors. Each day we live has elements that we add to the ultimate masterpiece -- our own lives. What did you see when you closed your eyes? If putting a painting in your mind might prove difficult, let's seek help from the great artists. Perhaps you are yearning for stability amidst the overwhelming fluidity of life, much like Edvard Munch's "The Scream." Or perhaps you're serene and content like Claude Monet's "The Artist's Garden." What if you're graceful and learning like Edgar Degas' "Danseuse"? Or maybe there is a dynamism only you understand about your life, that others may or may not see like Pollock's "No. 1, Lavender Mist." Or what if you're feeling like you're in the autumn of your life, but known deep inside there is still something within you that is still blooming, similar to Georgia O'Keeffe's "Dark and Lavender Leaf". Which one is most like your life? Now that you've visualized your life on a canvas, do you like what you see? If you do, pat yourself on the back and celebrate that happiness. And do remember that you still continue to paint for as long as you're breathing, so take care of that masterpiece you are creating. If you don't like what is on your canvas, no worries. You have a palette of unlimited colors and you are in control of what colors and strokes to use. Maybe you'd like to spice it up with amber and red, or tone it down with sea green. What activities, hobbies or other experiences will lead you towards the masterpiece you want to create? In knowing this, your canvas will fill with more elements that will give you much happiness. Sometimes we don't have that end in mind, or we get frustrated when the colors don't turn out right. It's alright. Enjoy the act of painting. Enjoy the different hues and tones. Relish each action you contribute to your canvas everyday, and before you know it, a masterpiece will be right before your eyes. You wield the paintbrush and the palette of your life's canvas. Your life is a masterpiece, a work of art. Color it in as much as you can, and enjoy every moment of your painting.

WHY does it seem hard to accept compliments? We're told "Hey, nice hair!," "I love your shirt!" or "You're blooming today!" And what do we usually say (or hear others say)? "Oh I just did something different with my hair today." "What do you need from me?" "Who paid you to say that?" "Awww... this old thing?" "Me? Losing weight? Nah, I'm gaining weight you know." Perhaps we feel we don't deserve such praise? Well, we do. You do! Think of a compliment as a present. It is a gift someone wants to share with you, and not to accept it could be an insult. And what do you say when someone gives you a present? "Thank you!" It's the most graceful way of accepting a compliment. It shows you respect and value other's opinions. It also allows you to embrace yourself more. Hearing someone say something positive about you feels good, doesn't it? There's no harm in feeling good about yourself. Embrace the positivity others see in you. Embrace their compliments. It's not as hard as it seems. All it takes is a realization that there is something good going on with you that others have brought to your attention, and acknowledging this realization -- a simple "Thank you."