I had the honor to spend last weekend with my favorite professional artist, my mom. She exhibited her art at the Westport Fine Arts Festival, and despite the rain and cold temperature, it was great to be there. It felt wonderful to spend time with my mom and be her co-pilot, as we spoke with clients and helped them find the right piece of art for their home. I am always amazed at how art uplifts us and brightens our spirits, and am so grateful we can all enjoy it. My mom takes her inspiration from nature and paints en plein air, which means she stands outside to create and work on her paintings. Feel free to check out her website http://www.donnagrande.com , and remember, art is a gift to us all.
This video, from September 2014, is still very important. Dr. Jane Goodall said, “in 200 years people will look back on this particular period and say to themselves, how did those people, at that time, just allow all those amazing creatures to vanish?” She continued to say, “if we all lose hope there is no hope. Without hope people fall into apathy. There is still a lot left worth fighting for.”
I was thinking about life and all of the challenges we now face. In particular, how do we stay positive when our aesthetic surroundings are ugly? I usually derive happiness from a beautiful stream set in a lush pine forest, or when the sun is shining and I am standing at the ocean’s edge. So, what am I or you to do, when we are faced with a gray day, no trees, and a cityscape with no redeeming qualities? What do we do when we have to work in that type of environment every day? As I search for an answer, I ask myself if I really just need to look inside and find beauty in my own heart. Isn’t that what we are supposed to do? Or maybe I must find the one or two things in that cityscape that are pretty or find beauty in a stranger’s smile. Perhaps I must find beauty in the curve of a building’s architectural line or in the fact that I have family and loved ones who care for me. Perhaps it is up to me to recall a stunning landscape that I once visited. Let me know what you think and how you have found beauty, even in the ugliest of times.
“I know many people will say that they don’t know what their joy or life’s work is. But I’ve worked with thousands of people, and I’ve always seen the same exact thing happen. When you take your desires seriously, you suddenly know what to do. We often don’t know what we love, because we don’t pay attention to the interests or activities that don’t look as if they will be financially rewarding or fit into our existing lives. But where there is electricity, there is power. You may need a sacred time-out for reflection or the company of someone who is on fire with their own life to help you ignite your innate direction. Remember, your doubt is not “realistic.” It’s conditioned. Just because a tribe of uninformed or frightened people agree on a reality does not make it real. There is an emerging tribe of people, myself included, who will tell you that it’s more realistic to believe in your natural strengths, your inner resources, and the formidable power of love.
This much I know: You do have a life purpose. You do have inspired work to do. You have enough love and energy in you to create absolutely any circumstance you need. Why would it ever be good judgment to ignore your own gifts, desires, and blueprints to the divine? Why would it ever be frivolous to ride the river of your joy, especially when it meant that you could make a unique contribution to our society, and would have more aliveness, hope, and promise to offer those around you? When did despair and suffering become the measure of productivity and contribution? How did facing down our fears and limitations become viewed as being soft-hearted and dizzy? Human culture has evolved and expanded because of those who followed a vision, not because of those who swallowed one.
So, what soul calling have you been telling yourself isn’t practical? What desires have been knocking at your door? Are you willing to trust your love more than your fear? This path may not be easy, but it will soothe and liberate you more than anything else ever will. Dare to dive deep into your lifetime. Follow your heart no matter what.” Tama J. Kieves
“My Octopus Teacher” is now one of my favorite films and I urge you to watch it. It is a great story about a man who befriends an octopus. Admittedly, I was not a fan of octopuses because I was scared of them. After seeing this film, I have become a fan and am truly amazed by them. Can you imagine, most of them only live for only 1-2 years and basically give up their lives to give birth to their offspring. And they can change color, their shape, and their texture! Wow, what if we could do that? Octopuses are also very intelligent, they can very quickly figure out a strategy to outwit the sharks who wish to eat them and when to inject venom into a mollusk for dinner.
Here is the link for the film trailer:
and a link to the Sea Change Project, a nonprofit dedicated to making connections between humans and animals, and the wild places where they live. https://seachangeproject.com/
This is one of my favorite times of the year and yet, I know many have struggled. 2020 brought COVID-19 and deepened social unrest. Both affected economies all over the world, and the lives of each one of us. Still, we witnessed the heroism of nurses and doctors who work in our hospitals and nursing homes, and random acts of kindness from many people around us.
Playing my violin has allowed me to find beauty, even in the darkest hours. It makes my heart lighter, and in essence, is an act of self-care. May you find something or someone who adds to your smile and touches your soul. May you have happiness and be free from suffering. And may the joy of the season and the new year touch and heal your heart.
To say we are living in challenging times is an understatement. We are witnessing great tragedies among us and are facing many divides. What I would like to say is that we are all in this world together. We may not have the same beliefs or backgrounds but we all wish to be safe, we all wish to be loved, and we all wish to have a home. That goes for human beings and animals alike.
Fires are whipping through California destroying homes, crops, and killing animals. COVID-19 has taken many loved ones away from us. And artists, the ones who inspire and uplift us, are struggling to make a living and pay their rent. I urge you to support them, as it is the painters, musicians, actors, and dancers who touch us and make us better people.
Go buy a piece of art directly from an artist such as Donna Grande. Her art is stunning and the link is below! Donate money to a struggling performing arts group or an animal welfare organization like the World Wildlife Fund. Please do something –whether you spend a dollar or $2,000. Just make a positive difference. Lives are in your hands.
