“Life starts on a blank canvas. You are the Artist. Through life, you paint many pictures, some good and others bad. Today, Now, is the time to produce your best pictures yet” ~ Lorenzo
Very frequently we sit back and reminisce on the good old days, those carefree days when we were young and had little care for the world. We were not burdened by things we had little or no control over.
Some of our biggest challenges were reading to pass our tests, making new friends, trying to get on the football team, volleyball team and other activities that made us feel as part of a functional whole. As we got older, we became more conscious of our looks, if the girl next door would ever date us, if the boy we fancied even knew we existed. Those were the days we really didn’t have the whole world on our shoulders!
Today, as the years have rolled by, many of us go through life having regrets for things we didn’t get to achieve or have not achieved, blaming circumstances and others for our failings. We moan our losses, find faults in the world and condemn others we perceive to be better off than ourselves.
Indeed, life does seem so distant from those good old days. You know why? Because life today is so distant from those good old days!! Today is the here and now. Time you got used to It!
Okay, now we have agreed to face the realities of life, how do we begin to make sense of today? How do we begin to appreciate and deal with the life we have now?
In truth, Life has multiple faces. There are times we feel in control of a situation and things are going just according to plan. Other times we are overwhelmed by some challenges and we feel trapped with no way out. Sometimes life feels like an endless journey, a conundrum, a jigsaw puzzle, a map to decipher.
There are tasks to do, bills to pay, work to attend to, children to nurture, general everyday chores to handle, and we can’t seem to get out of the vicious cycle of events that plague our very existence. At such times, we feel perplexed and wonder if things will ever be different, if life will ever have more meaning than the duties that have come to bear on us. These are the moments we need to sit back and reflect on what life really means to us.
We hear this phrase quite often, ‘Life is your canvas’. How many times do we truly reflect on this and try to embrace its true meaning?
The artist gets a canvas and decides what sort of picture he wants on it. With a few strokes, he lays his foundation, an outline of what he hopes to create. Gradually he puts more paint on the canvas, each time stepping back and reflecting on his work. If he is not satisfied with what he has produced, he wipes off the entire work and starts all over again until he gets it right, until he produces what he is satisfied with. Sometimes an artist paints over an old work, reusing same canvas irrespective of the blotches and stains on it.
Life is indeed like a blank canvas and you are the artist. You can paint whatever picture you choose, based on the materials available. Sometimes you make mistakes and have to clean off some paint or start the entire picture all over again. Each attempt, each stroke of the brush, is an experience, a new discovery, a journey to a destination. The more you paint, the better you become. You begin to understand patterns, directions, how best to hold the brush and what brush to use to achieve a particular result.
So long as you keep at it, you will get to that point where you know what sort of paintings represent you and what you are good at. So is life. The more experiences you go through and learn from, the more knowledge you gain of yourself and what you are good at. Keeping focus on what you hope to achieve helps you on your journey of accomplishment.
Again, just as the potter kneads the clay to achieve the right texture and starts moulding, building a particular shape, he stays focused on his task, hoping to achieve a desired outcome. If he needs to start all over again, to add more water to the clay to get the right texture, then that’s what he’s got to do. Staying focused and knowing what his target goal is, is the key. So it is with life. Life is not static, life is continuous, so long as you breathe.
Although there may be factors beyond your control: environmental, health, financial, or whatever it is, always bear in mind this is your life and no one else’s.
Sometimes you need to get out of your comfort zone in order to get the best out of you.
Get that canvas out, if you don’t have paint, use a pencil, if you don’t have a pencil, use charcoal, if you don’t have charcoal, get some wood, burn it up and you get your charcoal. The point is, never give up, there is always an alternative. It is your canvas, paint your very best picture; your clay, mould the best pottery.
Your Life, Your Choice. Get out there and do your damnedest for you!
LORHUES 