Live Your Life As If It Were A Work of Art

Below are the pieces that folks purchased during the NoDa All Arts Market this weekend:

BE

This is Your Year

 

Purple Idea Jar

 Purple Idea Jar – 1st Purchase of my new creation!!!

 

Getting Burned

I heard a country song with similar words to the above and just turned the concept into an art piece.  This was purchased by a lady for her step-daughter. I guess who had been hurt by someone.  She was going to give it to her for Christmas.  She said it would be the talk of Christmas Day…imagine that!

Be a Woman

I absolutely love this quote.  It sold quickly and I knew that it would.  I’ll make more of these, because if more women thought like this they would always be happy with themselves – they’d look their best, be their best and not keep looking outside of themselves to be fulfilled.

Golden Day

One day I heard the Jill Scott song…Living My Life Like It’s Golden.  It stuck in my head.  When I sat at the craft table it was still in my head.  I had found a pot of gold  piece at TJ Maxx and just married the two on one sign.

When the lady brought it I told her what had inspired the piece and she said that she was buying it because she loved that Jill Scott song.  Cool!

 

No Matter What

This was purchased by a daughter to give to her mother for Christmas. She told her friend that was with her that she wanted her mom to know that even when she didn’t call her, or was mad at her that she loved her.

That’s priceless to me, because as  a mother I know that this mom will keep this piece on her refrigerator or take it into work and be reminded that her daughter loves her.

Orange Idea Jar

I had forgotten that at one point I took a picture of the Idea Jar with all the component parts.  This picture is a little blurry.  I also added a booklet to go with the whole concept so folks could use it to take notes.  The slips of paper are for the best of the best ideas.

This jar was purchased by this gentleman who came back after looking around the craft show. We had talked about the concept of the jar (don’t keep your ideas bottled up inside of yourself or the jar – pursue them or give them away).  Because I only take cash when he came back for his purchase he told me that he had sacrificed buying a drink to be able to afford to have enough money to buy his Idea Jar.  That was funny to me!

 

Pink Idea Jar

I had touched up some of the white paint around the edges since this picture was taken. It was purchased by a lady for her sister who is in college in Ohio I think she said.

Change and Growth

I love this one  and REALLY did not want to sell it.

It took me awhile to make it.  I kept working on the tree, the flowers and the sky over a period of time. Something about it just made me feel good working on it, looking at it and I love the quote.

A lady picked it up, put it back, then she walked away. I was thinking…thank goodness because I really didn’t want to sell it.  Then she came back and said that it fit with what was happening in her life right now and it would be a good reminder.

When you create art it is like birthing a child, and then having to give it away. It’s great when you know that someone else is appreciating what has come through you and that you are helping someone get through periods of their life.

I guess I can try to duplicate this piece, but like life and this blog you have to learn to let go. Sometimes it is “letting go”, so others can “let come” something to be birthed inside of them and in the universe. Who knows how much this little piece will help that lady who purchased it or where the piece will end up? Who knows?

Even when you really want to hold on and keep something…just be okay with letting it go… and letting things happen that you might never find out about.

 

Sailboat -First Painting…No Wordburning..Just Painting

 

 

Follow Your Bliss

Follow Your Bliss – Joseph Campbell.  This lady walked up to my booth like she was at home.  I sort of recognized her, but I’ve done quite a bit of shows over the year and have met a lot of people.  She read almost every sign.  She then told me that she loved my work and that she already had several of my other pieces from other craft shows all over her house.  She said she thought my booth was the best of them all!   Making people smile, making them happy, encouraging them, how do you beat that?

End Of Your Comfort Zone

Same lady who brought – Follow Your Bliss – brought the above.

 

Red Idea Jar

Purchased by young girl who brought it for her grandmother.  I talked to the young girl and her mom for a while about the concept and the young girl was so excited to be spending her own money for the purchase.

Business Card Holder. This was not for sale.   I had painted this wooden miniature bench and used it for my business cards.  The mother who was with her daughter that brought the above Red Idea Jar asked me for my business card.  I told her where she could find it and she wanted to know if I would sell her the bench so she could use it for her business cards. She was a crafter and made jewelry and she wanted something unique for her cards.

I hesitated a little and thought well I’d originally made it to sell, but had started putting my cards in it because it was a perfect fit…so it was okay…I just snapped a quick picture where I was painting coasters at the show, just in case I want to make another one for me or others.

I want to make more of these. There are just certain pieces that I know I want to make more of with various designs. Just to communicate a message to permeate my little corner of the world.  This is one of those pieces.

Life is Like Art

Half of the fun of setting up a booth at these craft shows are the people you meet.

I just love watching people, their interactions and the moments that are shared.

A lady came up and picked up the above piece.  She told me that she liked it and then she put it back down.

I’ve learned that with art – either people want it or they don’t – it speaks to them or it doesn’t –  so I can’t figure out how or why I would try to “sell it”…just let people “buy it” if they want it.

She then picked it up again, put it back and walked away.

I didn’t know at the time that she didn’t have any cash on her.  About five minutes later her and her sister came back  and her sister brought it for her.  You can’t beat that moment!  It was a joy to see and to experience.  I was almost in tears!

 

Think Big

 

Greatest Achievements

I’ve had both of these pieces for a while.  The same lady brought them.  Again it’s just about what resonates with folks at the time they see the piece.

Creative Center

A lady who ran an after-school program teaching young adults about being creative came up to my booth. Of course I didn’t know about all of that at the time. She only had $4, not the $5 which is the cost of most of my pieces.  She meekly asked if I would take the $4. I knew that was all that she had because I had several folks at my booth and I saw her holding the piece for a while.  I just kindof felt she wanted to speak with me after everyone had gone. When she asked me about the $1 discount I told her there was no cost for the piece. It was now more about supporting a cause and someone else’s dream.

I just hope the piece inspires some kid somewhere.

I know when I made it I kept re-working it and adding more color and wood burned dots.

Maybe some kid will get the point of this piece:

• THEIR Creative Center IS THERE, but they have to look for it.
• THEIR Creative Center  is their very own no one else’s.  Sometimes they will miss the mark, but they have to keep looking for it.
• They will have to go deep and when  they discover it, it will be like all the color red in the piece…a burning point that will be ignited within and they will start to co-create with whoever and whatever the creator means to them…and they will  create something uniquely beautiful to give to the world.

Now…it’s time to find YOUR creative center…do what is inside of you to do…TODAY…and live your life like it is a beautiful piece of art…because …it is!

How Do You Feel Today?

When you learn to let go to let come you won’t “feel good” right way.

In time you will feel good and see things in a new way and be able to sleep in peace.

Your current world, will be the old world. 

There will be a new dawn, a new day and a new life…let it come…

don’t wait for the new year to begin…

start today to learn the benefits of letting go of the old for the new to come into your life.

 

"Hit It In The Corner"

I can’t remember where I was…some gym…somewhere…and this lady basketball player came over to me and taught me how to shoot a lay-up. She just walked up from out of nowhere, told me what to do and walked away.

She said:” just aim for the top corner and it will go in almost every time”.

It was like magic…I aimed for the corner and the basketball went in.

Life is like making that lay-up:

1. There are proven techniques and tips for living a well-lived life.  You don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

2. People will come out of no-where to help you. Be open to the universe bringing things to you to help you. Life really doesn’t have to be a struggle. If you’re struggling then you’re forcing “your way” and maybe that’s not the way things are suppose to work out.

3. It does you no good in life to know what to do and then not do it – you have to take action.

Sometimes that action is letting go…of the familiar…of the person…of the job…of the belief…of the pain…of the hurt…of the past…

When you let go you enter into what I call the “dark tunnel of change” – a.k.a., the unknown.  You have to trust in yourself and in life in knowing that all will be well.

No matter the outcome.

Here is where most people get stuck.  Most people think of the outcome as having to be either “good” or “bad”. Regardless of the outcome (letting come) there will be aspects that are BOTH “good” AND “bad”.  There has to be because life is all about balance.  You need the night and the day, the summer and the winter, the positive and the negative (think about how a battery works- you can’t just have the positive charge only – it won’t work).

Once you truly understand this little mystery of life, it will feel like you’ve cracked the code.

You will no longer be running around chasing everything being “good” and wondering why everything isn’t “all good” in your life – wanting just happiness, light and love.   That is not realistic and not how life works.  There is sadness, there is hatred and there is death.  But sadness is the other side of happiness and death the other side of life.  It’s just opposite ends of the same coin.  You can not have one without the other.

When you practice letting go a.k.a. allowing life to happen –  not forcing things – not struggling to orchestrate everything – and not holding on to what or who is not for you then and only then will you be able to make sense out of what you are suppose to be, do and have:

• “be”  – who you are. Most people have no idea who they are.  They are afraid to find out. They don’t like themselves and they try to fool everybody, including themselves, instead of doing the really hard work of just being who they are.  Here’s a secret: You have to figure out what you want to “be”  first (mostly because you “are a being”) then the “doing” (of that being) and “having” (for that being) will fall into place.      So, how do you figure out who you are?:

1. Get behind that voice in your head – you know the one – the one that is talking to you all the time.  It will block you from getting to know the real you. It’s like a wall and until you can knock it down you will never know the real you.  You will only know the persona, but not what is behind all the facade.
2. You have to develop a relationship with that voice. It is not the real you.  You can not be afraid of it.  You can not be afraid of all the scary things it will come up with once you start paying attention to it.  You will have to face it down like a bully on the playground.  Have no fear.  All it is is a bully and once you deal with it, guess what, it backs down.  How do you deal with it? First just stare it down.  Let it do it’s thing.  The only difference is that you will be paying attention to it.  Being totally aware.  How do you do this?  Lay on the couch and just let  your thoughts run wild.  Allow them to happen, but don’t attach yourself to solving anything or even thinking any of it makes sense.   In the bully analogy –  let it beat the hell out of you a couple of times.  You are just figuring out how it fights, so you will know how to conquer it.  After you can successfully do that for a while (just allow your thoughts to happen) THEN you can proceed to knock it the hell out.   How do you do that? You silence it.  You shut it down.  You stop it from all that chatter.  Expect it to fight you every step of the way. It will try to make it really hard for you to silence it because it wants to still act like it’s you.  It will tell you it CAN’T be silence.  It will tell you it’s too hard and you shouldn’t even try.  Don’t worry it can be silence and don’t give up trying no matter how long it takes or how hard it is. Once you silence that voice you will find another “still small voice” that is the real you.  You will instantly recognize it once you hear it.  Once you “hear” THAT voice (actually it sounds more like a musical tone or frequency to me) you have made the connection to the Source of everything.  This Source is in you and in everything else (the trees, the sky, the ocean, the animals, other people, ect). But you can not make the connection to it until you remove the block – face the bully – knock it out, then…you reach another level…
3. You will realize that you ARE That Source expressing itself as a human being through your body, your eyes, your heart, using your legs, in your part of the world, ect. No one or nothing in the entire universe can be you or do what you need to do as an expression of  The Source.  Only you can be the expression of you and there is no other reason for you being here other than being who you are.  So, if you try to be someone or something else then it won’t work out.  You will always be struggling.   It’s like a fish trying to fly or a bird trying to swim.   How will you know once you’ve figured out who you are?  You  will absolutely fall in love  with that being. Then and only then will you be able to do and have what is needed for that expression. 

• do” –  what that “being” is destined to do (purpose or reason for being)

• “have”– what is meant for that “being” to have in order to do what it needs to “do” (it’s purpose)  
  

  Holding on is like shooting a lay-up with your eye’s  closed or behind your back.

Letting go is like practicing “hitting it in the corner”  – you’re focused, you’re sure,  you’re relaxed, you’re not afraid of failure…why…because you know it works…even if it doesn’t work out every single time… you know it works the majority of the time…

You let go (of what is no longer right for you or your growth) in order to let come (make room in your life for the new thing that is right for you and your growth)…and what happens?

Things work out.

You’ve Hit It In The Corner and The Ball Goes Through The Net.

SCORE!

 

 

 

How To Control Your Spending

It’s been a month since I posted the 3 things post and one of the three things that I decided to try for the month of October 2012 was only spending three times a week.

It worked like a charm.

At first it was a challenge because I was used to spending whenever I wanted to.

I decided to spend ONLY on Monday, Wednesday and Friday’s.

How It Worked Out

Friday’s seemed to be the hardest because  you have to plan for your weekend starting on Thursday.

The way I decided to do it was that as long as I had “cash money” then I could spend that on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday or Sunday, but I could not debit, charge, go to the bank (it’s been a long time since I’ve done that!) on any other day except Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Fridays’ ended up being very busy indeed.  I’d go grocery shopping, get gas for the weekend, make sure I had enough money for any entertainment or craft shows over the weekend.

For example, if I needed anything like a belt (which I still need) I committed to doing that type of need/want shopping on Friday’s only.  By Monday, I’d make sure I had enough gas to last until Wednesday, and Wednesday until Friday.

I paid all bills –  credit card payments, auto, mortgage, utilities on Friday’s.

The thing that made this really work was that I was “batching” all of this spending (or as I view it now consuming verses producing) that had pre-occupied EVERY day.

What a complete waste of time that seems to me after this month.

On Tuesday, Thursday’s and the weekend I could focus on other things. That has really increased my productivity with my business ideas, crafts, art, housework, house repairs, yard work, ect.

Also,  another benefit has been that I have totally cut out eating out.  I have had lunch out a couple of times during the week only because the place I go is like going to “Cheers”   – they know my name, my usual order and it’s only $4 –  so it’s like a little treat.  Other than my $4 meal, eating out just didn’t fit into the schedule.  Needless to say, my cooking skills have vastly improved AND I’ve lost weight…you can’t beat that as a benefit.

So…if you are looking for a way to get your spending under control use the Power of 3 – only spend three days a week.

Give it a try…if you do and it works for you too…then get in touch with me and let me know…Good Luck!

Finding Your Passion - Then Giving It Away

“When you buy from an independent artist,you are buying more than just a painting or a novel or a song. You are buying hundreds of hours of experimentation and thousands of failures. You are buying days, weeks, months, years of frustration and moments of pure joy. You are buying nights of worrying about paying the rent, having enough money to eat, having enough money to feed the children, the birds, the dog. You aren’t just buying a thing; you are buying a piece of heart, part of soul, a private moment in someone’s life. Most importantly, you are buying that artist more time to do something they are truly passionate about; something makes all of the above worth the fear and doubt; something that puts the life into the living.”

~Rebekah Joy Plett

The above was a quote on a fine artist booth at an art/craft show I participated in this weekend.  I agree. Art is an esthetic experience.  I know this to be true from looking at “art”, creating “art” and selling “art”.  Below are some of the pieces I sold this weekend at two craft shows and the stories behind the pieces and those who brought them.

You Have Not Been Abandoned

A lady who had just moved to Charlotte came up and at first picked up one sign and was ready to get it, then she said: “Wait a minute I really need to find something for my son, he’s going through a tough time.”

I asked her how old her son was and she said 23 years old.

So knowing what I know about mothers and sons I started reading some of the pieces I thought might encourage a 23 years old.

When I got to the above, she said, that’s it. Thank you so much this will really help him.  Wow!  That was interesting because I did that sign in the font that a young person struggling might be able to relate to.

This was one of the first pieces I made over a year ago…but it wasn’t until this week that I added the colors purple and white to the piece….it just added a little something.  Hopefully that young man is encouraged.

He might never know that his mom was going to buy something for herself but decided to buy something for him instead.  I’m sure she wanted that piece for herself, but maybe didn’t want to spend another $5 for it.

She gave me 5 worn dollar bills to make that purchase.

I AM and Live Life

Both of these pieces were purchased by a middle-aged woman who came to the All Arts Market with a group of friends.

It’s was like a girls night out.

They read most of the signs and commented on them.  They liked a lot of the signs, but only had plastic.

One of the ladies really liked the I AM GOD sign, she picked it up, and didn’t put it back. She also she picked up the Live Life sign and said quietly; “I have $10 and I’ll take these two please.”

I could tell that she wasn’t going home without at least the I AM sign.  I had painted the back of the I AM sign red and wrote something along the lines of  God is there in the stillness, in the silence, listen and you will hear.  She read the back, looked at me and smiled.

 

 

Question the Answers

A couple came up and the lady immediately asked if I was a teacher.

I told her that I had been a teacher at one point in my life.

She said that she could tell based on just walking up to my booth and reading my signs because it was educational and inspirational.

Then she and her boyfriend/husband read most of the signs.  As she was going to walk away she saw the Question sign and said; ” Honey I have to have this for my classroom”.

She then told me she was a teacher and the name of the local school.

She asked her husband if he had the $5.  He handed it to her and she handed it to me.

So a group of kids in a classroom somewhere in Charlotte, NC will read and see that sign.  So will anyone else that goes in her classroom.

Knowing what I know about teachers –  that sign will go with that teacher from year to year from classroom to classroom.

I certainly hope those children and adults look even deeper behind what that sign really means.

It means to keep asking questions and don’t always accept the first, second or third answer.  It means to hear what is not being said in the answers.  It means to question the questioner. It means to question yourself.  It means to not believe everything you hear or read or what someone wants you to believe. It means to go deeper and deeper and deeper…question even the answers that you’re telling yourself…question your beliefs, question your behavior, question your life situation, question your plans for the future, question your hang-ups, question why you are here, question what you need to do next…just keep asking good questions…and question the answers you get back…

Find Your Tribe

The booth I was at on Friday night was in the corner and in the dark  (those two things were bad enough but..) this booth was also behind a booth where there were two artist who had LOTS of friends that showed up to support them that night.

What that meant for me was that most people could not get to my booth. It was blocked from this group talking in front of one of the entrances to my booth.

I didn’t get upset because half of the fun of doing these craft shows is watching people and studying human behavior.

The two artist in front of my booth were gay/lesbians and all of their friends seemed to be as well.

I was truly fascinated by the community that they had developed.  It seemed pretty amazing to me.  Everyone was friendly and loving to each other.  It was the loving part that really was interesting to see.  I was there for about 4 hours and I would say roughly 20 people/couples came up to make it a “celebration” of sorts: taking pictures, buying the artwork, holding hands, kissing, and hugging each other.

I’d never given it a lot of thought but I thought that maybe homosexual couples are just happy that  they can now be with who they’ve chosen to be with without all of society looking at them like they are crazy.

I just keep wondering why heterosexual couples don’t feel the need to show this type of public affection and why homosexual couples do. Something to ponder. There were not only lesbians couples but some gay (men) couples started to join them as well. I started to watch how they all interacted with each other.  There didn’t seem to be much or any conflict.  It looked like one big family/community.

As I was watching them I thought to myself that they had found “Their Tribe” so to speak.  Maybe they couldn’t/wouldn’t have fit in or been happy in a heterosexual relationship, but they seemed happy in these type of relationships.  Maybe it was because they bonded because they had that in common.

A few minutes after I was thinking that one of the men turned around towards my booth.

He came over and we struck up a conversation.  He read almost every sign in my booth. He said that there needed to be more booths like mine, uplifting people, spreading love and happiness in words and in pictures. He laid eyes on Find Your Tribe and picked it up and said he was really just drawn to it.

 He asked how much and I told him $5.

Before I put it in the bag he ask if I would sign it.   I hesitated because I didn’t know the name to put on it…my real name (which is on my business cards) or Ridea Richardson which is my creative works name.  That was an interesting dilemma to me.

After he purchased it he told his “tribe” to come over and look at my booth and read the signs.

He was passionate about my work and thanked me for doing it.  Just amazing stuff!

 Love Everybody

At the early Saturday morning outside craft show a couple came up,  They had known each other since high school – 40 years.  He had liked her back then in High School, but she was already taken.  They both got married and divorced to different people.  He found her on Facebook, connected with her, moved to NC to be with her, and now they’ve  been married for a year.

She proudly showed me her ring.

She started reading all the signs and said: “You did this to me?” and he said: ” I’d never do that to you.” It was about a heart that had been shattered by a loved one.  Then they read all the signs, but she keep coming back to the Love Everyone sign and said she had to have it.

Of course he pulled out the money and brought it for his sweetie.

Such a wonderful love story.  They looked so happy together…LOVE in Action.

Evolve or Die

Another couple who came up and read each sign, talked about the Idea Jars.  They made a couple of comments about the wood I was painting for more pieces…then…the lady “found” the Evolve or Die piece.

She picked it up and said: “I have to have this.  Oh My God I love this. How much is it?” I told her $5 and her boyfriend pulled out the $5 and handed it to me.

I asked her if she wanted me to wrap it and she said yes, but she said she really just wanted to keep looking at it.  She had a hard time handing it to me in order for me to wrap it. That was so cute to me.

I decided to tell her about what I was thinking when I made that piece.  It’s a play on the word EVOLVE…Evolve is LOVE however you look at it…EVOL (is love spelled backwards) and EVO  L(O)VE is love when I add the “o”.

Evolve means to grow, to be alright with change, to let go of what was.  If you are not able to evolve (change)  then you might be alive,  but you aren’t really living.

What I didn’t tell her is that I had just “re-worked this piece at 2 a.m. on Friday morning.

This was one of the very first pieces that I made over a year ago when I was afraid of color or messing anything up.  So that night I added all the color to depict evolution and death to me.

Sometimes the spirit within me just says “rework” this piece, add this, change that…it just knows…

As they were walking away the lady kept looking at the piece through the plastic packaging that I use.

I said to the young man: “You’ve made her happy today.”   She looked at him and said: “He makes me happy everyday.” She looked like she wanted to take his hand or show some sign of affection, but she didn’t. I thought about the community of gay couples the night before who had no problems showing public displays of affections.

Still I think it was a very memorable moment for that young couple and I hope their relationship evolves and doesn’t die, if that’s what meant to be.

 

Life’s a Beach

This little girl came up in an “awe” type look.  That is the look that I get from young people.  They are drawn to my booth because of all the colors.  I think it looks like candy or something sweet to them.

Later her grandmother came up and we talked for about 30 minutes (no kidding) we talked about grand kids, our kids,  being creative, cooking (she liked to make cream cheese cakes and told me about an interesting website – cookingforengineers.com).

She started looking at the pieces and her eyes locked in on Life’s A Beach.

The interesting thing about this piece is that one of the little shells had come off in transit to the venue. I looked at it and wasn’t going to show it, but decided I needed to try to fix it.

I went over to the musicians who were at the venue.  They let me hook-up my glue gun to their amps to glue back the little shell.  I told the lady that the pieces were fragile, and I wrapped it in Bubble wrap to help protect it on the way home.  She didn’t seem to care.  I think she just liked the saying because she was old enough to appreciate the waves of life and enjoy them!

Yin and Yang Coaster

I love the coasters I’ve started to create so much that I don’t want to sell them really, but I decided to put them out anyway hoping I can create more.

This gentleman came up and IMMEDIATELY picked up the Yin and Yang Coaster.  He asked me if I had another one like it and I told him no I didn’t, but could make another one for him.

I asked if Yin and Yang was “his thing” and he said yes.

He pulled out his necklace from out of his shirt and showed me a small yin and yang pendant and a Mother Teresa pendant that he wore all the time.  He asked me for my card and told me he would email me about making two yin and yang coasters for him. Then he walked away.

I don’t sell my pieces.  I don’t even try to promote them really.  I feel like these are things that sell themselves and thank God I have a  job that takes care of my needs and I don’t need craft show money to survive on.

He came back about 10 minutes later and said he wanted to buy the one coaster and that he might still email me for another one.

I’m glad I took a picture of it because I worked, re-worked, and touched it up so many times I don’t know if I could re-create it exactly the same, but I’ll do my best.  Hopefully I can make it better.

NOW…What’s Inside You To DO?  What Is Your Gift To The Family Of The World

Maybe you are not into doing anything artistic, no problem, BUT you ARE creative.

We are all creative.

It will come through you, if you allow it.  

Maybe its working on cars, or baking, or writing, or speaking, or singing, or making money, or investing, or painting, or gardening, or carpentry, or organizing, or teaching, or healing, or WHATEVER….just find that WHATEVER thing and GIVE IT TO THE WORLD…that is why you are here…TO BE YOU…GIVE YOU AWAY in SOMEWAY…in finding your passion…(really it’s passions plural)…doing it…creating it…sharing it…

Just Live Like You Were Dying and that will help you find it (smile)

 

Pots & Pans, Hands & Soul

If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.

~Henry David Thoreau

Growing up with my brothers and sisters in Virginia we “made” our fun.

One of the ways we made our fun was to get out the pots and pans.

We’d have a jam session all-night-long with those pots and pans.  We’d just go to town and make music together.

 

Hang Drum

Last night I went to a mini-concert and listened to a Hang  Instrument being “played”. It took me back to” playing” those pots and pans with my siblings.

It doesn’t matter what the external “instrument”  is

It doesn’t matter what it looks like

It doesn’t matter what is cost

It doesn’t matter what others think about it

It only matters that YOU “play” it

It matters that you  look for it

It matters that when you do find it, you are true to it

It  matters that you allow your soul to come forth through it

It matters that you get out of your own way, so you can “play” it like no one else plays it

It matters that you let go of  being someone else – just be yourself

It only matters that you let come the you that is deep inside…wanting to be born…wanting to come forth…wanting to finally dance your dance…to sing your song…to hit your pots or your pans.  

It’s all about YOUR contribution to the family of the world

Below is what a hang instrument sounds like when played.  Yes, it looks like a flying saucer, but I guess that’s what makes it unique. I’m sure it’s more expensive than the pots and pans in your kitchen cabinet…BUT the principle is the same…

Let go and let your soul come forth to create…your uniqueness…your gift…your passion…only YOU can give YOU to the world – no one else can do that for you.

What is your gift to the family of the world?

Why Are You Walking In Circles?

“People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child — our own two eyes. All is a miracle.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh

A young girl at the playground asked me that the other day: “Why are you walking in circles?”

I told her I was exercising. She seemed to be okay with that answer, but I knew it was much more than ‘exercising’ to me.

It was the easiest answer to give her, because exercise is one of the benefits of walking.

I certainly couldn’t tell this young girl:

• I’m meditating.
• I’m contemplating.
• I’m doing a number of breathing techniques, but no one can tell.
• I’m sensing my recently deceased mother in everything – she seems to be everywhere now – in the sky, in the trees, in the birds – everywhere – not just in a room in a nursing home anymore – she’s everywhere.  Her voice is constantly in my head with her life lessons, her wisdom, and this ‘knowingness’ that everything is fine. I just need to trust that, stay humble and get ready for whatever is coming my way.
• I’m seeing something new at every turn around the school building – the geese that fly in formation; the trees that are starting to turn colors; the beautiful purple wild flower; the airplanes in the sky; the tall young guy who should be good at basketball but he isn’t; the dad that’s trying to make his son into a basketball player – even though the kid doesn’t seem to have the natural aptitude for the sport; the soccer field; the ladies who walk around in skimpy and tight outfits looking here and there and pretending to “exercise” but they’re really trying to catch the eye of one of the men playing basketball with their kids; the little girls playing on the monkey bars and talking like their mother’s; on and on I see something new every day and at every turn when I walk on that school yard.

How could I explain to that little girl that:

• “walking in circles” was one of the very best parts of my day.
• television has long ago lost its hold on me.
• when I didn’t walk I felt like I’d cheated myself out of some joy that’s readily available.
• I wonder every day what I’ll do when the weather gets cold – will I still be able to wear my comfortable crock flip-flops? – will it be too dark to walk? – will I adjust my hours at work? – will I walk during lunch? – exactly what will I do?  I must have a plan because ‘walking in circles’ has proven to be the best most consistent form of both physical and mental “exercise” that I’ve done in many years.

How could I explain to her that yes, my answer about exercise was accurate, but it was not all there is to her question.

How could I explain that one day she’d probably find herself in middle age “walking in circles” too.

How could I explain that in life she should keep asking those type of questions…and question the answers…most people never question the answers.  Answers are taken at face value, but there’s usually more to the answer than the answer itself.

I saw her again the other day as she twirled an incredible flip on the monkey bars.  I smiled, and just thought as strongly as I could that I was looking at a future Olympian   I wanted her to believe that too, just from my eyes and my smile.  She caught me looking at her and her eyes got really big.   She looked so proud that I had “noticed” her …or maybe she caught the message I was sending with my eyes and smile –  that she could be anything she wanted to be in life.

I wonder if that young girl will remember that lady in the green and yellow crocks that she asked the question: “Why are you walking in circles?” I won’t soon forget her, or her question to me, or the fact that one day she might just be in the Olympics twirling on the uneven bars.

We never know when we are making a memory.