Thought for The Day - After

Open Channel 24 x 36 oils

The Turn 11 x 18 pastels

If I could, I would run a thousand miles."

Energy is high, I am full of life; I should be on vapors but I am vibrant. I am strong. There is no need for bravado or flaring up to prove my strength; those tactics are reserved for those who choose to intimidate (perhaps to hide their own inadequacies). No, I am "me," I remain the guy that fades into the woodwork.

A twist, a turn; you know the path you're on, but cannot anticipate each rain cloud or dip in the road that leaves you wondering about other areas of concern. Stay on the path; it is yours and to be seen through until the end. Remaining true to it is all you have to offer to this journey. We all hope for a "someday, this will make sense," but in truth, that isn't the destination we seek. We want to be okay with the path and to have adapted to the extent, we simply navigate this path until we're done.

I look forward to the day when... but for now, I am here and I take each mile-marker as it comes.

Thought for The Day - I am "Here"

A red dot marks my location on the map...and this concept gets copied and modified on electronic devices and software. We can be found "here," or "there." Like the "dash" between a birth year and year of departure, there's no telling what that dot contains!  The dot, the dash, they're just indicators, but no indicator of the stories stored in that location. The reps can't tell you I've moved from this spot in the room, the house, or the office building. It can't tell you I'm on the first floor, getting in the tub or in the basement reclining on the couch while the television serenades me. And the dash doesn't indicate how many people's lives we have impacted for the good.

Words, representing a focal point for the day, a point of concentration, like the rudder on a ship. In this venue, the focal word or phrase says "use 'this' as a mile marker, a reminder of things important. Use it to build, tear down, plant and uproot." There exist thoughts, notions and intentions in us that are taking us to a dead end; we want life, especially in us. There are secret plans we've been plotting and scheming, perhaps we aren't aware how damaging and destructive they can be. We need a remedy, a sense of hope to redirect our course. Sometimes one word, a single concept is all that is needed to put us back on the correct path. And sometimes, the equivalent of an embrace (one word or "thought"); that basic human point of contact changes our location and the direction of our lives.

It's just a word, a thought or a feeling. In the language of "dots" and "the dash," it doesn't register. But in the day-to-day living, the microscopic details of the grand design, eternity is found "here."

Thought for The Day - A Sprinkle...

Soul Dance 8 x 11 Colored Pencils

Humidity hangs in the air; in places like Chicago, Houston and New Orleans, on a summer's day? The air feels like you could literally swim through it!! Moisture moves on top of the breeze and heat and makes movement a chore.

Thick air, dank air, dripping moisture across your skin...

There is purpose and meaning all around us. It hangs in the air, in between obligation and the demands of society. It can easily be confused with the question: "what's everyone else doing?" But it lives in the space between bone and marrow, tendon and muscle. If you are willing to acknowledge, it is more powerful than a 100 degree day with 80% humidity! But we seek comfort, sameness and avoid the need screaming from our souls!

Just sit quietly today; just for a few minutes, listen to that cry from your heart. It wants more than seven matching numbers in the Powerball can deliver! It is the true value of your existence, the reason you have been brought to this place.

Thought for The Day - Pushing

Elastic 18 x 24 pastel

Yep.

Have to.

Can't stop because you've had enough or the car wont stop. You've got to push through and stay on top of your goals. I have been there, I have stopped. So many times and with enough excuses to fill a book. But you - and I - must keep going!

I want to tell my story, but the most important thing you need to know is I fight, I get knocked down, kicked around, but I get up. I guarantee your story is similar to mine. You've seen better and worse days and if you're brutally honest, you are certain life is unfair and the gold and silver is laid up for a lucky few. I know some people who are convinced that the "successful" are that way because they have sold their soul to the devil, or my favorite the Illuminati. Seriously?

Dig a little deeper, my friend. The next time you find yourself on your back, lie there for a bit, cry and bemoan your condition. But at some point, listen to the beat coming from your chest. That means you're not done yet. Get up and either try "it" again or determine another path. DON'T. GIVE. UP!!!