Thought for The Day - Launching Out into the Deep

You never know what will move you out there or what you will experience when you get out into the "open seas," but you can trust you will discover as much about you as you do about the world!

There are many things I'm reluctant to do; some things don't fit my identity and aren't part of my make up . I don't need to feel get high from liquor and certainly not drugs; good conversation and good music do the trick for me. But there are some things I know I want to do and places I want to go and situations I want to experience. And quite honestly, not everything can be learned through YouTube!

I find that this journey has strange twists and turns and yesterday's failures become tomorrow's epiphany. I began "blogging" years ago, though I wasn't sure what I wanted to say. I was told by the experts that an artist should blog about his art and so I did. But I didn't always have something to say about it. I could blog about my relationship with God, my aspirations and my philosophies about life, but not art - at least not all the time. I wrote about what was on my mind. But "it" wasn't working; I wasn't feeling the need to do so.

"Back to life, back to reality, back to the here and now..." I went back to the corporate jungle, back to the places where income is the main thing and back to my old role. Oh how I hated the notion of doing so! I met a coworker who seemed to be the epitome of class and professionalism and with a wonderful smile. But the strangest thing: without warning, I would have this sense that everything wasn't right. I didn't know her well enough to ask and yet this feeling wouldn't go away. One day, on a whim, I sent an email to her, short and simple: "Whatever you're going through, no matter what the day brings, there is nothing God can't bring you through." She LOVED IT! And asked if I could send these every day - joking of course. But it stirred the idea: A thought for the day, with a theme. I mulled it over for a while and found there really was a theme for each day. Lord knows I write enough on my own without sharing it so with a little practice and development, and here we are!

I have found through this process, I am peeling back layers of my own frustrations and finding someone beneath the surface I forgot existed. I find that I am far more sensitive, meaning I am both spiritually and emotionally aware of other's feelings as well as hypertuned to my own. This 240 pound guy isn't afraid to admit he cries! Wow! Admitting that now puts me out further in the deep!

There are days I am certain I have so far to go; my goals are stretched out to the other end of the universe! And there days I don't think I have the strength or cunning to make it another inch. But each day, without fail, I am further along this journey. And everyday, there is another part of me peeled away and more of me revealed.

Thought for The Day - Strange Twists and Turns

Linen with a twist (in process) 24 x 36 oils

The stuff of life! You are certain the path you've taken, the one you chose is a good one. It is clear you have done your homework, considered the possibilities and prepared accordingly. But you aren't the master of life and most certainly, you can't control every life and the energy you will encounter along the way. So often, "nouns" pop up you could not plan for: a person, place or thing, unaccounted for, throws you off your trajectory and you are forced to re-evaluate the way you go. There are times where time itself, works against you; perhaps you were exhausted and stopped along the way, but in doing so, you find you are behind schedule and where you anticipated being at this point, is miles away.

Now the above could literally be a trip you're taking or it can be life, but either way, it is not the end of your journey. Unless something traumatic occurs, continue on your way, don't stop where you are. The snippet of "Linen with a twist" (above image) is a whimsical tribute to twists and turns that appear in our path. Sometimes, it's a small turn, nothing to throw you off course. But sometimes, it's a gale force tornado, wreaking destruction for all in it's path. Plan and adjust accordingly!

Thought for The Day - Pause

Linen with a little swirl (in process) 24 x 36 Oils

Today I really have to talk to myself - you just get to listen in...

Slow down! Whatever it is, that's got you worked up and ready to run, it will wait. It will keep. The stuff you're sweating, no matter how noble, it will wait for you.

Slow down enough for this moment's lesson. Don't miss the details before you, around you looking for a better picture or an ideal life. Enjoy this one, or bemoan it. But don't allow it's lesson to go unlearned.