12/24/2009 - I started reading a book called 'The Story of Art' today.  It starts out talking about how we observe art and how we appreciate or not appreciate a work done by an artist.  Many times we like a painting or a sculpture because of familiarity, it looks right, it reminds us of something in our lives. We dislike a piece for the opposite reasons; we have no reference in our life, it doesn't represent something they way we think it should, it's totally bizarre.  The author tells us that when we observe a piece of art we should look at each item from a fresh or new point of view.  Don't view it compared to another artists piece of work.  We should try to understand what the artist is trying to convey. 

Isn't that so true of life.  So often we miss the great things in life because we look at people and situations from learned perspectives.  Many times as we age and get wiser(?) we form prejudices that taint out points of view.  We get this picture in our minds of how things should be and anything outside the 'norm' we tend to back away from or dislike without ever truly understanding it.  I realized recently that if we look for the gifts that a person or a situation has to offer instead of looking at what we dislike about that person or situation, life takes on new meaning.  I read many years ago a series books called 'Conversations with God' by Neale Donald Walsh.  In it God made a statement to Neale that has stuck with me and has certainly made a difference in the way I look at people.  It goes something like this:  "Nobody does anything wrong given their view of the world.'  That quote had made all the difference in my ability to forgive and to see individuals in a different light.  It doesn't mean that we condone the actions of others(or ourselves) or that there are no consequences for their/our actions; it just tells us to look deeper to try and understanding why they/we did what they/we did.  It helps us to take a new look or a fresh look at life, perhaps not in the traditional way we look at things.  After all, the great advances in our civiliazation were not made by thinking traditional, but by thinking and acting outside the comfort zone.

Merry Chirstams to All and a Happy New Year

Namaste`    

10/8/2009 - Life is meant to be explored and discovered.  As I venture through life, I would like to share my thoughts, my opinions, my hopes and my challenges to who would like to partake in what I have to share.  For those who read on, what I have written is what is true for the moment.  As I continue to grow, revelations may come, my opinions may change, I may see things in a different light depending on my life's experiences.  If you would like to expresss your thoughts to me, give me something else to consider, I welcome that. 

Enjoy Life!  Express passion in all you do!  Do what you love!