Today seems to be the day everyone is digging into their inbox with gusto, myself included. After cleaning out all the junk, the gems quickly rose to the top. Paul Taubman, my gratitude guru, had the best post regarding resolutions that I have seen anywhere in the last 48 hours.
Prior to reading his post, I was playing in digital oil paint again on ArtRage. My latest discovery – layers. It seems that the little stack of paper on the bottom of the screen is for creating layers within a painting, not for creating separate paintings like I thought. By watching YouTube videos I'm learning more everyday. My painting below is done in layers. Layer one is the sky. Layer two is the water laid over the sky. Layer three is the boat laid over the water. This allows me to work each layer separately without disturbing the paint on the other two. Who knew?
After finishing this painting, I discovered Paul's post. To me his method of making New Year's Resolutions is a lot like painting in layers. He asks:
"Are there things you want to have? (Materialistic things)
Are there activities you want to engage in this year? (Things you want to do)
Are there things that directly affect your well-BEing?"
Them he suggests you layer this list in the reverse order, so that just like the sky in my painting, the biggest, most important thing supports the the other two.
"You should first BE, then DO, so you can HAVE."
Two things that I want the most this year are more energy and a flatter tummy, so I can work harder at fit club and do better at yoga, and then I will be happy. My layers are wrong. I need to be happy so I can enjoy fit club and yoga, making it possible for me to end up with more energy and a flatter tummy.
By putting my mindset on on BEing healthy, it will make it easier and more desirable to DO my exercise routine and eat right so I'll keep it up, and by summer I should HAVE more energy and a flatter tummy. And, by layering, I can work on each layer separately – changes in tiny steps are much easier to incorporate into my lifestyle – and working in tandem, just like my total painting, each layer will make up a healthier, more energetic me.
Now for my painting resolution I made a few days ago. Instead of HAVING more paintings, by DOing it daily, then BEing able to appreciate my talents, I need to appreciate my talents, DO my practicing, and then I will HAVE successful work in my gallery. It's the attitude with which I approach my creative and health endeavors this year that is going to bring about my desired results.
So? How about you and your list of resolutions? Are they layered in the right order? Smile and just take a moment to appreciate the unique and special individual that you already are before you even jump in. Then, as Nike says, just do it.
And so, as another day goes by, BE DO HAVE is my gameplan, I'm going to pick up the brush without fear that my work won't be good, I'm going to explore new videos and apps, I'm going to post at least three pieces of artwork here, in my blog, each week throughout January, and ….I have written.
Paul's blog can be found at:
www.allaboutgratitide.com
My "layered" painting and more cool sites can be found below.
Happy New Year!
Wow – how lovely. (both the painting AND your focus this year)I’ve been reading Bob Goff’s book “Love Does”, and it’s also made me aware of all the things I just think about, but don’t actually “do”.
Thanks for writing and for sharing your artwork – I look forward to seeing and reading more!
Thanks so much Lori for the encouragement. Ive never done this before (the painting) so its a huge challenge. I am also going to look into that book. We are all constantly growing, changing, and reinventing ourselves. It keep life from getting boring! LOL So nice to meet you in this challenge!
~Linda ~
lindabartosik@aol.com