danger: too much positiveness can cause blindness...

It's not what you look at that matters,

it's what you see. 

Henry David Thoreau

hello people!

A quick little watercolor from this morning.
Sometimes i feel like being precise, sometimes not.

Can you guess what this morning was?! 
hint: NOT. 
;-)

It's a rainy day here today.

I love the rain.

It may seem like this little watercolor was inspired by the rain, but it wasn't.

It was inspired by this:
I've discovered lately that i can only take so much positiveness.

Especially the fake, overdone, super fantabulous, shiny sparkly kind.
The kind that makes you feel yucky.
I'm sure you all know what i mean.

I believe it's important to see the whole of life,
not just the good parts.
I also believe life is unfair and that sometimes,
what's possible for one person is absolutely impossible for another.

Denying this reality is denying what life really is.

I've read too many blog posts lately from people
who are living the good life,
raking in the cash, living on some tropical island somewhere,
illness free, debt free, barefoot in the sand,
trying to inspire me to do the same.

Well duh... happiness in such conditions
is not a huge surprise!

For most of us, this is not reality,

and i believe it can be as harmful as helpful if we get too wrapped up 

in someone else's story... someone else's fairy tale.

Anyone can be positive when everything is rainbows and sparkles.
The real character of a person is seen
when the world around them crumbles.
When they lose their house,
or their child,
or their health...

That's when you see the real character of a person.

Most of us have mortgages,
and debt,
and illness,
and dependant children,
and daily challenges that would render many dysfunctional.

What impresses me is the young mother
who is in her 3rd round of chemotherapy
and still faces the day with a smile on her face and courage in her heart.

What impresses me is the man who has lost the love of his life
and is on the verge of losing his house
and still finds it in his heart to volunteer and help others in need.

I hesitate to take the advice of many of these so called

spiritual/financial/life coach gurus...

Real spiritually is free.

I am weary of those who charge a fee for enlightenment -

of those who claim that they will show you the way,

and it'll only cost you five thousand dollars for a 3 day retreat.

I am weary of those who tell others

that anyone can manifest anything at anytime in their lives.

I have a friend who is a quadriplegic.

If he could manifest anything

don't you think he'd be walking?

And if he believed in this crap,

how would he feel about the fact that he is not walking?

I'll tell you how he would feel.

He would feel like a failure.

He would feel like he is doing something wrong...

he is manifesting the wrong thing.

He is not concentrating hard enough,

or trusting or praying hard enough.

We should be careful about what we tell others

they can DO in their lives.

I was skeptical when the book THE SECRET was published.

I realize it may have helped a lot of people,

but my first thought at seeing the book was:

Sugar and spice (and bullshit) in a fancy package.

I want to cry every time i see a televangelist in his shiny suit

and puppy dog eyes,

raking in millions from people who barely have enough to eat.

And yet - these people choose to send in their money...

believing it'll somehow give them a ticket to heaven.

So my little watercolor here is really about being bombarded with 
too much positiveness
and only needing a little bit for myself.

The one little heart is really all i need.

I don't need to be loved by everyone, 
nor do i need (or want) to love everyone.

Some people are assholes.
I don't love those. 
;-)

I believe we all do what we can to make our lives better

or easier

or more meaningful

or healthier

or happier...

i just think we all have our own ways of doing this,

and what works for one may not work for the other.

Find you OWN way to make your life meaningful.

You know what your life needs.

Don't let others tell you what you need to "do" to be ok.

Be the boss of you. :-)

You'll be glad you did.

xox