"The Art of Life"

"The art of life is to know how to enjoy a little and endure much." ~ William Hazlitt

Today I was following a van with the title "The Art of Life" on its back. I've seen ambulances with this name also, very cute... even though it's a medical company of some sort here in Philadelphia. I'm not sure what type of services they provide, but the title made me think that truly "Life is Art" and "Art is Life." Yes, I'm always thinking too much; especially now that I'm going through the challenging Middle Age of my life. It seems that I've become more reflective, I try to find the meaning of everything. What the heck is going on?

Life is a mystery... Come to think about it: Life is an art; some times mysterious, some times exciting, some times challenging. So let's start by defining "Art." According to Britannica Online: "Art is the use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects, environments, or experiences that can be shared with others." Art is something that stimulates an individual's thoughts, emotions, beliefs, or ideas through the senses (Wikipedia). To create our life, and I'm a firm believer that we're responsible for creating our lives and creating ourselves, we definitely must learn many skills and use our imagination and creativity a great deal. We must learn from our experiences in order to live a better life and not make the same mistakes over and over. We must try our best to create a beautiful life for ourselves and those we love, sharing our creation as we journey through it. We must learn to embrace positive attitudes and feelings, and find time to pay attention to our thoughts, emotions and beliefs - while also finding time to pay attention to others (since life is not just about us).

Life is a challenge... but we can create a true work of art if we pay attention to what's truly important, and stop worrying so much about always pleasing and trying to impress others, pretending that we are someone we really are not. We must keep in mind that what we do affects others directly or indirectly, in a positive or negative way; our actions definitely have consequences, even when we don't even realize it. Hopefully also, to believe in "karma." Yes... what goes around comes around.

I'm reading a fascinating book by Dr. John Sarno ("Healing Back Pain") - check http://www.healingbackpain.com - where he explains how most pain conditions, like Back Pain, Fibromyalgia, Bursitis, Digestive Issues and many others, are due to our repressed emotions (especially repressed anger). This subject is very interesting to me since I've been suffering with some shoulder, arm, neck, back, leg and foot pain for the past two years. What's going on with me? Why do I feel so much pain at times? My doctors will explain it as Fibromyalgia, or Sciatica (I have Spina Bifida Occulta - my L5 vertebra is deformed a little and my Sciatic Nerve is irritated), or a Degenerated Spine (which happens to all of us as we get old, our discs start drying out), etc. I also fell a couple of times on my right side, which probably created a few issues. Then again, I must consider many other possibilities: Am I unconsciously repressing some negative emotions? After all, when you go through hormonal changes your moods are affected, you get more easily irritated, annoyed, moody, etc. We become more sensitive, less patient. No matter how positive I am, and trust me I am - I think at work they think I'm "too" positive and "too" happy all the time (I love my work and my students, so why not?!), nothing ever bothers me (or so everyone thinks) - am I keeping some angry or other negative feelings inside? Am I repressing some emotions without even realizing it? I have work to do! It's pretty mind-boggling, really... Maybe I should visit a therapist, or just see my friends more often, so that I can talk to them about my feelings and inner thoughts. I must start analyzing my thoughts and feelings, and pay more attention to my hidden emotions. I should probably write more, reflect more, learn to meditate and pray more. I always said that it's essential to pay attention to our emotions, feelings and thoughts - I guess it's time for me to do that. We get so busy in life that we neglect ourselves and our diets. Well, like I said: Life is a challenge... I'm ready for this one!

No matter what, though, we must create an authentic life (I think Oprah said this); a true masterpiece - the best possible life for us and for those we share our life with. It can be a simple piece, but hopefully full of love, color and beautiful experiences. Let's stop stressing and complicating our life with unending worries and fears. Let's simplify it more and not take it so seriously. Let's take it one day at a time and live our BEST LIFE! I have to start reading my own advice more often, especially now that I tend to forget so many things. Forgetfulness, another challenge that comes with growing old - the reason I started taking Ginkgo Bilova (to improve my memory and circulation). I'll keep you posted about any new discoveries (on improving my memory and my health)! In the meantime, remember that "life is truly an art" - create your best work!

Assignment: Think about this - which painter inspires you? Which painter or painters do you like the most? Why? Your life at the moment looks like a ... painting (which painter)? Why? Jot down any ideas that come to your mind. Write (or type) about your feelings and any thoughts that pop-up. Do a little research online, check the work of various painters (Renoir, Dali, Magritte, Monet, Rembrandt, Kahlo, etc). Get creative!