Saturday, July 19, 2008

Belief in Dreams: Lessons from Louis.

What would happen if we gave ourselves over entirely to the things we want? I love these photos of Louis--such sweet abandon! Pure energy! Wild heart! No holding back!




I feel refreshed. Revived. Relaxed. Renewed. I guess that nearly a week's worth of bathing in a lake and cooking on a campfire will do that to a person. I feel like myself again.

Lesson #1: Nourish the muse with delicious bouts of down time.


These past several months I have found myself consumed by the notion of time and how to make the best of it. I've gotten good at equating time with money. How many emails, phone calls, paintings, and meetings can I accomplish in one day? How many items can I jam pack into my to-do list? How little sleep can I endure? I've been striving for maximum efficiency but I think that sometimes it only comes at the cost of a skewed perspective. A skewed perspective too often brings with it a sense of worry, doubt, confusion, and becoming easily overwhelmed. In other words...perspective makes all the difference and there is nothing like a good vacation to put things back into balance.

I spent a lot of time this past week thinking about all the ways that I want to Be Brave. I am strangely excited for Monday and all that it marks the beginning for. I am excited by how many people are joining in on the Be Brave project and I swear I can feel the accumulation of energy already starting to swirl!

Earlier today I read a post by Kristine that really spoke to me. She writes:

"Here’s the scoop – I have been through so much hardship over the years that I just realized recently how tainted I am – how afraid I am to dream, how I look for the shoe to drop, how I am afraid, always fearful even when it’s not necessary to be. I tend to anticipate the worst and I am so very sick of having this cloud of doubt over my head. It’s draining and keeps me in a state of confusion most of the time. I know I need to shake this negativity and yet doing that involves taking risks. At the same time it is hard to take a risk when you have people around you who think your dreams are crazy and that the fact that you’d have such aspirations audacious, well more than audacious – bombastic! And then you begin to shrink back and diminish your light, while at the same time knowing that something is off, something does not feel right, knowing that a part of you is hidden and dampened. So today, I am tossing that away. I am making an effort to shrug off this sloth that drags me down... "

She continues by sharing a few of her own dreams and then asks us to share some of our own. Her words woke me up to just how much of my energy I have been giving away to worry. It seems silly, really--because, now that I'm rested, I feel weirdly removed from the rush and ridiculousness of my life. I see how much I've been letting worry leach the enjoyment from this incredible new life I've started to build for myself. I've let myself get weighed down by fretting over time and money. Simply put, this is my weak spot, my limiting factor. I get tangled up in concerns over how many commissions I have lined up and how to organize upcoming projects and events. I start planning new endeavors from a place of desperation rather than joy. Luckily, I've become keenly aware of the fact that "desperation" is nothing more than my perspective sliding off kilter--no matter how bad the situation might initially seem. This is easy enough to fix since I only have to remember...

Lesson #2: I have everything I need.


When I truly give myself space to nourish my muse and pay attention to how supportive the universe has been, it becomes more obvious to me how important it is to lighten up. Which leads to...

Lesson #3: Don't be so serious all the time.


This of course leaves me at a very wonderful jumping off point. There is so much potential, happiness, and transformation to be had!

Lesson #4: Go for it!

Don't hold back.
DREAM BIG.

~

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

louis is quite the sage. i know where he gets it from. :)
ruby

Sharon said...

Absolutely beautiful!

Unknown said...

#2 I have everything I need

This is so true over and over. And on so many levels. I wonder why I am suprised at myself when I finish that piece and it comes out the way I imagined it would - that the skills are within myself to make it come to life. And if I need to learn something new to get there, it presents itself to me, or I find that person even in my tiny community or thru the internet. So...I need to trust myself.

Samosas for One said...

This was great to read! I'm going to think about my Be Brave project as well. Good to hear your vacation was rejuvenating.

Samosas for One said...

Have you read A New Earth? What you wrote about worry made me think of it.

Suzie Ridler said...

Those photos and lessons are pure joy! Such wisdom and beauty.

My dreamboard was such a struggle this month because it was wrapped up in fear. I'll be writing about it tomorrow. Thanks for helping me through it, your blog helped me not give up or in.

Connie said...

I'm with you girl!!!

Peace & Love.

Karen Smithey said...

I love the pictures of Louis! He looks as though he and Dinah could be distant cousins--does that make us related? Hope so.

I'll be joining in on 'Be Brave' again--can't wait.

I gave you an award over at my place--Hope you come pick it up when you get the chance.

Melanie Margaret said...

I love your pictures Jessie.
I learn so much from you!
I am ready to Be Brave with you!

XO,
Melba

Leah said...

aw, louis is too cute! thanks for the lessons dear, jessie and louis! xoxo

Deirdre said...

It's amazing, isn't it, what we can learn from our dogs (or, in my case, cat). Such important lessons that we too easily forget and need to be reminded of often.

You sound so rested and truly grounded after your vacation.

madelyn said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
madelyn said...

the tao of louis!!

and the photo in number 4 made
me laugh with joy:)

i know exactly how a week
camping can clear the clutterly
head and refresh body and soul
and make you all tingly with
newfound energy and clarity ~

thank you for posting Kristine's
paragraph ~ beautiful and entirely
raw with honesty


:)

be brave indeed:)

(hugs dearest girl!!!!)

kj said...

awwwwh, jessie, this is priceless and precious. this could be a book, jessie. oh, and if you like that idea, be sure you put in the joy part of you and not in the do part of you.

:)

pERiWinKle said...

Gorgeous photos!

Amazing how everything comes to you when you are open for it!

Great reminder not to be too serious!

And amazing to just go out and BE BRAVE! xx

Anonymous said...

Ha! Love these life lessons so much. More so because of Louis.

Beautiful post.
a.

Colorsonmymind said...

Thse photos so rock my fucking world. Oh my!!!!!

What I would do to have the don't be serious and go for it on my wall. Can we do a trade? hee hee

Oh girl I so love you.

XOXOXO

Unknown said...

Such great lessons. I have been reading them over and over again. And the photos just make my day! I can't wait to show them to Derek!