You Are a Work of Art

Melody Beattie shares this today….

All the arts we practice are apprenticeship. The big art is our life. ~ M. C. Richards

What you do is not who you are.

You are more, much more, than that.

It’s easy to get so caught up in what we do that we’re only identifying ourselves through our daily tasks. I am a me­chanic. I am a parking lot attendant. I am a doctor. I am a dishwasher. When we link ourselves too closely to our jobs, we deny ourselves the chance to ever be anything else. We limit ourselves by believing that’s all we are and all we’ll ever be.

Our concept of who we are is one of the hardest, but most rewarding, ideas we can change. If you have been brought up believing that you are clumsy, you will probably demon­strate this belief in your actions—until you identify that idea, let go of it, and let yourself be something else.

Don’t limit yourself by saying you are just what you do. Stop seeing yourself as a static being. If I am “just” a parking lot attendant, then how can I hope to ever influence someone through my words, my art, my music, my life? But if I am a vital, living, growing soul who happens to be parking people’s cars, then everything I do can become a symphony. I can have an influence for good in the lives of everyone I touch. I can learn from them, and they from me. I can learn the lessons that I am supposed to learn at this place in my life, and I can move on to other lessons.

God gave us the power to change. You’re more than what you do. You’re a vital vibrant soul that came here to experi­ence, grow, and change. Make a masterpiece out of your life.

God, help me realize the glory of my soul. Thank you for my mor­tality and for the ability to learn and grow.

Source: April 24: You are a Work of Art | Language of Letting Go

Enjoy the ride…

Visual Inspiration: Enjoy The Ride!

The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time

Any fool can do it

There ain’t nothing to it

Nobody knows how we got to

The top of the hill

But since we’re on our way down

We might as well enjoy the ride

via Secret O’ Life Lyrics – James Taylor.

“Thank You [Live]”

Alanis Morissette – Thank You [Live] – YouTube.

how bout getting off these antibiotics

how bout stopping eating when I’m full up

how bout them transparent dangling carrots

how bout that ever elusive kudo

thank you india

thank you terror

thank you disillusionment

thank you frailty

thank you consequence

thank you thank you silence Continue reading ““Thank You [Live]””

“Forgiveness”

I don’t care if you don’t like rap music! Listen and read along — this is good stuff…

“Make Up Your Mind”

Check out THIS kid…

Jackson Guthy is a young singer and songwriter from Los Angeles, CA, who is preparing to stamp his mark on the music world. Following a breakthrough performance on The Ellen DeGeneres show, Jackson is currently in the studio recording his debut album (‘Launch’), set for release in 2012.

At the age of 15, Jackson balances his music career with school life, his close-knit family and friends. Jackson’s goal is to write songs that follow his personal journey through life, with the hope that others can relate to and find meaning in his music.

Source: 15-Year-Old Singer-Songwriter Jackson Guthy Sneak Preview of “Make Up Your Mind” [VIDEO] « Positively Positive

If it makes you happy…

“She’s So High”

If tomorrow never comes…

“If tomorrow never comes, will she know how much I love her?” ~ Ronan Keating

via Amnesia Day!

“I Don’t Want to Wait”

Bach’s St. Matthew’s Passion

Here’s another of my favorite Easter pieces — all three hours are contained in these two videos! Amazing performances — especially tenor Peter Schreier; he’s the dude with the glasses that appears around 11:58…

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

These are the words to my favorite Good Friday hymn…

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Source: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

Pilate’s Dream…

I have a theory; the music that you loved when you first ‘discovered’ music is the music that indelibly shapes your taste forever. Me? I discovered music in 1972. Carole King’s Tapestry, George Harrison’s Concert for Bangladesh and Jesus Christ Superstar were the ‘must own’ albums in my middle school class…

40 years later I still listen to Jesus Christ Superstar every Holy Week; not because its accurate from a biblical standpoint — it’s just an Easter ritual that makes me think. I love to put in my headphones and jack it up. The parts I appreciate most come from the work of guitarist Henry McCullough who later played with Paul McCartney and Wings amongst other bands. Listen to his work on this song…

Stunningly good. Amazing skill! Here he is on the banned in the UK hit Give Ireland Back to the Irish

Just frikkin’ do it already…

Are you glued to the computer all day like me? Get inspired by Gemma Stone…

Since I saw her video post last December, I have been trying to work walking into my life. I used to poo-poo walking as not being exercise ‘enough’ but lately my wife and I have been ‘power’ walking for 40 minutes a day and the benefits are amazing!

I use an app called Endomondo for my smartphone that tracks my distance and time and I use Pandora to give me some upbeat music to keep the pace up. Stop making excuses and join me! Everyone in your life will thank you…

Nothing compares 2 u

Someone help me! I’m on a Prince jag and I can’t stop…

I wanna talk about me! :-D

Lately I’ve been on a country music jag on Pandora. This makes me laugh…

Non-verbal communication

Crazy Train

I’m not much of an Ozzy Osbourne fan but I heard the words to this song for the first time today and I actually thought it was quite good…

Crazy,but that’s how it goes
Millions of people living as foes
Maybe it’s not too late
To learn how to love
And forget how to hate
Mental wounds not healing
Drivin’ me insane
I’m going off the rails on a crazy train
I’ve listened to preachers
I’ve listened to fools
I’ve watched all the dropouts
Who make their own rules
One person conditioned to rule and control
The media sells it and you live the role
Mental wounds still screaming
Driving me insane
I’m going off the rails on a crazy train
I know that things are going wrong for me
You gotta listen to my words
Yeah
Heirs of a cold war
That’s what we’ve become
Inheriting troubles I’m mentally numb
Crazy, oh do I care
I’m living with something under my skin
Mental wounds not healing
Who and what’s to blame
I’m going off the rails on a crazy train

Source: Ozzy Osbourne – Live2007 [ Crazy Train ] HQsound – YouTube

Maybe the reason I find it so profound is that I’ve been riding the crazy train lately and I’m stepping off. I’m taking it as a sign…

Harden my heart

Ya gotta love ’80’s music videos…

Who says?

Lyrics:

I wouldn’t wanna be anybody else, hey
You made me insecure, to me I wasn’t good enough
But who are you to judge
When you’re a diamond in the rough

I’m sure you got some things
You’d like to change about yourself
But when it comes to me
I wouldn’t want to be anybody else

I’m no beauty queen, I’m just beautiful me
You got every right to a beautiful life, come on

Who says, who says you’re not perfect
Who says you’re not worth it
Who says you’re the only one that’s hurting
Trust me that’s the price of beauty
Who says you’re not pretty
Who says you’re not beautiful, who says?

It’s such a funny thing
How nothing’s funny when it’s you
You tell ’em what you mean
But they keep whitin’ out the the truth

It’s like the work of art
That never get to see the light
Keep you beneath the stars
Won’t let you touch the sky

I’m no beauty queen, I’m just beautiful me
You got every right to a beautiful life, come on

Who says, who says you’re not perfect
Who says you’re not worth it
Who says you’re the only one that’s hurting
Trust me that’s the price of beauty
Who says you’re not pretty
Who says you’re not beautiful, who says?

Who says you’re not star potential
Who says you’re not presidential
Who says you can’t be in movies
Listen to me, listen to me

Who says you don’t pass the test
Who says you can’t be the best
Who said, who said?
Would you tell me who said that, yeah
Who said

Who says, who says you’re not perfect
Who says you’re not worth it
Who says you’re the only one that’s hurting
Trust me that’s the price of beauty
Who says you’re not pretty
Who says you’re not beautiful, who says?

Who says you’re not perfect
Who says you’re not worth it
Who says you’re the only one that’s hurting
Trust me that’s the price of beauty
Who says you’re not pretty
Who says you’re not beautiful, who says?

Where is the love?

Hurt

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