Sunday, August 26, 2012

Contentment


View from On High - Judy Warner

It is now almost 8 months since my ‘retiring from my paying job.’ I awarded myself six months of freedom to simply get used to the lay of this new land and to not make any big decisions.

It has been a wonderful time. Of course, there are always the moments when I miss the regularity of my prior life, but, in truth, I am having too much fun exploring new possibilities to be sad for long.

The most fascinating aspect of my new life is the total freedom to do as I wish. In a sense, I am responsible to only me for how I use my time. I have found that in no way does that look like someone skipping about doing only what benefits me. Rather, I find myself choosing wisely.

At the end of eight months, I am still involved with my aikido dojo and the Indian charity that my family has been involved with for years. I still travel to visit family and for a bit of inspiration for my artwork. What is different, to my total delight, is the increase in time that I can devote to my art.

I have learned is that my art is simply a new way of expressing the essence that has always been me. Where before I shared my vision of life through teaching workshops and supporting Tom Crum, now my artwork is my voice. What fun!

I am noticing that all that I learned in my work with Tom is oh so relevant in what I am now doing. My inner awareness practices of meditation and contemplation have deepened with this new life. I give more and more attention to being present in the moment. As I relish the richness of each moment and funnel the energy created in this process into my art, new works seem to flow effortlessly and feed back into my joy of living.

The result is a rich feeling of contentment – which translates into growth and anticipation on what is yet to come.


If you want to be sad,
no one in the world can make you happy.

But, if you make up your mind to be happy,
no one and nothing on earth
can take that happiness from you.

Paramhansa Yogonanda

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