You Can Sometimes Try To Hard.

A Scottish Landscape

We Scots have a long history blighted by what we call our Presbyterian streak.  It is the wonderful ability of being able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and always putting ourselves down. We are never good enough. As a nation we feel unable to stand on our own two feet and for some reason feel sure that without the help of the rest of the UK we would flounder. This is  spite of our long and wonderful history of invention and making strides forward possible for humanity possible in so many ways.

On the level of personal human beings we have a tendency to act the same way. I can remember the many times when I was proud of some achievement for it to be pointed out to me that I could have done even better.  As a parent I once or twice found myself almost falling into the same trap with my children, fortunately not so often that it has effected them.

I am very aware of these traits in my own makeup. I never felt that I was  a great preacher, and was always aware of the few pews in the church that were empty rather than the 900 that were filled. I never felt I was as good a teacher as I might have been in spite of the exam results of my students saying otherwise. I have never painted a picture that I am happy with in spite of so many sales.

There is a wonderful tale Lao Tzu and some of his followers. One they travelling together along a road through what used to be a large forest. The woodcutters had cut down all the trees except for one large tree which they were all sitting under having lunch.

Lao Tzu asked his disciples to go and enquire if this last tree was also to be cut down, and if not why not. When they asked the cutters they were told that it would not be because it was totally useless. They were told it was no use for furniture because it branches were not straight enough. It was no use for firewood because it contained to many knots and twists and so would cause more smoke than heat.  That is why it has been left standing.

When the disciples returned and reported back to Lao Tzu he smiled and said, “Be like this tree. If you are useful you will be cut down and become somebody’s furniture. If you are beautiful you will be sold as a commodity.  But if like this tree your are useless you can be what you are and look at all those who are enjoying sitting under its shade.”

It is better to be as good as you can be rather than have to be continually telling yourself how useless you are.

This blog is linked to my other where I discuss the artwork used here. A Scottish Landscape

Posititve Thinking The Name of The Game

Poppies in France

I watched an interesting programme on the television about people who have serious arthritis, a debilitating illness.  Years of running up and down mountains has meant that I am one of those very unlucky people who suffer daily the pain that comes with. I cannot complain of course, I chose to run up mountains and incur broken bones and such. No matter how much advice I was given I continued and still do.

This programme was about an experiment that had been carried out. Two groups of people had be selected both very similar in structure and severity of illness. One group continued with medication alone, while the other group was given a gym membership and a schedule of exercise. The exercise was not strenuous but regular. After a six month period the initial testing was carried out again. It was no surprise for me to learn that those who had been on the exercise regime were now using less medication and suffering less pain than those who had just carried on with medication and pain relief.

I tell you this because yesterday in the course of the day I met three people who commented on my stupid practice of running every day, their words not mine. Each of them went on to tell me that because of the pain they had they could not do it.

I read a story of two oncologists, talking about a similar test. One complained bitterly, "You know, Bob, I just don't understand it. We used the same drugs, the same dosage, the same schedule and the same entry criteria. Yet I got a 22 percent response rate and you got a 74 percent. That's unheard of for metastatic cancer. How do you do it?"

His colleague replied, "We're both using Etoposide, Platinum, Oncovin and Hydroxyurea. You call yours EPOH.

 I tell my patients I'm giving them, Hydroxyurea, Oncovin Platinum and Hydroxyurea and I call it “HOPE.”

 As dismal as the statistics are, I emphasize that we have a chance."

I rejoice in the many friends I have met here in blogging who have such an attitude and persevere creating marvelous work, some under much pain.

It is all a matter of attitude and of course HOPE. I am off to take two painkillers and run my morning eight miles run. Have a great day.

This blog is linked to my other.Poppies in France

Creating Opportunity

The Warriors Head Out

Before I begin this blog let me apologise to my readers. I normally make sure that my blog has a little something that can be taken away by most people. Today I have one person in mind as I write. A dear friend has what we in Scotland call a chip of feeling inadequate on her shoulder. Or simply a chip on her shoulder that she is just not good enough. This is for that friend.

An enterprising and successful person is one who comes across a pile of scrap metal and sees the making of a wonderful sculpture. An enterprising person is one who drives through an old decrepit part of town and sees the ideal spot to place that creation. An enterprising person is one who sees opportunity in all areas of life.

To be enterprising is to keep your eyes open and your mind active. It's to be skilled enough, confident enough, creative enough and disciplined enough to seize opportunities that present themselves... regardless of the economy.

A person with an enterprising attitude says, "Find out what you can before action is taken." Do your homework. Do the research. Be prepared. Be resourceful. Do all you can in preparation of what's to come.

Enterprising people always see the future in the present. Enterprising people always find a way to take advantage of a situation, not be burdened by it. And enterprising people aren't lazy. They don't wait for opportunities to come to them they go after the opportunities. Enterprise means always finding a way to keep yourself actively working toward your ambition.

Enterprise is two things. The first is creativity. You need creativity to see what's out there and to shape it to your advantage. You need creativity to look at the world a little differently. You need creativity to take a different approach, to be different.

What goes hand-in-hand with the creativity of enterprise is the second requirement: the courage to be creative. You need courage to see things differently, courage to go against the crowd, courage to take a different approach, courage to stand alone if you have to, and courage to choose activity over inactivity.

And lastly, being enterprising doesn't just relate to the ability to make money, in fact it often has nothing to do with money. Being enterprising also means feeling good enough about yourself, having enough self worth to want to seek advantages and opportunities that will make a difference in your future. And by doing so you will increase your confidence, your courage, you’re creativity and your self-worth, your enterprising nature.

There are always many people who invite you to feel miserable, always remember you do not have to accept the invitation.

This blog is linked to my other:  The Warriors Head Out 

You Cannot Just Blame The World.

The Warrior Watches

I really hope that I did not give the impression that  I was being picked on because that was not my intention. I am sure that every artist I have ever talked to has had the same experience of people pointing out the little errors rather than concentrating on the good aspects.

I was always aware that if I was to be a good teacher then I would be if I always aimed to make sure that every student who ever left my desk left feeling good about themselves and the work that they produced. I also hoped that in that process they learned what could be sorted and some of the things that they needed to look at.

I learned this from my mother and father. No matter what I ever achieved my mother always asked why I had not done better.  I remember getting my annual report card which stated that I was the second top pupil in the class of 32, I was so proud. On taking the report card home my mother asked who was top and why had I not beaten her. My father on the other hand was always ready with the praise, he was the one who said, “well done.”

This reminded me of the story of the king who went on a journey round his realm. After weeks of walking  he returned to his palace. When asked by his counsellor about his journey all he could talk about was his painful feet caused by the long journey and the terrible roads of his kingdom.

He gathered together his court and ordered that all the roads of the kingdom be covered in leather, this he said would make them easier to walk and travel on. The court began immediately to work out what the cost of this would be and how many cows would have to be slaughtered to make it possible.

It was at this stage that the wise man came to the king and suggested that rather than that would it not be better to cut two pieces of leather and put them on his feet.  A wise thought and a much simpler task and easily achievable.

If we are going to change the world the best place to begin is with ourselves.  

This blog is linked to my other.The Warrior Watches

My Bucket Does Not Need Emptying.

 

The Warrior Prepares

I am sure that I have spoken in the past about the bucket of emotions.  I will therefore not labour this tale today just refresh my memory and maybe the memory of others.

I see my life a bit like an emotional bucket, when things are going well it overflows with joy and happiness and this overflow can so easily brighten up the lives of those around. Sadly there are so many people who carry with them the nails of despair. These a re the people who are always ready to create a leak in our buckets and bring us to a state of unhappiness and in some cases even worse, total despair.

Often those people are not aware that they are doing it, other times they know for sure that they are. The people who are always quick to point out when you have made a mistake, even though it was obvious and knew you had made the mistake.

Artists face it all the time. There are always those who are quick to point out small things in a painting they do not like. The painting may well have a million things right but it is the one small thing that is wrong that is pointed out.

More of this on my other blog.

My own bucket has been very empty these last few weeks. It has been leaking badly and I have in the process been difficult to live with I am sure. Slowly it is beginning to fill, as I find ways of trying to bring joy to those around me. I am carrying with my repair patches so that when someone brings along a nail of despair I will quickly patch it over and try to give them happiness in return.

This blog is linked to my other. The Warrior Prepares