We know you're an artist. You paint, you show at all of these wonderful venues, buy the finest art supplies to paint on the finest easel, eat the finest foods that our ancestors (Monet or Picasso, perhaps?) have tasted, painted the finest landscapes since the dawn of impressionism, painted the finest models whose beauty was to strong too resist. Yes, it's all wonderful. I'm not complaining about all of the abundance being an artist has to offer. But after many lifetimes, many changes, many seasons later, I have seen the one thing, that one word that absolutely separates being a success in life or being a failure. From have rags instead of riches. From scarcity instead of abundance. And it's not a dirty word. That word is...
Faith.
Of the zillion words that come to define my existence, if I have to boil it down to one word why my life is the way it is now.
It's faith
I love faith not because it may have religious overtones or that it's a short, simple word to remember. And it's safe to say most of us has heard it. Here's a few simple reasons why I love and believe in the power of faith.
Faith = hope
Faith is more than a band-aid to our problems in life. It's a solution to our misery.
Faith = forgiving
Faith doesn't care if you forgot to be faithful to creating your art, or you decide to bang on the drum all day instead of creating that sculpture. It's colorblind, gender-blind, doesn't care if you're Jewish or Atheist. It's clearer than water. We can't taste it, but we can feel it. It's in all of us. We can't buy it anywhere, go visit the Pope and beg for it. It just might be the most valuable commodity we could possibly own. Can you dig it?
I also know what it's like not to have faith in your work. I'm guilty of that, I admit for many years. When you don't have faith in yourself or your abilities, the world appears a bit colder, people seem to stay away from you and you wonder "what's their problem?". But mostly it's your problem. Would you rather stand next to someone with positive or negative energy? Take time and be conscious about your thoughts here.
Personally, I like the positive energy. I'm struggling to understand the concept that positive energy can help make your life full and abundant. But if you're aware that you're unhappy with the way things are, then you're on the road to kill your bad addiction with some new positive energy. Awareness is crucial, because it's the first step to change. It means you understand your own shortcomings and faults. And you'll do whatever it takes to get better. All the best self-help books, counselors and religious leaders won't help you become a better human unless you allow the love to shine through your heart, and allow that faith to overcome doubt once and for all.
And best of all, faith will always be with you if you keep it with you, like a warm friend or puppy.
Sure it can be a long and tiresome process, but as I'm learning, it can be a rewarding process. I don't know why people don't talk more about, it's not a dirty word. Just think about it. Faith can not only help you heal, it can help you become the awesome person you were meant to become. And it's free. Faith is freedom. And you can start now to let faith enter your life and unleash your highest potential.
Joshua Lance is a painter, teacher, writer and traveler. He enjoys painting expressive oil paintings of landscapes and portraits and has participated in art shows around the USA since 1991. His work and blog can be found at http://www.joshualance.com/.
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