Seek to live well through honor and usefulness.
Seek to live well through honor and usefulness.
Children inspire me; their surprising and honest insights, their spontaneity, and their belief in themselves. Kids are proud of their work, love giving performances, and are brave in their willingness to wholeheartedly try something new. They’re so happy about themselves, and they rarely worry that maybe someone else is better, or maybe what they’ve done isn’t good enough. I want that joi de vivre again, that ability to be so happy with whatever I do, simply for the joy of having done it. The best lessons for a good life come from children!
The Northern Cardinal’s pure trill danced around me, wrapping me in the streaky dawn mist. The authentic joy in the bird’s song stays with me, a peaceful place in my mind that I go to throughout the day. The memory brings me back to that moment, those seconds I walked down the path from home to car. Those seconds when I lived in the moment, when I focused on what is now instead of planning what is to come or rehashing what has passed. For some reason this is so hard to do. I’m too much in my mind, and not enough in the world. Being in the world inspires me. As an artist, a photographer and a writer, my greatest creative inspiration comes from nature and movement, long walks, floating in the warm surf, bicycling with the wind in my face. It is at these times that my mind makes connections, sees nuances, and is open to insight. When I’m too busy for time with nature, I find my creative well dry. Join me in tapping that inner voice!