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“You don’t have to make something that people call art. Living is an artistic activity, there is an art to getting through the day.” Viggo Mortensen

When I logged on to Instagram, his page was at the top of suggestions to follow. I have always really liked him, even in the movies I didn’t like, and the roles he played that I didn’t like. So, I followed him on Instagram. And that quote is one of his posts.

I say it a lot more simply (of course.) “Everybody is an artist. You just have to recognize your medium.” Sometimes it’s oil, sometimes watercolor. Sometimes clay, sometimes music. Sometimes it’s shoveling shit, sometimes it’s cleaning house or doing dishes. Sometimes it’s running heavy equipment (yes, I have witnessed this!) Sometimes, it’s supervising a classroom (I think they call it “teaching.”)

Me? I’m kind of a renaissance girl, which is fine – I call it jack of all trades, master of none, in the purist, not sarcastic sense – but if I had to blurt out what I do best, it would be balancing a bank statement. Reconciling cash. You don’t think it’s art? Tell that to the people who have, in total exasperation, plopped down a pile in front of me and screamed for assistance. And, a few minutes later, asked me, “How do you DO that?”

Is it glamorous? I don’t think so. I don’t think anyone is going to nominate me to audition on America’s Got Talent. (And if you do, I will graciously decline, thanks.)

I have a friend who can walk into chaos in a household, and within 15 minutes has restored order and prepared a meal, even if she’s never been in the house. I know, I witnessed that, too. It was magic. It IS art.

The heavy equipment operator? I watched him run a backhoe on a job site. I was mesmerized. It was like watching a ballet. I swear! The bucket was an extension of his arm. Who woulda thunk? And it was even more impactful when viewed in comparison to other operators – good operators! – just not artists.

When I first got my horse, I boarded him at the place where I bought him. I cleaned stalls on the weekend to help defray the cost of board. The gal who cleaned the barn during the week was incredible. If we cleaned stalls side by side, hers was done sooner, looked cleaner, and I was much more tired at the end of my shift than she ever was at the end of hers. Watching her move apparently effortlessly through her work, a smile on her face, carrying on light conversation as she worked – that was art.

Everybody is an artist. Find your medium.

Yesterday, I attended a webinar by Carol Tuttle, who developed the Dressing Your Truth program. It was live, and we could type in or live video questions directly to her. Yes, I asked a question, and yes, it gave me something to think about, but the part I took away from the webinar was something she said about a realization for herself many years ago.

She said she realized, about 20 years ago, that “I am always with me. So I decided to become my own best friend.” She mentioned that she stopped listening to all those critical voices in her head, and though there are times she does regret some of the things she does, and she makes mistakes, they are far fewer, and the voices are much quieter now.

Hello? Hey, Jet, are you there? Did you hear that?

I have said, for years, that I am a professional cheerleader. Not the athletic, pompom wielding, beautiful gymnast type, but the kind who cheers on professionals to become the best that they can be. (For my definition of professional, please refer to Steven Pressfield, The War of Art.)

So, when I thought, How can I help you? I heard, Hey, Jet, become a cheerleader for yourself. First. Become your own best friend.

Because I could sure use a lot less cacophony between my ears!

How can I help you, Jet? Jet, you can help me by becoming my best friend. Because no matter where I am, here I am.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
It’s good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it’s good, too, to check up once in a while and make sure that you haven’t lost the things that money can’t buy. -George H. Lorimer, editor (1868-1937)

I was headed in a completely different thought direction when I saw this quote. It reminded me that we tend to have a feeling about the world, and then a very different feeling about money. Money means something different to all of us. Money, making it, spending it, saving it, defining it, engulfs a great portion of our daily lives.

My parents had different views of money. They were both teenagers during the depression, but one grew up on the streets of Boston, and the other grew up as a preacher’s kid. One’s family had had money and lost it, the other never had it. One couldn’t spend it, the other couldn’t keep it.

I was the baby of the family – and my siblings were much older when I was born, so I was a real baby in family terms! – so my folks had already established their money patterns by the time I came along. My family was pretty solid middle class, and the tendency to save balanced out the tendency to spend, so we were comfortable. Which means I was spoiled, in world view terms.

That spoiling left me pretty clueless about money, and the real lessons I got about money came from mistakes and ignorance, long before the lessons I got from my accounting education. Even recently I have allowed myself to be caught in the money conflict agreement, and I “should” know better!

Fact is, I DO know better. So do you! But our old, subconscious, unconscious habits kick in quite often until we face and replace them, and then they still sneak in and allow us to sabotage ourselves every once in a while.

The entire world tends to define itself in terms of “money.” And because it is a world wide view, it’s hard to avoid the traps and habits and perceptions of money. Most everyone you meet will have an emotional attachment, or repugnance, to money.

The most important things in Life are not things. Don’t know who said that, but it was a very Wise person, indeed. Ask a millionaire with cancer. Ask a billionaire who lost a child. Being a millionaire or billionaire is not the problem here, but it is also not the solution. The most important things in Life are not things.

Money is not the root of all evil. Money is not the key to happiness. Having lots of it, or none, is not either a prescription for bliss or a measure of success. However!

It is a sin to be poor! (sin: missing the mark, here, not ‘sin’ in the religious sense.)

Money is a means of exchange – a conversion of your talents and my talents and everyone else’s talents into a medium that can be used when and if we need it – not the talent itself.

Let’s remember – money is a good thing, and I want you to have lots of it, but it is not the substance. The substance is your talent. Your gift. What you were born to do. Focus on that, friends. You can get a lot of money for focusing on your talent, if lots of money is what you want. But the money is not the talent. Money is not the goal. Money is not the issue. Money is good, because it’s a symbol, but it’s not what’s Real.

Focus on your talent.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
It’s good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it’s good, too, to check up once in a while and make sure that you haven’t lost the things that money can’t buy. -George H. Lorimer, editor (1868-1937)

It appalls me to realize how long it’s been since I wrote a blog. How could I be so irresolute? How could I possibly be so irresponsible? How could I be so – lazy? I am ashamed.

How many times today (and it’s only 8 am on the Eastern US coast,) have you heard your head telling you something like this?

I am telling you now, and this is ME speaking, Stop Listening to that voice right now!

Do you think Gandhi was always “Holier than thou” in his thoughts? Do you think he never castigated himself in his head for his list of failures, losses, mistakes? Do you think he was never ashamed of something he did?

Of course he was! He could never have connected with his followers, made so much sense, unless he understood what they were all – we were all feeling, at one time or another!

So, let’s take some advice from a very wise woman today. The advice has been given us from many, many sources over the centuries, but today, let’s take it from Beca Lewis in her blog What Is Your Life’s Impetus?

My way of saying it is “Living My Gift.” Gandhi says, “My Life Is My Message.” Beca says, “What are you an ambassador for?”

This is a simple, short message. I kind of specialize in simple, short messages. I find quotes from famous, wise people, and express wisdom by letting them say what I mean. They say it more clearly in a lot of instances. I give credit where credit is due – at least, my Intent is to do so!

And yes, I have my moments, too.

My Life Is My Message. Thank you, Mister Gandhi. Very deep words for such a simple phrase. I think I will focus on that!

Our Women’s Group, The Womens Council, has developed a habit of replying to all Calls to Action and Follow Up emails with a simple “Got it.”

Sometimes we mention that the number of emails is becoming overwhelming. (Perhaps we have a lot to say that week!) But we continue to “Got it.”

There are several reasons for this simple acknowledgement.

The first and most important is that the internet can be a little temperamental, and these emails concern scheduling and content. The acknowledgement confirms receipt of necessary information.

Simple common sense. Also efficient!

The second, and important to me, is that it is, in fact, courteous to acknowledge a note, invitation, request, or other such communication. And for some reason, simple courtesy has somehow flown right out of people’s communication practices in recent years.

It can’t be that we don’t know how to reply – there is a “No, Thank You,” as well as a “Yes, Thank You,” in the English language. And since the English language is largely derived from other languages, I will carefully assume that both responses are present in other languages as well.

Oh! I should interject here, that I am guilty of the same discourteous behavior at times!

How many times have you sent out another email, or left a voice mail, or made a phone call, to follow up with an invitation that you made, but didn’t hear back?

Okay, let’s up the ante. How many times have you gotten angry or frustrated because someone ignored your correspondence, and called them to task for it? And found out that they never got the correspondence in the first place, which made you feel like a chump and a fool?

How many times has an argument erupted about something that someone assumed you knew about, but you never “got the message?”

Ah. Yes, it’s all about the communication, isn’t it? And simple courtesy is a wonderful form of communication!

So here is my commitment; from now on I will diligently attempt to respond courteously, with a confirmation of receipt, to communications which I receive. I will not make a practice of writing a book as said response, but even if I am busy, I will certainly attempt to let the correspondent know that I have received the message.

And, before I waste a ton of energy getting all hot and bothered about someone ignoring me, I think I will verify that the message has been received!

P.S. – this does not apply to spam or junk mail offers!

Will you join me in this simple courtesy? There is always room for courtesy in the world!

I just had an epiphany. I mean literally, just now.

I need a reason. The most important question I ask myself is “Why?”
In order for me to expend energy, there has to be a reason. A valid reason.

Explanation due here. My brother said that he and my sister were afraid of Dad when growing up. Not scared, just attentively obedient. If Dad said, “Jump,” they said, “How high?” from 5 feet up.

He told me once that he admired me and was amazed when I was little, because I didn’t react the same way to Dad’s orders. (In Truth, I never heard them as orders, but requests. I didn’t find Dad to be demanding. Maybe he had mellowed by the time I came along.)

He said that when Dad told me to do something, I would turn around, look at Dad, and ask, “Why?”

Not to be cheeky, but because I really wanted to know. And if the reason seemed valid to me, then I would happily comply. If not, I would negotiate, and I wouldn’t do anything until it made sense to do it.

So today, I will ask myself “Why?” And if it makes sense, then YES! If it doesn’t, then perhaps the proposed action needs a little modification.

Until there is a valid answer to “Why,” I will continue to Pause, Observe, and Listen.