It’s up to us to choose love over hate. We can create a new reality if we change our perspective and approach life with a new perception.
I write this from the porch of my in-law’s farmhouse. It’s sunny, warm and all I hear are tweeting birds and the distant sound of a lawnmower.
After getting negative Covid-19 test results back, we felt safe to go visit my children’s grandparents. It’s been close to three months since my kids saw them (or anyone without a mask on).
I haven’t really had stillness or this kind of quiet in what feels like a lot longer than that. I almost forgot how good it feels to just have time to think. For anyone with kids at home during the lockdown, you know what I mean.
I got sucked into a “news vortex” yesterday. I felt my blood boiling and my anxiety spike at what’s going on in the world.
As if a fucking pandemic wasn’t enough, now we have violent clashes in the streets and civil unrest and riots and anarchist looters destroying communities and even more innocent people being killed and abused by racist, power-hungry, ignorant police officers. And while this is all going on, there is no real leadership or unifying figureheads to bring us all together.
Where is the 2020 version of Martin Luther King Jr.? Where is the modern day JFK? Where are the Gandhi’s and the Nelson Mandela‘s and Mother Teresa‘s when we need them?
What’s going on right now is really important. We should know what’s going on. We should be talking about it. We should be protesting. We should be becoming more empathetic and aware and kind and demand change.
But we can’t let the hate take us over. We should not forget that the vast majority of humans in the world are good people who want the same things as we do. We shouldn’t turn a blind eye to injustice or violence, but we also should remember to see the beauty and the love and the miracles. Just because the mainstream media isn’t showing us the good stuff, doesn’t mean that it’s not there.
The birds tweeting, our children playing and growing up too fast, the good people doing great things, the butterflies and the ocean, and sunsets.
Let’s not forget about the brave people in the world putting others first and all the kindness everywhere. Remember that above even the darkest clouds is glorious sunshine. Don’t let the actions of a relative few steal the joy of life from you.
Every artist knows the value of composition and focal points. What you choose to include and not include completely alters your view of reality.
When I’m painting, I try to bring more attention to love and light. The shadows will always be there, they can’t be ignored, but you also need to remember to focus on light.
You have the power to choose your focus too. This is why we love art and music. It guides us to a better place. It grounds us and inspires us.
Surround yourself with people and ideas and creativity that composes your life around love or around hate. Choose love.
Jay
