I Have Started to Paint Again, And It’s Terrible, But I’m Loving It.
I am a radio person, I was the person that listened constantly. I got to the point where I felt like I knew all the show hosts personally. Of course, I didn’t. I had never met one of them, but that is the power of radio.
Over the last few years, the radio (and the news it presented) continued to be a bigger and bigger issue for me. I couldn’t keep absorbing that much negativity. It was affecting my balance, my health, severely impacting relationships and the business. I needed a change - but how do you break not only a habit as deep and long established as my radio one was for me, but also end all those one-way radio relationships?
So I started listening to audio books.
I’ll be honest, I was never really a reader. I love information, but I always found alternative ways to get it, as opposed to actually consuming a book. (Ok, I’ll say it, I’ll never understand you Harry Potter people - those books are massive!)
But then I started to listen to audio books, and it opened up a whole new world, or an endless array of worlds. I love my Audible account. It got to the point that the one free book a month wasn’t close to enough, so I started to explore the ‘included’ catalogue. I can honestly say I have listened to something on almost every subject. I don’t do fiction, but everything else is open to me. From a history of the Vanderbilts, countless books on religion, to an amazing book about farming… farming of all things! Brilliant! From the environment to the myths of nuclear energy. I have listened to self-improvement books, relationship books, parenting books, and stories about brave individuals overcoming childhood trauma, or discovering their true selves. Oh, and a ton of history books.
Yes, I’ll absolutely take recommendations!
There are a few books that have had a profound impact on my perspective of the world. If you ever looked at my bookshelf, you’ll know exactly which ones they are because I always buy a physical copy of the ones that I view as foundational. (I love highlighting!)
Book one: The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy. This one was a recommendation, and I don’t think I would have necessarily picked this title. But, as stated, I take recommendations, so I downloaded it, and started into the first few minutes, and had it cued up the next time I got into the car on my drive to work. I didn’t realize that book was going to help me start the most difficult day I’ve had throughout the entirety of the pandemic. To me, the Hand of God used that book (and the person that recommended it) to tell me, ‘Keep going’.
We do a lot of damage to ourselves through spiraling into negative thoughts. Negativity is like a black hole that sucks everything that we are from us. James Collins’ From Good to Great is another incredible book (my first ever foray into audio books and one I have listened to pretty much annually, and quote way too often). He refers to this as our doom loop, where we start self-perpetuating negativity. So how do we slam on the brakes of our doom loop, pull ourselves out of the black hole and start soaring? It starts with intent. We have to choose to. I intentionally turned off the radio. I intentionally started to look for the positive instead of the negative. Over the last 2 years, there has been a lot of negativity, coming at us from every side. To some this has taken an unimaginable toll - it has for me, and yes, it has for Curry’s too. Some have become afraid to go outside, to breathe the fresh air, and get together with friends. Go to their favorite museum, art club, social event, or restaurant. It has divided families. It has cost jobs. It has sown a million seeds of anxiety, fear and despair. That black hole is probably the strongest one ever, it’s forces have been everywhere we look, constantly. The Power of Your Subconscious Mind is about intentionally choosing to embrace one positive thought, and take a step towards it. Then a second. Before you know it you’re going to be standing in your favorite spot, the sun shining on your face, with a friend you haven’t seen in ages, and that black hole won’t even be a memory. It starts with a single intentional step.
Which leads into book two: Self-Love Handbook Magnified with Laws of Attraction by Elena G. Rivers
(Don’t judge, I told you I’m listening to everything I can). It builds nicely on the first book, as it’s really about washing away that negativity that we all have as a storm inside of us, and investing in you becoming you. One of the points that were stressed in this book is starting something that is a passion. Writing, a blog, painting, drawing, hiking, whatever it might be. By starting it you need to accept that it’s a journey. The first attempt is probably going to suck, but that journey is part of the growing pains toward shedding the cocoon of negativity that has been our façade, and embracing the you that is wanting desperately to burst out the other side. I have been carrying around in my briefcase for 2 years one of the Daniel Smith Dot Cards, a couple of paint brushes and a small sketchbook, because I’m going to paint…right? Nope. For two years it’s just been something I carry. But thanks to that comment in that book, I have started to paint again, and it’s terrible, but I’m loving it.
Make the most of today.
Take that intentional step toward a brighter you.
My grade ten English teacher implored me to read a book. Well, Ms. Brown, you were right.
I Have Started to Paint Again, And It’s Terrible, But I’m Loving It.
