“you gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face...you must do the thing you think you cannot do.” ~eleanor roosevelt
most of the time, i have a clear image of what my ideal life looks like, where i want to go with my art, the kind of life i want to build. i'd like to say that i also have a clear idea of the kind of art i want to make, but i am still in the phase (it is a phase, isn't it?!) of having this change moment by moment--this huge piece of the puzzle that is my life, i'm not sure about.
and this uncertainty, this lack of clarity is the kind of thing, that from time to time causes me to have dry heaves of panic over my life and the kind of legacy i will leave, most especially for my children.
yet, the only way to build that legacy, to figure things out, to find my artistic voice is to keep trying, over and over and over again, and this, my friends, takes courage.
here is my list of 'things i think i cannot do' and what i'm going to do to face them fears in 2012:
1. drive.
yes, it’s a long story, and an ongoing one at that. how am i going to face this fear? well, by driving, that’s how. (EEK!)
2. find and develop my artistic voice.
sometimes i think that i will never, ever, ever find 'it'. so, in 2012, this means making as much art as i can.
3. live with legacy on my mind.
i tend to live life in a kind of haphazard, put out the fires sort of way. i want to live with more intentionality this year. i want my choices to be guided by God and to be full of life. what do i want to leave behind when i am no longer walking this earth?
4. get a healthy perspective on money.
i have a long way to go with this one. 'nough said.
5. figure out what i really, really, really want in life.
i need regular retreats to refocus myself. time to steal away with God to talk things over and just be. and then, i have to have the courage to take action, make changes and let go of things that aren’t helping me get where i want to go.
6. continue to build towards a life of abundance for myself and my family that includes me making a thriving living through my art.
see #2. this one i find, really, really hard; impossible almost. in order to do this i’ll need (in addition to other things): time, capital, help, persistence and faith.
7. be in the healthiest physical shape possible.
this means losing weight, seeing a shrink (no kidding), eating real food, sleeping at least 8 hours and exercising regularly.
how about you? what’s your list of 'things i think i cannot do'? consider yourself challenged :). please post a link to your list in the comments below :).
