As I sit here this morning, I can’t help but feel content and happy about my life. Certainly things are not ‘perfect’ all the time – that would be unnatural – but when I look at things overall, the important things are going well, and I can hardly complain about trivial things that don’t really matter in the big picture of my life. My loved ones are all healthy, (Both those with and without tails!) our business is doing well enough to keep it going, and we are looking forward to moving to a beautiful new (to us) home in a few weeks where we can spread our wings and really fly. Yes! There is much to be grateful for in life!
That doesn’t mean that bad or irritating things don’t happen. I have my low days like anyone. I am still waiting (again!) for my car to be finished so I can drive again. (Long, long story – but nothing that I want to waste cyber-space in sharing. It wouldn’t do any good except to focus on the negative, and I refuse to do that.) I experience little 'hiccups’ in my days like everyone else. I just choose to refocus my thoughts on the positive things in my life, and the things that I can control instead of what I cannot. There are many more good things in life than bad, and you would all be amazed at how good it makes you feel to spend your time on those positive things and people instead of negative things and people that try to bring you down. It is like a tonic.
With that said, I have some wonderful and positive things to share with you today…
Being an artist that is active in social media, I am very fortunate to be in touch with many, many wonderful and creative people. Not only am I friends with many artists that I have immense respect for, but also with people who appreciate art and creativity and the process of making our world a bit more beautiful, one creation at a time. It is truly a joy and pleasure to follow these creative souls and not only am I in awe of their work, but I am also inspired by it.
Lisa Halton Stucky is one of those people. I have been friends with her over at Facebook for a couple of year now. We “met” through some other social groups of artists and from the moment I saw her work, I absolutely loved it. (You can visit and “like” her Facebook page, Winding River Artworks here: https://www.facebook.com/Winding-River-Artworks-444505245737168/?pnref=lhc
Lisa is a fabulous artist, and usually when she shows what she is working on, she has photos of a tabled FILLED with amazing pieces. I can’t believe that one person can be so prolific and produce the quality of work that she does at such an amazing rate! I don’t believe she uses patterns, and no two pieces are ever alike. It is the kind of art that I love, as it is filled with the personality and love of the creator.
When Lisa posts her pieces, they usually sell out within minutes. (And no wonder!) I had tried for quite a while to acquire something that she had created, but it always seemed that they were scooped up too quickly by others. Last autumn I got lucky though, and I was able to purchase a couple of beautiful candle holders for Halloween that Lisa made. I love autumn and Halloween and the colors and beautiful primative designs she made were just beautiful. I was so thrilled that I was able to squeak in and order these lovely pieces. It made my day!
I had told Lisa that there was no rush in sending them, as I knew how busy she was and it was close to the end of the season anyway. Time passed and I actually forgot about them with all the other things that were going on in my life. I didn’t even think of them.
Then one day a week or so ago, I received a message from Lisa with an apology. She had put the candle holders aside and had recently 'found’ them, realizing that she never sent them off. She was mortified, but I assured her that all was fine. We are both busy every day and sometimes life gets in the way. They would have been packed away anyway. She immediately sent them to me and yesterday when I got to the post office, there was a large box awaiting me. I LOVE getting things in the mail, and I was so anxious to see them in person. Not only did she send me the two candle holders, but also some sweet 'extras’ including Lemonhead candies (which I love and can’t find here in Canada) and some extra ornaments. Look at how amazing they are!
I am SO excited about them! Here is a close up of the painting:
The ornaments are equally lovely and made from gourds!
Of course, there is a kitty on a pumpkin:
And a ghost …
and what I will call a “Creature of the Night.”
Aren’t they all FABULOUS?!?
I can’t imagine the hours of work each one took! Won’t they look amazing in my new place, too?? I am already planning how I am going to decorate!
Oh, the world can be a fun place, ladies and gentlemen! As with so many things, our lives are what we make them. While you can always find something to gripe about, the same is true in that there is always something that we can be grateful for. It depends on which way we want to look at things and where we want to spend our time.
People often ask how I stay so positive and happy all the time. If I were to give advice on to be happier, I would say that the main thing that I do is to focus on good and happy things. Even if you don’t feel that you make a difference, you need to believe that you can. My goal for a long time has been to make at least one person smile or feel better about something each day. Just one. It doesn’t mean giving false compliments or being fake, it means looking for the good and positive in people and situations and focusing on that and pointing it out where someone may not remember it is there. Doing a kindness or showing support for others isn’t difficult to do. It costs nothing to show kindness and compassion towards those around us. While it may seem small to you, it can mean the world to others. And that is how we can change our world and life one little step at a time.
We never know what hardships people are going through. My old analogy of people being like icebergs still holds here. We only see the small part that they allow us to see and the majority of their makeup is hidden. We don’t know what battles they are fighting and what pain they may be experiencing. While it doesn’t allow them to be mean or cruel to others, I find that the best way to deal with those who are unkind is to walk away from them. We can’t 'fix’ the world, but we can support others in a positive way and allow them to find their own way. No one can do it for them. If they aren’t receptive to others, we can’t allow ourselves to be pulled into their despair. There are plenty of others who appreciate our love, kindness and support.
I hope you enjoyed seeing Lisa’s beautiful work. I also hope you hop over to her page and show her some love. She is not only an amazing artist, but also a kind and loving friend.
No wonder I am so happy.
I wish you all a wonderful day today. I hope you find some wonderfully positive things to focus on and make you smile. I know I will.
Happy Wednesday to you all!
via Tumblr http://davidpires578.tumblr.com/post/144552678079
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