Trees Never Grow Only Halfway

The harder you work on your art, the luckier you get.

By working on our art, we create energy to propel and attract us to people and circumstances to make our efforts come to fruition in big ways.

Therefore, we’ve got to do all that we can and not settle for anything less.

In a seminar lead by Jim Rohn , he discusses that humans are the only species that don’t live to their fullest potential. He argues that a tree grows as high as it possibly can, and that a tree would never grow only halfway. But we as humans are given a choice:

1. Live to your fullest potential

Or...

2. Don’t live to your fullest potential

It may look and sound easier to settle for less than…To endure the mediocre… To embrace the status quo… To suffer the chains of happy hour, TV watching, and social networking. But in the long-run it’ll come to bite you in the ass, in the form of disease or debt or depression. 

It's my belief that if we strive to live up to our fullest potential in every area of our life, we can extend our lives.

Have you ever noticed how good you feel, when you finally complete an artistic endeavor?!

Your energy increases exponentially... Every success brings more positive energy, and momentum ensues. And it’s this positive energy that increases our immunity, which in turn extends our lives.

A friend of mine told me that when she gets back pain, it always seems to pop up when she's not expressing her creativity.

I also had a friend tell me, now that she works a desk job; her energy and drive is much less then when she was pursuing her artistic career path. And although her current job allows her financial stability, her artistic self is suffering. Money is great, but only if you can support your art at the same time.

I often times feel depressed or frustrated or lazy, when I'm not working on my art on a regular basis. My mind gets cloudy, and I feel stuck... and then I pull/drag/tear myself away from my Ego, and into my creative plane. My mind clears and I begin to see light at the end of the tunnel. 

The challenge that arises:

Choose to lead a life of fulfilled artistic potential. Do all that you can for that day, week, and year. And your success will beget more success.

Recess for Yr Soul

Today I walked by a school playground during recess. I couldn't help but fall in love with all the sounds I was hearing, from the screams, to the shouts, from the laughter, to the tears. So many visceral emotions being expressed.

It made me giggle, because I thought if more adults took time out of their day for recess, how much happier would we be? Images of adults in suits running around and screaming seemed funny, and yet a little asylum-esque

If we screamed, and shrieked, and laughed, and played with all our might would we be happier?

My guess is YES.

Maybe that's whats missing from adulthood, the pure unadulterated, outdoor playtime. A playtime without mind altering substances.

When was the last time you just played?!

Entering into my third week of working every day, I yearned for some free time, free time to relax and fulfill my human needs. And when I walked by the playground, I realized I not only need free time, but I need playtime too. A playtime dedicated to exploring my emotions out loud!

These thoughts rekindled why I love creating my art...  It provides my soul with the recess it desperately needs.

So what's your soul's recess?

Make the appoint to add recess to your daily life, and experience your soul's revival.

Watch out for ROUTINE!!

Routine can get the best of any artist.

Therefore the true artist must learn to live a life of uncertainty, leave the routine to the non-artists.

Once you except uncertainty as part of the process of becoming a great artist, you'll see life's problems merely as challenges. You'll begin to see how each instance the big, the bad, the ugly, and whatever else, they all are propelling you toward your art's creation.

Of course it's easier to go to grad school...

It's easier to have a normal job...

It's easier to wake up every day and do the same thing...

And yes its much, much HARDER to not know your plan of attack at any given moment, or month from now, or a year from now. But that doesn't mean its any less noble to be uncertain, quite the contrary, it's the true calling of an artist.
(Now that doesn't mean we don't set goals, but instead we set flexible goals, that propel us toward our art everyday, month, and year.)

Learn to embrace living in uncertainty, while still taking action toward your artistic goals... And this uncertainty will lead to your greatness.

We grow up in a society where it's excepted and encouraged to follow the same routine, go to school Monday through Friday, go to work Monday through Friday, follow the herd, that's routine a its best.

But don't let routine stifle you're creativity. You need to live in the unknown to find your genius. Let your muse fill in the gaps along the way, and your art can't help but flourish.