Friday, December 7, 2012

Quiet Inspiration

"The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation"
-Henry David Thoreau

Art Journal, Summer 2012

I'm living a life of quiet inspiration and I intend to ignite a whole lot of other women to do the same.  Let the men keep their desperation.

Here are some major shifts I've made lately:
I'm looking for greatness in myself and others.  
It hasn't always been this way. 
It's a practice.  
I don't always succeed.  
I'm listening for greatness. 
I'm looking.  

It's different than looking for how you're better than others.
It's different than listing your self-destructive behaviors as greatness.  Like I only screwed up 10 times instead of 11, so that's my greatness.  It's really looking deeper.  Like I screwed up 10 times but I still tried an 11th time and THAT time, I got it right.  Look at how persistent and how tenacious I am!

Part of what I'm noticing in actively looking for in stating the greatness of others is that I'm noticing how damaging comparison can be. 
Holding up this ideal image of what you think should be is damaging to you and those around you.  
Whether it's how much you weigh, how strong your relationship is, how good of an artist you are.  

Part of intuitive painting is that you have permission to suck.  And that permission strips the comparison right away, so that you can see things like how much of your life you spend holding up these ideals that really aren't true.  
Like love should look and be and act a certain way.  
Like if you gain those 7 pounds back you are a failure as a human being.  
Like what you look like is the only thing you have to give to the world.  

It saddens me to watch women do this to themselves. And I see it ALL THE TIME.  Like the kid in "The Sixth Sense" sees dead people.  

Before I would give the advice that you should just STOP.  But it doesn't work that way.  Your mind needs a substitute, a replacement.  I offer it gratitude and greatness, which are really one in the same.  Every day.  

What are you grateful for?

What is your true greatness today?  

7 comments:

Hali said...

Kelly - i love this so much - especially how you so eloquently and simply point right to the need to take this deeper, past the easy judgments, and right into the good ones - the ones that elevate us. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and journey. And I can echo you - it IS hard work, maybe even the hardest yet in some moments... - I am so grateful to share the path of this work beside you.

Kelly D said...

Thank you Hali. Your greatness is the thoughtfulness, caring and attention that you give to others. Well, that really just scratches the surface of much deeper qualities that I look forward to relecting back to you on this journey.

Connie said...

Kelly. You are love. You are so much love!!

Kelly D said...

Thank you Connie for showing the way.

Tracie said...

"quiet inspiration".......ahhhhhhhh
What a lovely, meaningful, insightful and GREAT post Kelly!

Kelly D said...

Thank you Tracie! I so appreciate the encouragement and support! This greatness practice is seeping into me slowly but surely...

Little Drum Dreams said...

Kelly,
I am grateful that you share your loving insight with beauty and strength. It really is this simple and yet it is also a deep challenge choose the lens of love. Unwinding comparison is like throwing off shackles of shame. Bless you for your open heart and wise, wise, intuitive spirit.