WORK IN PROGRESS

 

Here is the latest painting I am working on.  It is not done, but is a "work in progress". I love where it is now, and sometimes when I look at it I call it "Mango Lady" because the colors remind me of a delicious ripe mango - my favorite fruit.  I once told a friend, that if heaven had a smell, it would smell like mangos.  I started this painting last week, on what was probably the first day of the heat wave that had come through San Jose and settled into the valley for what seemed like a good week.  And for some reason I was inspired to carry my paints and easel outdoors to paint, which was a bit crazy, because folks it was warm out there.

I love this idea of a "work in progress," which is often used for projects that have a beginning, middle and an end. It gives credence to every step in the process, and validates wherever you are.  What if we looked at our own lives as a "work in progress" - would that help keep our eye and focus in the present moment, THE NOW!  I don't know how the painting is going to change when I next pick up the paintbrush, but in this moment it speaks to me every time I look at it. 

What if we stopped and stepped back and became a witness to all the different areas of our lives, and all the different roles we take on and took a deep breath.  What do you see, feel, notice. Can you acknowledge where you are on the journey, without jumping to some future outcome and comparing, can you stop and smell the mangos, can you appreciate where you are at?