"Give yourself the same compassion you extend to others.” Bonnie Raitt “I don’t have a right side to my brain,” was my standard excuse for not trying to sing, paint, play an instrument or engage in any other form of creative expression. Yet when in school I sang in a choir, danced in a school play and played the clarinet, but I didn’t think I was any good so I never pursued any of them. Last year, however, I took out-of-town friends to Tahoe where we wandered past a shop that taught painting lessons. The next class was about to begin. “Come on Aunt Libby, it’ll be fun,” Lynn encouraged. So I did. Since high school I heard right-brained painters are likely to paint impressionist or modern art, but there are left-brained painters. They would likely paint portraits or images that resemble photographs. So it was no surprise when three hours later I emerged with a canvas that looked very much like the instructor’s example, while others in class took creative liberty with the colors of the sunset and shapes of trees. This canvas might never hang in my living room, but it still hangs in my closet as a reminder that I can paint. Somewhere deep inside me I do have a creative bone in my body. More importantly, it reminds me that I can encourage myself, cut myself some slack, and branch out to try things I enjoy whether I do it perfectly, or not. Do you extend compassion and encouragement to children as they attempt new things? Have you lacked the encouragement from others in the past to try new things? Now that you know you can give yourself the same compassion and encouragement you give others, what new thing will you try today?
What are your thoughts? Libby Note: Bonnie Lynn Raitt (1949- ), an American blues singer-songwriter, musician who incorporates elements of blues, rock, folk and country in her many hit albums; she has received ten Grammy Awards, is number 50 in Rolling Stone’s list of the “100 Greatest Singers of All Time,” and is 89 on their list of “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.” Note: Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835–1910), better known by his pen name Mark Twain, an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer, known for his novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and The Great American Novel.
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WelcomeI love the wisdom of the ages gleaned from relevant quotes. In them there is a connection to the human experience that crosses all borders. Join me as I relate my personal experiences, and link the wisdom of the quote to the Source of all wisdom: God's Word, the Bible. Enjoy, Libby Categories
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