Living in Color

They say most people dream in black and white, I think a lot of people live in black and white also.  What does it really mean to live/dream in color?  It means reading in between the lines of what people say.  It means seeing the silver lining in every situation.  It means recognizing the many dimensions of everyone you come in contact with and respecting and loving them for it.  It means seeing the poetry in every living thing.

As we get older, our perceptions of the world around us can become more and more jaded.  Our experiences act as a paint brush over our canvas of life.  It we're not careful with our selections of friends, lovers and careers, too many dark colors can be thrown on the canvas, blur together, and become one huge gray mess.  It can get to the point where you can no longer tell the difference between friend and foe; everyone is a potential enemy.  No choice seems like the right choice and you can't trust your own instincts and certainly not the advice of others. 

We do have the option however to hold on to our childhood innocence for as long as we live.  I, for example, have been told on numerous occasions that I see the world through rose colored lenses.  I think at times it has been meant as both a compliment and a put down, but I'm ok with both.  See, I have chosen to never forget and let go of the fantasies of a beautiful magical world that often occupied my thoughts as a child and I think that choice makes me a happier person and more fun to be around.  I no longer believe in dragons and unicorns, but I do still believe good conquers evil, and love is the most powerful weapon we can have against hate. 

I have my moments, like everyone does, where it seems the world is falling apart around me, nothing is going my way and nobody is on my side.  But there is a heaviness that comes with all those negative emotions.  You can't sleep, your body aches, your mind is restless, you notice lines on your face that you never saw before.  It's just not a good place to be.  It is during these moments that you must make a choice.  The choice you make will dictate the outcome of whatever situation you're in.  And that choice is: are you going to sink into the depths of depression and just give up, or are you going to muster up every colorful, beautiful part of you and turn your world around.  It takes work to be positive. 

Any artist, no matter how naturally talented, invest a lot of his time, energy and patience in order to create a masterpiece.  He may even have to start over once or twice and as in the art of life, you're not always going to get it right the first time.  But the vibrancy you envisioned for your life cannot die just because things are not going your way.  The artist knows his vision even when their creation is not looking much like a work of art. 

We are the artist, the world is our canvas.  Take everything life throws at you and dare to paint the sky red if you want to.