Can you remember some of those early paintings you did in elementary school? Perhaps you have kids of your own and now you’ve got those glorious masterpieces pasted up all over your fridge.
As we grow older many of us humans begin living our lives as if it were one big painting…Sounds like a good thing on the surface, but I’ll tell you it sucks…No, it sucks in a way different way than that first painting of your family that looked more like an ink blot test.
Why does living your life like a painting suck? Before I answer that, let’s talk about the two different ways of painting your life’s picture. One of them leads to a happy and fulfilling life and the other, well not so much.
The doctor recommended (I’m not a doctor, I just play one on the internet) life painting is when you decide to make everyday a unique master piece. When instead of dragging yesterdays painting into today, you just start a new painting every morning when you step out of bed. If you painted a watermelon yesterday, maybe you’ll decide to paint a Mona Lisa today…Though I would recommend the dogs playing cards painting to just about anyone.
Now let’s talk about the painting that most of us do….The lifelong “Masterpiece”, where we work on creating one great painting for our entire lives, rather than attempting to create a new one each day…If you haven’t realized it yet, this is the sucky one.
Why? Remember when you were 5 and poop was the funniest thing since sliced bread? (I’m 33 and I have to confess poop is still pretty funny)….
Anyway, back to my point. What if when you were 5 you decided to start painting a big steaming pile of poop? Looking at it from the outside it seems pretty obvious, it would be waaaay smarter to simply grab a new canvas and start painting something new. But we don’t…..
Instead since were clever humans, we wake up everyday and go back to work on yesterdays painting. Silently thinking to ourselves “Well it looks like yesterday was shit, today’s going to be shit too”, and off we go continuing our “Master-Piece-Of Shit”.
What’s the lesson in this? Just because yesterday was shit (Substitute your best rationalization story here), doesn’t mean that today has to be shit as well.
Here are soem real life examples…Though I’ve left some names out to minimize risk to the innocent….Do any of these sound familiar?
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Lifes Painting #1 My dad used to tell me I was stupid. Now I’m going to keep acting stupid the rest of my life while I blame him…..
Eric says: As if somehow blaming your dad is ever going to make your life any better. Get over it dude, your dad sucked. Your dad probably told you that you were stupid because he felt like a dipshit himself….Now let’s all stop being dipshits and grab a new canvas and start painting $$$$
Lifes Painting #2 I’ve never done any investing before it sounds risky. I think I’ll be better off avoiding the risk and staying a broke duchebag for the rest of my life.
Eric says: Listen idiot, wanna know what risky is?….Risky is, thinking you’ll get to the end of your ½ lived life and fooling yourself into believing you’ll be satisfied when you look back at what “Could have been” but never was.
Lifes Painting #3 Waaaaaa…..I’m broke, I just don’t have the money to get started (Insert money making tactic of your choice here). I’m going to wait till I have money, then I’ll start….Like that’ll ever happen.
Eric says: How’s that like your life dummy? Of course your broke, you’ve always been broke, it’s your story right? Keep painting this picture for yourself and what a “Wonderful life it’ll be”. No, money isn’t everything, but it makes everything a bit easier.
Okay, I’ll spare you the misery. I think you get the picture. And the picture is: “Just because everyday till today life’s been shit….Doesn’t mean tomorrow can’t smell like roses”….It’s your choice.
Till Next Time,
Eric Medemar
P.S. I hope this didn’t offend you too bad….I think it would be way cooler if your life was a “Masterpiece” and not a, well you know…..
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