The Art of Living
Today, I cried.
Shakespeare once said that to weep…is “to make less the depth of grief.”
But my tears were not of grief.
Instead, they were the oft familiar yet mysterious response to… art.
In this case, the art of music.
I describe it as “familiar”, confident that no matter who you are…chances are that you have been moved to tears, at some point in your life, by a work of art.
For some, it comes from a composition of lyric and melody, and a connection with an artist whose voice resonates inside of you. For some, it comes from an emotional performance that brings you insights into our nature, or perhaps a sculpture that seems to ‘live’. And for others, it comes from a combination of colored oils on canvas, arranged in such a way that quite literally speaks to our soul.
Whichever form of art speaks to you, I’m confident that Poe was right when he said that beauty “excites the sensitive soul to tears.“
It is with that in mind, that I want to remind you of something, my friend: You… are an artist.
You are the composer of the trust that your family and loved ones place in you. You are an artist.
You are the architect of a life which can serve as an example to others. You are an artist.
You are a sculptor of a world in which you’d leave your children, or your heirs, or your fellow man. You are an artist.
You are a purveyor of influence to all those around you. You are an artist.
You are an artist… capable of expressing and sharing the kind of joy, gratitude and love that moves others to tears.
You are not just a number. You are not just a person. You are not just a gleam that once shown in your ancestors’ eye. You are an artist.
And once you make that realization; once you make that decision; once that feeling fills you with confidence, and hope, and pride…then every day is an opportunity.
An opportunity to compose. An opportunity to build. An opportunity to create. And an opportunity to serve.
Each and every day is an opportunity to make the most of, each and every day. To serve those around you, to touch their lives so deeply… as to move them to tears.
An in doing so… you yourself may be brought to tears. Through art. Your art.
The art of living.
