The Gift Of Listening

Today I was reminded of how important it is to be able to process one's experiences (gather the gifts of learning) by talking about them with someone who is a good listener and can understand. Just the act of talking it out brings meaning to the experience in a way that other methods don't quite fulfill. We can be this gift for each other by being good listeners and realizing when someone is trying to process their experiences.

Diary

Difficult Days
Sometimes we can have very difficult days in our life, despite our best effort. That's when it's time to be very, very grateful...even for the thing that seems to be difficult. Past experience would remind us that difficult experiences often lead to greater depth, understanding, wisdom, compassion, and empathy. These qualities are good for anyone - including the artist.

The Power of Music
Listening to music that is written and played from the heart is a powerful way to chase away undesirable thoughts and emotions that temporarily cloud one's outlook on life.

2010-03-22
Freedom
We complicate life and create problems for ourselves when we take away someone else's freedom of choice...
We sometimes even think we're being "helpful", but if we force them to do it our way without asking their permission we create more problems...
We can offer our thoughts, but then let them have their freedom...

2010-03-21
Insightfulness
This day is full of lessons, gifts and love if we learn how to teach, appreciate, and love ourselves and others...
2010-03-20
Inspiration
There's a reason why all the great spiritual masters have taught that love is the key to truly living...
I'm not talking about selfish or controlling love, that's not really love...
I'm talking about the kind of caring that turns a blank canvas into a painting of the Mona Lisa, or that turns an awareness of mold into life-saving properties for mankind...
Or the kind of caring that takes the time to be kind to a child who needs it...


2010-03-17
Moving Forward
Moving forward in life may mean leaving something behind...
We want to have our cake and eat it too...
Letting go can be one of the hardest things to do...

2010-03-15
Forgiveness
If I forgive you today, it will be easier to forgive myself tomorrow, and vice versa...
After awhile it becomes a habit, and pretty soon you find there's nothing to forgive...
Understanding has replaced all need for it...

2010-03-12
Life's Gifts
It is possible to have the experience that every human being we encounter (online and off) is a treasured gift if we look to see what the gift might be...
Some of the gift's others bring are obvious, some are not...
The enjoyable experiences are obvious, the others may take some time to place the value on...these are the ones we usually learn the most from...

2010-03-11
Why Are We Here?
I know I'm on this earth for a reason as are you...
If you don't know, look to Mozart, Abraham Lincoln, Edison, Einstein, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and other great souls and see how they answer that question, both in words and deeds...
Then notice which you remember more, their words or deeds...
2010-03-10
Men and Women
If my masculine and feminine sides are in harmony, then I'm less likely to react to unwanted influences from either sex in my outer world...
Working to create balance in my art and life is the way of the artist...
It takes effort, that's why its called a WORK of art...

2010-02-25
Passion And Drive Or Love and Commitment?
What to you is passion and drive is to me intensity of love and commitment to my art form...
Paradoxically one can be simultaneously intense and serene when practicing one's craft...
Just as there can be both self and others...

2010-02-24
Life Is A Gift
True joy and freedom come from appreciation of the gift of being alive...
That I can think, feel, and know is a gift...
We lose our joy when we forget to be thankful for the gift of life...

2010-02-23
Everyone Has Their Own Truth
People generally aren't interested in your truth unless it agrees with theirs...
If you tell them your truth and they haven't the experience, they'll think your mad...
Experience may one day show them a different truth...

2010-02-21
Self Assertion Or Self Expression?
The true artist is never concerned with self-assertion, but rather self expression...
The real artist is grateful for his craft - his vehicle of expression...
The artist seeks a way to thank life for his artistic ability through his art form...

2010-02-18
Selfishness And The Artist
The selfish person is afraid...
The artist uses his fear to create something better...
The petty person is also afraid...
The artist never allows himself to become petty...

2010-02-17
Recognizing The Creative Spark
It's easy to forget that within each of us lies the spark of creativity that is capable of greatness...
Some of us can see it in ourselves but not others ...and vice versa...
In this world of immediacy we overlook the possibility that the creative spark is creating something that is not immediately obvious...

2010-02-16
See It Through
The darkness is always before the dawn...
One must survive the night in order to see it...
The caterpillar knows nothing of its future life as a butterfly...

2010-02-15
Love Is Always In Style
Love is something people will always need...
It will never go out of style...
It is always available, though sometimes you have to work at seeing it.

2010-02-13
The Artist's Journey
The artist's love for his craft drives him ever onward to new heights...
He/she is always on the look out for new ways to express that love...
The artistic journey is continuous...

2010-02-11
Humility Is A Requisite
The true artist knows there's always a greater level of skill and mastery beyond the one that he or she is at - thus the learning never ends...
When learning a new level of skill, patience is required...
One must first recognize that one doesn't know something in order to learn...

2010-02-10
The Artist's Experience
The artist allows himself to experience/see life in his own unique way regardless of being outnumbered by opposing views...

2010-02-08
Winning And Losing
Sometimes to win something of real value, it may appear to others that you are losing...
True humility comes with a price...
It may take a long time to realize that your losses are actually getting you closer to winning something of greater value...

2010-02-07
Treasures
The gift of love from the heart of a child is more precious than gold and silver...
Remember to cherish your loved ones no matter what their age...

2010-02-09
Acceptance
Some days despite yout best efforts, your feet just seem to drag, so we do the best we can and learn to be kind to ourselves...

Who's The Teacher?

Have you ever been around people who love to learn? Their joy and enthusiasm is catching. For them no task is too great, nor any new idea too hard to understand. They are patient, self-motivated, focused, full of humor, persistent in their study/learning and eager to take on a new challenge. These "students" of life become the teachers - teaching their "teachers" to appreciate the gift of learning. Their reward is the simple joy gained from the sense of accomplishment they receive from applying what they have learned and doing it well. It's hard to realize that all the great thinkers, scientists, artists, musicians, writers, etc. were first students themselves...

About My Music

Link to hear my music

Share Your Love For Learning

I welcome those who love to learn. Join me here to share what you learned today - what you learned about life, or the learning process - your treasures, insights, wisdom, methods of learning - and teaching yourselves and others.