As Picasso sat sketching in a park one day, a woman passed him by and recognized him. Without hesitation she approached him.
"You're the great Picasso! Your work is extraordinary. Please, will you do my portrait?" To which Picasso reluctantly answered he would.
A few minutes later he hands her the sketch. "Magnificent! This perfectly captures the very essence of who I am. Thank you! How much do I owe you?" He gives the sum of 5000 francs. "That's outrageous," she exclaimed. "It took you only 5 minutes!" The art master looks up at her coolly and states, "No, madame, it took me my whole life!"
"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
- Pablo Picasso
I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving, however you spent it.
Even during strange times, (and yes it certainly has been that as we all know) we still must find things to be grateful for and "break bread" with people we love.
This is typically the time of the year where we find ourselves rushing around, days disappearing before our eyes.
I'm here to help, with a couple of post-Thanksgiving gifts for you.
GIFT NUMBER 1
A reminder to look back and be thankful for what you've built. We are the sum of all parts, without all our lifetime of varied experiences of all kinds, we would not be who we are today. Admire the masterpiece you have created!
Do you ever hear something that sticks with you, deep down in your soul? A sort of epiphany that holds on and inserts itself into your very being because it helps you hold a better perspective on things? I heard this story about Picasso a while ago, and it's something I really appreciate and think about, personally and professionally.
What the woman didn't understand about Picasso is that his talent to capture her perfect portrait in a matter of minutes came from a lifetime of mastering his craft. Everything he had become, learned and worked for went into sketching that portrait, creating a masterpiece in just a moment. How do you bring this with you into your life, do you notice it? It's easy to forget this when we get caught up in all the imperfections and challenges.
YOUR LIFE IS A MASTERPIECE.
Whatever your craft is, personal or professional, you are honing it, shaping it, and mastering it right now and ALL THE TIME! I encourage you to pay attention the next time you complete a task, whatever it may be. Take the time to step back, take in your masterpiece, and say, "That took me my whole life!"
GIFT NUMBER 2
A book I created of holiday (or anytime) recipes, hand selected by yours truly. From my kitchen to yours.
Cooking and creative nourishment always makes me think about my mom, and also about the mother in ALL of us, male and female alike.
One part about the mother in us is connected to taking care of our needs and creating healthy, nourishing, nutrient-dense food. Food that sustains us and can be a healing source, like the recipes you will find in this book.
From me to you, this is one thing I can do here and now. Below is a recipe book I originally put together for Dr. Christiane Northrup's blog. I hope that this book helps inspire you to get creative on your own with healthy, delicious meals that bring pleasure into your life and make your life, more fun and fulfilling. Slow it down and savor the time you have with loved ones.
*Making healthy changes takes more than just a recipe book, of course. The holidays can be very stressful and challenging times. You might want to be wrapped up in a warm blanket of love and "good feeling"—but instead feel lonely and disconnected, bloated or uncomfortable about your eating, or full of guilt or shame or disappointment over the gap between what you want and what you have.
However, in this experience is the seed of what is possible for you. You can bloom and become the self you really want to embody. If you want to get past the painful feeling of stuck in your body and your life to becoming the beautiful rose... if you want to explore on a more personal level how to really bloom, become more radiant with your health, and discover how to allow this radiance to fill every area of your life, email Jessica about a Vibrant Body breakthrough session:jessicaruth23@gmail.com. Please put “VIBRANT BODY BREAKTHROUGH SESSION” in the subject line. I can’t wait to hear from you!
