This week, I met a client at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. It was our intention to enjoy the beautiful paintings while exploring thoughts of next level living. The artwork evoked tremendous emotion and we lost ourselves in the mastery of canvas, brush and paint. The experience provided several wonderful openings to discuss growth and development. It helped us see life as a work of art.
What Do You See?
As we walked, we came upon a group that was seated in front of a dutch painting. They were listening to an expert who was describing its intricate details as well as the artist's intent. Someone invited us to join the group and we obliged.
Almost immediately, I began to feel very uncomfortable. To me, the expert was taking all of the mystery out of the painting. Her efforts forced us to see the painting through her eyes. To be fair, she may have been explaining the exact intent of the artist, but doing so ruined the the beautiful experience of seeing it for myself.
It didn't take long for me to notice that my client felt the same way. We looked at each other and knew it was time to move one.
The Art of Self Discovery
Just prior to this encounter, we were discussing the journey of self discovery. A request to accelerate the process was expressed. My client had not yet experienced a desired break through and looked to me for answers. I explained that we cannot be pushed into defining moments. Instead, we must discover them at our own pace.
Upon leaving the expert's briefing, I asked her to tell me what she thought about the presentation. She said it was too detailed for her and raised similar feelings that I had felt. Her expressions provided the right frame to continue our conversation.
Our greatest questions can not be explained by somebody else. The answers we seek our within us. If we want to find them, we must be willing to search them out. This is not an easy process, nor is it a process that we must do on our own. Others can help us through the discovery process, but they cannot explain it to us.
Seeing Things Through Our Own Eyes
The expert interpreted the painting through her own experiences. That forced me to see what she wanted me to see, which may not have been what I needed, or wanted to see.
As a society, we have been lulled into the belief that we need somebody to explain it all to us. As a result, we are constantly exposed to the agendas of the day with very little attempt to hide these persuasive efforts. Great effort is being made to reframe bad as good and good as bad. Sadly, many of us are falling for the hallucinogenics of prime time story telling.
We need to step away from the social reconstructive efforts of the day so that we can rediscover our own voice. It is the only way we can begin to see things as they really are. It may be that we will see things exactly the way they are being described to us, but at least then we will know where we stand without the emotional swell that comes from the constant bombing of politically correct propaganda.
My Wish For You
I want you to hear your own voice. I want you to set your own standard and live by it. I know this can be a difficult process, but it is worth it. I frequently ask my clients the question, "what are your values?" and instead of an immediate answer, I am met with a blank stare. This tells me that the person has either forgot his or her values, or is unwilling to stand up for them.
Do you know what your values are?
Are you standing up for them?
When was the last time you had a conversation with yourself?
I invite you to engage yourself in meaningful conversation. Step into it, and give yourself the gift of self dialogue. Question the things that are going on right now. Ask yourself if they are aligned with your personal values. Don't be afraid if they are not. It is ok to feel disconnected from many of the messages that are being put into our social atmosphere. I realized long ago that a life unaligned with values is a life devoid of meaning. What do you stand for?
Live Today! Love Today!
Dr. Andrew Thorn
760-559-3548
