Living out your Best Life

"The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience." – Eleanor Roosevelt

You heard the statement “Life’s too short,” and as we grow older we come to realize that, indeed, it truly is. You wake up one morning and say, “Gosh, where did all the time go?” It feels as if we were swept into a vortex and emerged on the other side of Kansas. One day you carried a head full of hopes and dreams; the next you find yourself busy juggling doctor appointments and practical concerns. Your body no longer works the way you want it to, and you get cranky if you have less than six hours of sleep (though ideally we should all aim for eight). You exist inside a sphere of spiraling, never-ending routines that can feel remarkably unfulfilling and grotesquely mundane.

You want some type of pause, do-over, intermission — a moment to catch your breath and decide the next step. Like where do we go when we come to a point of awakening and realize this may be it. This is my life, messy and whole, filled with mistakes and regrets, pain and hurt, doubt and faith, despair and hope, and maybe, just maybe, a small reserve of optimism.

"Your time is limited; don't waste it living someone else's life." – Steve Jobs

When I begin a painting, make no mistake: it is intensely painful at times. Creating art—of any kind—is exhaustingly taxing, demanding more than just time and technique. You pour your soul into something that is expressive and reflects who you are and what you feel. Every piece of art carries a story and a meaning behind its inception, and when I stand before a blank canvas I allow that inner story to surface and take shape, patient but insistent. However, while I am working on a piece I need to know when the piece is ready and I have to “tickle” it a bit too, as we call it. I want each piece to be the best it can be in that moment, so it will still feel like the best possible version whether it is revisited one year or even one decade from now. If I do not feel that my painting is coming to life with a story, I paint over it. I preserve the faint remnants beneath the surface and begin rebuilding, layer by layer, composing a new story that slowly emerges.

"Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm." – Abraham Lincoln

Your life is a constantly shifting blank canvas. You can repaint an old story and begin carefully building a new one. Yet there is one factor working against us that paintings do not have to face — and that is time. A good painting will be around for years, even decades, to come. We truly have a short period of time on this planet to fully live out our innate abilities: to conquer our fears, pursue our passions, cultivate new talents, fall in love, rebuild after loss, and experience joy—real, breath-taking joy, a joy that feels utterly genuine when you know you are truly living as yourself. If you experience this then you know what I am talking about.

"I hope you live a life you're proud of, and if you're not, I hope you have the courage to start over again." – F. Scott Fitzgerald

I know as I get older I often pause to ponder the moments that shaped me into who I am today. There have been ugly chapters and beautiful ones, sorrowful times and joyful ones. What I’ve learned so far is not to deny yourself the chance to simply be yourself. Take that deep breath of fresh air and let loose the person you were always meant to become. Face fear head-on, learn from it, and let it fuel your courage; who you are today will not be who you are twelve months from now. How you think and feel today will almost certainly not be how you think and feel twenty-four months from now. Priorities will shift, your brain’s neuroplasticity will reshape habits and responses, and you will likely crave different experiences, meet new people, pursue a new career, relocate, or embark on an unexpected adventure. Do it—experience it—learn from it. Don’t waste another minute living a life that, deep down, you know isn’t the life you truly want. If you can imagine something better out there, go after it: fight for it, tend to it, and pray for it as you build it into reality.

"Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." – George Bernard Shaw

I wish you the best life ever,

Best,

Tony