I tend to be the type of person who dwells on the past or worries on the future. I also tend to criticize myself to an extent that would extend beyond self-flagellation. This type of unproductive thinking always leads me on an unhappy road of self-destruction. This issue is so important to me, I chose it as my healing topic for my next collage painting.

The woman’s face was too big for my art journal and I didn’t think to use my bigger art journal, so I chose to glue two pages of 90lb watercolor papers together.

I chose three quotes to go with this painting:
“Our life is what our thoughts make it.” – Marcus Aurelius
and
“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.” -Marcus Aurelius
finally,
“With our thoughts we make the world.” – Buddha

It’s important to me to work at keeping a positive attitude and I wanted this page to remind me of how much a positive frame of mind can change your life. Keeping this in mind, I kept her face peaceful and joyful.
Those are the rewards of a positive outlook, in my opinion. Peace within yourself and inner joy. Once you have inner joy, other things begin to fall in place around you. For instance, the people around you are happier to be around you and make your life easier.
These are the things I’ve found to be true. I can only speak from personal truth. Not from world experience.
Surely though, if we all were to find that inner joy and peace the world would be a better place? A naive thought, but isn’t it true?
For now, I’m thankful for the fact that I have the insight to be aware of my dark moments and the will to turn them around to positive moments as much as I can. I’m not always successful. Sometimes it’s chemical! I’m bipolar! It’s not always a matter of positive thinking. For the most part though? I can steer my mind away from self-destruction.
Of course if you take me shopping… that’s another matter.
I did say “for the most part.”
O.o
I’m also thankful for the friends who remind me when I backslide. Without them, where would I be?
Happy Wednesday everyone! And Happy Thanksgiving to those of you who are in the United States! I might post about something new tomorrow or I might not. It depends on how football goes. ;-)