Tenderhearted Warrior, 24x18in
Sometimes the message speaks with most power through the art alone and so I will not say much about this painting but to reaffirm a long held belief that pain, hardship and those battle scars gathered through a life rich in experiences are the springboard for growth and becoming more the person we may choose to be. In my readings I am guided once again by the wise words of Pema Choron:
“…we can let the circumstances of our lives harden us so that we become increasingly resentful and afraid, or we can let them soften us and make us kinder and more open to what scares us. We always have this choice. “
This thought, that inside the warrior we carry with us, there beats a heart that can clench and close off to the world or become more compassionate and grow exponentially to make room for the battle worn—those who may have not found their strength to yet open.
In these days of political fights, in the face of indifference and intolerance, in the face of fear and hatred, it’s the opening of your heart to others that can make a difference each and every day.
Yes, votes count, the direction of society matters, but in even the smallest action and interaction you have, in each and every moment, there is the power to make the world a better place. A better place for yourself, your tender heart, the opening of yourself and your opening to others. The chance to let the battle scars light the world around you.
I’ve sometimes wished I didn’t have so many battles to grow from. But in those battles, I have chosen not to steel may heart. Not to let them steal my heart.
May you return from your battles stronger, wiser and with a growing heart that opens in kind.
Namaste.
