Life Really IS an Oil Painting

Have you ever watched an oil painter paint?
Not many people have.
And most would find it extremely boring.
I’ll admit, I really hadn’t watched someone paint oil until this summer.

But today sitting in a planning meeting with my coworkers, my experience of watching an incredible painter paint oil overwhelmed my thoughts.

I’m an accountant by trade. My tendency is to try to define everything with lines, boundaries, rules and limitations. In my meeting we were attempting to do just that with the tasks that need to be accomplished in my department.

Life can’t be defined, lined, ruled, limited or boundaried. Things change, we accidentally mess up, minds get changed, circumstances evolve, nothing stays the same. And so when Hyatt Moore painted oil in his “Loosen Up” workshop, he stressed to just go with it. Things can always be made into other things. With oil you can completely change a painting from something that doesn’t even closely resemble the end to the end just by painting more layers of oil. And the more layers the more depth.

Isn’t this life. It starts looking like one thing and then more layers, color, depth and changes in light and perspective can completely alter the end result creating more beauty than may have been imagined from the get go.

Here is one of the paintings I watched Moore transform… Red Dress Sun Hat.

It is Never Too Late To Change

"Max Dupree said, 'In the end, it is important to remember that we cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are.' It's a fact that when you're through changing, you're through."(1)

I hope I never become too comfortable with who I am right now, that I don't embrace the opportunities to change in order to become the person I was created to be.


(1)from "Developing the Leader Within You", by John Maxwell.

People Never Forget

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
― Maya Angelou

Asking for Permission = Building Trust

How important is asking for permission anyway?

I mean we’ve all heard the old saying that goes something like,
“It is better to ask for forgiveness than permission.”
And I have certainly followed this “guidance” on many occasions.

What does asking for and waiting to receive permission gain you?
True, you risk not getting permission and therefore not getting to accomplish your agenda.

But what impact does it have on your relationships?

Today I was reminded of how asking for and waiting to receive permission impacts relationships. Think of a time that someone borrowed something from you without asking. How did you feel toward that person? I know a tinge of mistrust would rise inside me toward that person. Now think of a time you did not ask your parents’ permission to do something. Do you think their trust in you increased or decreased?

Trust is one thing you can find in strong, lasting relationships.
Deep down relationships are more important to me than accomplishing my agenda.
So why would I do something that chips away at the trust someone has in me?

I think asking for AND then waiting to be granted permission is a very important aspect of building and maintaining trust in relationships. To say it another way, not asking for permission negatively impacts the trust people have in you.

I hope to become more conscious about asking for permission and waiting for the response instead of just doing what I want in hopes I will be forgiven.