Success and Failure

                                                       Chiura Obata, Japanese painter

Why do we do what we do? The choices we make, what drives us to them? Well, the answers to those questions are as individual as we are and the times they've been addressed are equally infinite in number. I think the why and the choices, although important, are not as vital as the fact that we try.

I am talking about the entities known as success and failure. Both are driving forces in our culture. They move us and they have the power to destroy, but only if we let them.

A story ...

Chiura Obata, a Japanese immigrant and painter, arrived in the US in 1903, intending to stay only a short while before moving on to Paris to study his art. As a young man he was a domestic servant and he was one of the co-founders of the first Japanese-American baseball teams on the mainland. In 1927, he visited Yosemite National Park and he was so moved by the beauty of the land, and by the stillness he found there, he remained for two months, traveling and painting what he called "great nature". His exhibitions brought great joy and "new eyes" to Americans. Seeing this great national treasure through his efforts was inspirational and healing to many people. He became an illustrator and commercial decorator. Eventually, he became a faculty member in the Art Department at the University of California at Berkeley. But his work was interrupted by WWII, and he was forced to spend well over a year in internment camps for the Japanese. He created an art school within the camps and when he was transferred to the Topaz War Relocation Center in Utah, he became the Founder and Director of the Topaz Art School which had 16 artist/instructors who taught 23 subjects to their students. Post-war, he contiued to exhibit and for many summers, he returned to his beloved Yosemite with his wife - also an artist - to teach art and talk about art in nature.

I tell Mr. Obata's story because of his approach to his life's work.

Success and failure. Mr. Obata had equal opportunity for both. I was not aware of his work until I recently watched The National Parks: America's Best Idea on PBS. Five minutes of the episode on Yosemite highlights his work there. Simple, colorful, inspired - I was drawn in, just like those who experienced it at the time it was painted. But it was the man's reason for making the choices he did - we're back to the why and the choices - that caused me to share these thoughts.

"Success or failure is not my aim in life. Whether I be a flake of snow or only a drop of dew, I do not care. I wish only to paint with gratitude to nature in my heart, and with sincerity in my brush. This is my future. This is my biography. Chiura Obata 

I do not know the angst he suffered. I was not with him when he met fear and doubt, anger and injustice. But I am inspired by his idea of not having success as the goal. I smile when I think about there being no such thing as failure. Removing the unspoken onus attached to them is like clearing a path to my joy and I am unburdened.

Our society grows things backwards. Despite itself, there is brilliance and innovation and beauty and humor and joy. When we meet a boulder bigger than our mind's capacity for strength to move it, if we can recall the thought that success or failure is not the point, it becomes a pebble on the path, respected for its part in building a good life.

Kittie invites you to comment directly below this posting - sharing your thoughts will inspire someone who needs it! Become a follower of this blog by adding yourself in the "following this blog" section along the right column of the page. Please forward to anyone you think might enjoy the read. I'm happy to include them on the mailing list. Just send me a note! HAPPY NEW YEAR!


Pssst ... Mr. Obata was prolific! I've included a few extra images below. One of my favorites was a postcard he sent to one of his children that reads: "The lovely moon is gone. It went to bed early to sleep. Grow big and shine more!" 

  

The Balance of Nature, the nature of balance ...

"The Balance of nature refers to the theory that ecological systems are usually in a stable equilibrium (homeostasis), which is to say that a small change in some particular parameter (the size of a particular population, for example) will be corrected by some negative feedback that will bring the parameter back to its original "point of balance" with the rest of the system. It may apply where populations depend on each other, for example in predator/prey systems, or relationships between herbivores and their food source. It is also sometimes applied to the relationship between the Earth's ecosystem, the composition of the atmosphere, and the world's climate." (from Wikipedia, December 21, 2009)

"When we don't have something, we have to compensate, we have to find our balance in other ways." Emily Carr, Painter

The above describes the cycle of living. It occurs to me that our worlds - nature, our relationships, our scientific world, the spiritual realm; art, business, athletics, health/physical - all of the facets of living we experience are going through a kind of natural balancing act. We are catching ourselves before we go beyond repair. There are many great tools emerging that have taken a back seat to ambition, gain, competition and progress. The nature of balance is to regrow, refurbish, rework until equilibrium is restored. The balancing of nature is a wonderful model to observe. We also see it in our children, our animal friends and if we allow ourselves, we can see it in our individual and collective relationships inside ordinary activities. 

In art, in business models, in emotions - perspective shows us different ways of seeing. What works for one may not appeal to another eye. It is in the differences of perspective that we achieve balance. Some of the tools coming to the forefront for use in this balancing act are: Creativity, Compassion, Communication; Energy, Enthusiasm, Education; Originality, Openness, and being Others Oriented. As we utilize these tools, we can literally feel our lopsided world right itself. 

It begins at home - that is, with ourselves. Starting right where we are, seeing what is, scooping it up into our arms and appreciating it - this is a place to begin. If you already do this, the next step is to try out some of the tools. As we work with them, we find that we begin to see and feel and ultimately, act in new ways and the balancing act becomes a song, harmonious with those around us. The tension necessary to hold us upright returns.

It is important to note that balance isn't forever, at least not in our human world. We have a propensity for excess - too much of a "good" thing. As good as something may seem, moderation is best in all circumstances. (Thank you, Elmer) It leaves room for every thing, every one ... and that, my friends, is the nature of balance - eternal and there for us to use at will!

Kittie invites you to comment below this article. Your thoughts and ideas might reverberate with others. She thanks you for sharing ... Become a follower (look in the right-hand column). Be sure to list your website or blog of you have one! 

Wishing everyone a blessed holiday with family, friends, and loved ones! See you in the New Year!

GIFT

Gift. As a figure of speech it is both noun and verb. As a focus for many of us this time of year, it can be both joy and duty. For me, it is creative and meaningful and fun! I love the giving and the receiving equally and I relish as much in the presentation as anything.

But it is good to remember the heart of it ...

I cannot speak for others because it is my own heart with whom I am familiar. I have given too much in the name of appearances. I have given too little for lack of imagination. I have even received and been disappointed, and it was merely my own expectation that diminished the joy. 

To offer a gift is a ritual so special, it can get lost in the crowd. When presumption or accountability get involved, gifting becomes joyless and a burden. There are lots of ways to lighten this load, to make it more meaningful and to breathe new life into a tradition intended for good.

It works best for both giving and receiving when the heart is open and greets these customs with arms outstretched. True gifts reach across boundaries, not only to touch the receiver but to strengthen compassion within ourselves and to deepen our personal sense of love. We spend time in thought about another, getting outside of our problems or interrupting our routine and that adds to the gift. Home-made gifts from children delight us so! Why not use our minds, our hands, our creativity to make something to communicate how much we value the person who will receive? Last year, my sister-in-law gave me the most beautiful memory book - FULL of pictures of us together, of our children when they were little. She cut out and wrote in her own hand words and phrases to describe how she feels about me and she cut out scenes that symbolize her love for me. I have picked that book up countless times and that one gift has lightened my heart throughout the year! My daughter has designed jewelry out of ribbons and metal pieces, crafting incredible works of wearable art. She hand-sewed a leather bag with pieced suede leaves and a braided handle. People have stopped me on the street to find out where I bought something so beautifully unusual. 

My friend, Lucy, often prefers to gift when it is needed or when her spirit is moved to offer a surprise. I love this practice! It's so satisfying to delight someone with something they want or need when they least expect it!

We don't have to make gifts for them to be meaningful. It truly is "the thought that counts". When I unwrap something I really need, or would never get for myself ... when the surprise comes spontaneously and sometimes with sacrifice, it is a real gift, one to be cherished and make me smile.

I have so many gift stories. I want to include two of them here. 

The first is hard to write because it comes with so much emotion. It is about my son. He is good about giving gifts, his heart grinning from one side to the other as he makes his presentation! I have imagined the fun he has making plans! I think if I published the list of his gifts here, it would embarrass him, so I won't. He knows how grateful I am for his thoughtfulness. He cannot know how incredibly helpful his support and sacrifice has meant to me ...

The second story involves both of my children, but specifically, my daughter. I wrote about it at the time it happened and called the short story "Surrender" because the gift required me to be truthful and to put aside my prideful nature in order to receive. I include it here, with editing for time's sake. It happened a long time ago, when my kids were still in school. As you read, perhaps something similar will come to mind for you ...

SURRENDER  

The past few years have been extra lean at our house. I made some choices that didn't help matters and I am grateful they weren't fatal. We are slowly working our way back, learning as we go. I included my kids in this process because on what felt like the "Eve of Destruction", they caught me crying in my bedroom and I could think of nothing else to tell them but the truth.

The days that followed were spent discussing ways to cut back and how to generate more money. We all participated. As we moved through the problem, something bigger happened to me. One of the things I knew to be true was that in this world you must persist. At every turn, in every way, you plant your feet, square your shoulders and face the giant. Sometimes the giant feels too big to face alone. What if he seems to have no heart, no reason, no mercy? What if when you square and face him, he looks exactly like your greatest fear with an army of endless doubt standing right behind him on the point of no return? 

At this juncture we become who we are, what we have practiced to this point ... and then the angels appear.

I had become a pillar of alabaster. So practiced was I at being strong and good in the name of outward appearances, I looked just fine to those in the outside world. I was one from whom to seek guidance and direction. 

 

Inside, I was slowly hollowing out, becoming more and more brittle as I denied myself the truth, seeking solace from no one. Shining and white and as breakable as porcelain ... and when on the "Eve of Destruction", I collapsed in despair in my bedroom, God sent the angels in to help me. I looked at the loving faces of my children through my tears and humbly, gratefully fell into their arms.

There have been subsequent angels in my life. They know who they are. Through surrender came rejuvenation and I am better at guidance and direction now. A few weeks ago, I happily sent the gift of a sizable check to my daughter at college with a note attached that said, "Use this for what you want the most." It felt so good to be able to do it!

Last night, I was sitting on the front porch of our house enjoying the evening breeze when a car pulled up and out jumped my daughter, arms outspread, yelling "SURPRISE!" I couldn't believe my eyes!

 

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

She answered with a triumphant smile on her face.

 

"You said to use that money for what I wanted the most, so here I am!"

As we surrender to love, so do we teach it.

 

Any gift offered in love lasts a lifetime. It matters and reciprocally, it benefits giver as much as the person who receives. Put JOY into your gift giving this year! It isn't how many or how costly ... it is how much heart lives inside.

Do you have a story of gift-giving or receiving to share? Please post yours in the comments section directly below. Wishing everyone HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!