Art Shine

      I admit I have my fair share of vanity in me. My physical appearance has been, and still is, important to me. Who doesn’t like feeling as though they look good? But feeling like I look good without something behind it doesn’t go very far. Looking California but feeling Minnesota is a vapid, unpleasant experience. I know, because I’ve been there. Plenty.
       There has to be a feeling within that matches what the outside of the package feels like. When my MoJo is working; when people are drawn to me; when people respond to my energy and engage me; when life “is buying what I’m selling”; I ask myself, from an energetic perspective. from within me, “What am I putting out into the world that’s attractive? What am I transmitting that people are drawn to? How am I showing up and where am I coming from?”
       These days, more and more, I’m shinning from the inside out. Doing lots of inner work. And lots of outer work. I’m taking action on my insides. And I’m taking actions on the outside. It’s the only way.
       The way we shine is unique to each of us. For me, having my body at a certain level of fitness has always been the springboard. That’s my baseline, but it’s just the beginning. My body is my foundation. But a foundation without anything on top of it doesn’t take you very far or attract many people to it. Doesn’t attract life to it.
       Use the metaphor of a beautiful house. It’s the whole package; foundation, framed structure, windows, design, color, etc. It draws us towards it. We may see the exterior, but we can sense the interior. We feel it’s inside, even if we can’t see it. And often, the outside of the house isn’t even that important, so energetically attractive is it’s interior (I think of all the fabulous interior spaces in Manhattan that are housed in buildings who’s exteriors appear less than stellar). it’s what’s inside that’s always more compelling. Think about how much more satisfying it is, how much bigger and richer the experience, when you go inside a beautiful house and experience what it’s like on the inside, as opposed to just staring at the outside of it. Well, people are just like that.
        Something's been growing inside of me for a while and it’s taking up so much space that it’s making it’s way out of me. People have told me that I shine. That I have an uncommon light that glows from within. I believe we all have this light. Some of us have better access to it than others, that’s all. One of the things I want to help people do is find that light, turn it up, and turn it on so that people see it. So that life sees it. So they shine.
       A close friend of mine described me thus, and I’m paraphrasing slightly; “You are a great diffuse light that wants to shine on the whole world, like a flood light. That’s wonderful in a social environment. But if you want to really make an impact in the world of commerce, you will need to focus your light, like a laser.” I’m closer to that than ever, and moving closer every day.
       The Icarus Deception is a book that’s literally changing my life every day I read it. It’s echoing my overall life philosophy, and validating a lot of what I write about. It’s not a perfect echo, but it’s sound is close enough to what I’m putting out there that it resonates powerfully and loudly.
       One of the tenants of the book is to “treat your work as art”. One of my tenants is to treat your life as art. Your love life. Your social life. Your appearance. What you say and what you do becomes a giant art project. That’s my basic philosophy on self expression.
       That’s an attitude rather than a specific practice, although it is something you do have to practice. It doesn’t mean that you have to express yourself every minute of every day. It doesn’t mean doing whatever the hell you want whenever the hell you want to. But it does mean not hiding who you are. It means getting in touch with what moves you, what excites you, what impassions you, and giving that plenty of air time in your life. It means expressing whatever is inside you enough to shine.
       Doing so may bring attention to yourself. It will certainly bring judgement. This is what prevents a lot of people from doing it. I offer you this: Instead of letting fear and judgement stop you, use the opportunity to examine yourself. Dig into what you’re afraid of and why. Discover what’s behind you caring so much about being judged that it keeps you hiding. That keeps you from expressing. That keeps you shielding your heart. Then find ways to go through those blocks.
       I have lots of experience with this. It takes courage and persistence to live out loud. I have been accused of actively trying to draw attention to myself. Sometimes, yes, I do. Those are usually my insecurities acting out. It’s the flip side of hiding when you feel insecure. Neither one is better or worse. Just different ways of coping with insecurity.  
       Most of the time, however, attention is a by-product. And it happens to be a by-product I’m comfortable with. When I’m fully myself and not coming from insecurity, I don’t shrink from attention, but neither do I actively seek it. It just happens. So does judgement. Plenty of it. I’m less comfortable with judgement. It doesn’t feel warm and fuzzy to me. But again, if I’m coming from my real place, then I tolerate it just fine. And not because I grow a thick skin. But because I don’t care. Not in a callous way. But in a way that says “Here I am. This is really me. No frills. You are welcome not to like it. But if you do, come on in. The water is beautiful.”
       Your water is beautiful too. Swim it it. Often. And invite some of the world in.


©2013 Clint Piatelli, MuscleHeart, and Red F Publishing. All rights reserved.