Sometimes, the most edge-y, scary stuff can turn to dust when tackled: Traveling alone, facing illness, co-worker conflicts, betrayals, public speaking, or learning a challenging Metalsmithing technique. The more fears are faced, the less power they have over us. But what’s the juice that keeps fear at bay? You know it and I know it, and my mysteriously insightful friend Rebecca reminds me of it every time I need to be reminded. It’s love.
Family, friends, fellow artists, and even some memorable strangers have blessed me with gallons of love over the years. And it usually works when I’ve done a good job of communicating needs. But what about all alone at 2AM, or driving over the mountains, or at the workbench tackling an operation that could spell a bit of financial disaster if melted? Who is gonna fill my empty mug then? The most direct route to tap into love is the one that takes me within, and it is absolutely the one that I forget most often. Thankfully, it gets easier with age and by intentionally gathering reminders.
Plan ahead for your next empty-cup moment by preparing love reminders. A few of my favorites:
- Snapshots that capture happy, loving times. Love yourself enough to hunt them down. Here’s one of my two sisters while we were in NYC together. We planned ahead and all wore hot pink coats! The picture and the coat bring back wonderfully loving memories.
Sisters in Pink Coats - Visual Art. Works that resonate enough in me that I purchased or traded for them hold places of honor in my home and studio. All I need to do is remember to look at them. One of my favorites, “Burst,†by Wug Laku, is pictured.
Burst by Wug Laku - Words of peace. Sayings, passages, poems, or prayers. My friend Ginger writes passages on her home studio walls. She gave me permission to do this, and now I’m giving it to you. Prayer? The mere act of memorization for later recall of anything that surrounds you with a feeling of love can be called prayer in my book. It’s what I do when absolutely nothing else will work.
Accepting that you deserve the effort of preparing for empty-cup moments is a loving act in itself. Purposefully declaring that you are worth the time to discover what it is that brings you inner peace is one loving cupful. Walks in nature? Hammering? Singing? Whatever it is, have fun with it, and let me know what you do to arm yourself with love.