A Dark Day

April 26, 2022

Nauset Light Beach Eastham, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

"The task of the artist is to sense more keenly than others the harmony of the world, the beauty and the outrage of what man has done to it, and poignantly to let people know." Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Sometimes you need the darkness to appreciate the light. A quick thunderstorm brings refreshing new air. Life's difficult battles often make us appreciate its simple joys and beauties, by their very lack. The shadows enhance the light.

Some dark spells can be SO long that they deplete our spirit and wear us down, but out of that can grow a deeper gratitude and understanding of life's blessings. Maybe that is the point.

We may not be able to change the world, but we can enjoy the challenge of building our world as we wish. THAT is where the power is. That is where the joy is. That is where the fun is.

Today…Go slow…Take one step at a time and enjoy each step. The scented soap in the shower. Your favorite breakfast plate or bowl. Sit down and enjoy the flowers on the table…just a few…maybe one…something seasonal. Let go and really get into your walk or your run or your workout. Breathe and enjoy. Let yourself be glum, but don't let it stop you from building the world you are creating. Observe. Step back. Let go of the whole mess. Detach…and then build…slowly, consciously and with heart.

People have created islands of light within dark times and dark worlds. Sometimes those islands grow into a bonfire that shines for a time…reminding us of what we are capable. A beautiful world is not created with virtue signaling and SLOGANS of peace and kindness. It is also not created with anger, self deception and grandstanding.

There is a lot of corruption right now...Everywhere...Don't be so sure you know the white hats from the black hats. Creating a beautiful world takes courage, heart, intention, and hard work. It also takes self honesty and the realization that many of the powerful have become very clever at deceiving us. Oftentimes the "truth" we think we know has been carefully manufactured by forces we can't see and those with a hidden agenda. You see it happen in your workaday world all the time, at your job, amongst your friends, in your community. Imagine what goes on at higher levels!!!! The truth can be hard to come by. Don't get sucked into false narratives.

It is always wise to step back and observe. Once you think you "get it"... you have lost your ability to see clearly. You can be more easily deceived. Be always at the beginning when you observe or listen. Let every situation be an opportunity to see with fresh eyes.

You are an artist. Create a world of beauty around you. Manifest your own unique picture of it. Do it from the heart. The more people who do this, the more the light will grow and maybe a new renaissance will be created in spite of the darkness. Beauty is many things, but it is heartfelt. Beauty is a warrior fighting to protect his people from harm, a nurse caring for a patient, a parent exercising patience with a child, an athlete inspiring multitudes, a protester holding a torch against tyranny..

Don't ignore the dark and think it will go away, but create beauty in spite of it, because of it. Beauty...is the only thing that will save the world...and the only antidote to the current darkness.