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Ascending from Red

5/8/2017

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Picture
     There were many elements to this story that were hard to depict, but the ascension through the colors was the most challenging. I was tempted to do a separate piece for each color so that I could convey the feeling of being completely immersed in each one. On the journey, we took our time traveling through the colors and reminiscing about what was there.  
     I probably did that meditation 300 times, so there were a LOT of things to take in and it was all there. It really made her happy that I had sent these little gifts to her. It was a truly beautiful place to behold. It helped me to grasp the concept that we are creating reality with our thoughts. What we give our attention to is reinforced.
     Later, when I was in art school, my much younger cohorts were all about dystopian imagery. My art wasn't full of youthful angst and pain, so it was often dismissed as naïve. The amount of violence, betrayal and competition in popular entertainment is alarming to me. I believe it is unhealthy for us personally and as a collective to propagate vast quantities of negative thought. Fear is the antithesis of love. Love can never be diminished by fear, but it can become clouded over so that our attention is drawn to the smokescreen instead of reality.
     It was on my voyage through the colors that I first began to comprehend that love is the only real thing. That concept has been strengthened over the years as I studied A Course in Miracles and A Course of Love. It seems to be a precept for many great spiritual disciplines. If we want to truly live well and make good choices, we must overcome our fears to the point that we realize they were never real.
     It is an interesting exercise to imagine being at the end of this incarnation and having a life review. What if everything in your life that was based on fear just blew away like smoke and all that was left was the love? How much of what you thought was your life would disappear? What would be left? All kinds of things would be gone – grudges, anger, hurt, jealousy, competition, pride, victimhood.
     If only the time you spent extending love, being compassionate and forgiving were left, how long would your life be? Would you be amazed at the amount of time and energy that was put into things that either don't matter or sent you down a rabbit hole? I am shocked when I tally up all the time I have wasted feeling scared, angry, jealous, self-righteous… Not that anyone is keeping score, but it is a thought provoking experiment.
​
     Thankfully, our good deeds aren't diminished by the resources we waste. Every day is an opportunity to make better decisions and get around to things that matter. Thank God for that.
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    Linda Dixon sees art as an
    essential element which makes this transient life joyful, inspiring and meaningful.

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