Can you slow down enough to notice the beauty in the ordinary…the magnificence in the mundane?
Art and the wheelbarrow. Take for example this seemingly old, beat up, rusted wheelbarrow. On the surface, just a means to an end, something to make the task easier.
As I sat staring at the wheelbarrow, I noticed that everything else began to almost magically fade away…as I was transported into the now.
Looking a little deeper still, I also began to see her beauty. She had literally become a work of art.
The rust and the blue paint perfectly complimenting each other and the textures of the wood and metal perfectly placed.
And like every beautiful piece of artwork, I knew she had a story and special meaning.
How many craftsmen do you think loaded and most had likely overloaded and unloaded the wheelbarrow? Did they struggle to push & balance the awkward weight over her one strong wheel?
How much sweat was absorbed into her wooden handles and how many corners & walls & doors did she make a lasting impression on?
The whole experience took only a few moments. The lesson will last a lifetime.
This is the way to a meaningful life. Not to glance over or ignore but to really see what is in front of us in each moment. Don’t get too busy, bogged down making life a blur…
The wheelbarrow is simply a metaphor for life…feel free to replace it with whatever is in front of you… Someone you love, a friend, an event, someone you find challenging to be around, a place or even a wheelbarrow. You’ll soon realize once you do that it’s never really been about the “thing” or person or place or event you’re looking at… it has been more about the person looking at the “thing.”
Slow down a bit today and notice the work of art that is right in front of you. See the beauty, the innocence, the passion story and the grit.
You may also just find yourself in that work of art too…
Karin xx