The Art of Living

 

The Art of Living

The art of living is painting your words and actions the right color before your brush touches someone else. It's so hard to get the shade right: the one that the other person will like or at least understand. The truth is that everyone sees the world in different colors–some in gray tones, some in florescent lights, some with an impressionistic blending or muting, and others in loud, vivid scenes. Just like we don't agree on what is beautiful or what we want to look at, we also don't see (accept) the color of words in the same way. Art has as many nuances as our perception of it.  The same is true of our perception of other people, which are tainted by our own experiences, words, as well as other people's words.

So, getting down to the nitty gritty of it, what is the Art of Living? I define it as learning how to slip slide through human interactions so they go as smoothly as possible. This doesn't mean avoiding confrontations or conversations. It's all about molding our words and timing so that they fit the person in front of us. "And how do we do that?" you may be wondering, given that we are not living in someone else's head. I think it's all about observing the reactions of others and feeling the right timing.

Easier said than done, right? That's why it's an art. That's also why only a few people can say they have mastered it and many of us have given up. Have you ever said (like me): "Relationships are so hard! I don't know what to say to make him understand!"

I now think it's not a matter of "making" someone understand" in the end: rather, it's a question of listening and then pitching the right idea at the right time. Or, maybe not. Maybe scrapping the thought all together because the colors are clashing and you will get nowhere except an extra layer of gooey paint that doesn't blend.

Ah, yes–the Art of Relationships=the Art of Life. So incredibly wonderful, curious, and beautiful, yet also such a mucky brown mess maker at times. But once the light comes through–that pure white that paints your thoughts as well as the person you're talking to-it all makes sense. And that's a piece of art worth sharing.

Photo:  <a href="https://pixabay.com/it/users/geralt-9301/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=7726087">Gerd Altmann</a> da <a href="https://pixabay.com/it//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=7726087">Pixabay</a>

Text: Kristen Mastromarchi