The art of living

Techniques and skill and even a point of view are often handed down, formally or not. It's easier to get started if you're taught, of course.

But art, the new, the ability to connect the dots and to make an impact--sooner or later, that can only come from one who creates, not from a teacher and not from a book. (from the post All artists are self-taught)

Artist is a loaded term -- and therefore, so is art.  Many people are uncomfortable calling themselves artists because their work isn't (at least in their mind) "good enough" to be classified as art.  Seth Godin and a bunch of others have been working on expanding that view of art.

For them, the definition of art includes anything that is creatively done.  It's more about the process and less about judging the final product.  And this includes anything from running an alternative school to teach kids the skills they need to survive and thrive in the world to entrepreneurial ventures to writing books to making wine.

The one thing that ties all these endeavours together is that the person doing them is taking a risk in putting a piece of themselves out there for the world to see.  And not only might the world see it -- it might change the world.  In a big way or small way, the world will be different because of the art it saw.  Things that may have been thought to be impossible are now considered possible because the artist has paved the way.

And that is you, isn't it?  Changing the attention you pay to your eating habits changes your mindset.  Slowly, you are realizing it doesn't have to be about the amount of food you eat.  You are understanding you like choosing food that tastes good.  You are fine with less food when you pay attention to the experience of eating.  You can leave half of your takeout order uneaten because you're realizing you are no longer hungry.  And that changes you.

With fewer calories, your body gets smaller.  You feel healthier as you leave the table.  You stop obsessing about the next diet (or what you "should' or "shouldn't" be eating).  Which frees up some brain space so you can think about other things that are more interesting.  You have more time to tackle other projects and you feel more accomplished because you've stepped off the diet train.

YOU are an artist.  You are the one who is creating.  You are your masterpiece in progress.  If you do this, you WILL change the world (for the better, I might add!).  You will empower others to get off the diet train, listen to their bodies, make changes that make sense to them, and free them up for more creative endeavours.

You will have done all that -- and all because you started started learning how to be more mindful and then taught yourself how to use those tools to make your life better.