Saturday, September 15, 2012

the high commodity of time

First Watercolor Postcard

I am off Monday and Tuesday and when I look ahead to these days off, I realize how time is precious.

I go on about my day a lot of times in auto pilot mode. Not thinking about each breath I take, the intricacies of life and how the decisions I make are so intertwined with who I am and where I am in life.


When I look at these few days ahead of me and how I can dedicate them exclusively to the things that are dear to me, I realize how ephemeral the ideas of power, money, status, and pride are. And how easy it is to waste time on the unimportant.

New babies in the stamp collection

When I walk around my office and I see people fighting with each other about some stupid power struggle, that in the end it is so counterproductive to the goal, I understand how easy it is to be caught in the illusion of what is really important.

Here is my secret. It is very simple: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye. Le Petit Prince (1943)- by Antoine de Saint ExupĂ©ry

50 comments:

Ola said...

true!

Blog about life and travelling
Blog about cooking

Red Shoes said...

Time is fleeting...

It's finite... the minute that just lapsed is gone forever, and it's all about how we just spent it.

~shoes~

laughingwolf said...

superb!

i read the little prince in english, very thought-provoking

btw - you may want to change 'waist' time, to 'waste' ;)

mzjohansen said...

Love this post and this blog!
When I took the Myers Briggs test I was 98 per cent on the on the introvert side - well it really was 100 per cent but that can't be true can it?!!

I'm pleased to know that there are other like minded souls!

AntiquityTravelers said...

Lovely, enjoyed this post. and enjoy your time on Monday-Tuesday

The Cranky said...

The only thing more beautiful than your card is the truth you have espoused.

Introverted Art said...

Thank you major faux pas moment ;-)

geetlee said...

Mon-Tue off sounds amazing! Enjoy!
I completely agree.. the simplest things are often the most profound..we overlook that so many times though!

Almost Precious said...

I loved the book "The Little Prince", it was a children's book with an adult message to it. And yes it made me cry with it's poignancy. Sometimes, at night, I look up at the stars and wonder if the sheep and the rose are doing well and if the wise, little Prince is laughing or crying.

foxysue said...

I like this saying, another one I came across and think is very useful when considering how to spend the precious commodity of time is "if the road has heart it is safe to go down" :~)xxx

Almost Precious said...

PS - The butterfly painting is gorgeous. Reminds me of the Blue Morpho Butterflies we had in Trinidad (in the West Indies).

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Yeah, they say the true measure of wealth in our society is leisure time.

Plowing Through Life (Martha) said...

Enjoy your time off, and spend it doing things you enjoy. Time goes by too quickly and we should cherish it. As you get older, you'll find that you won't waste precious time on things that are not important.

emmel-prutsemieke said...

I love your blue flower stamp!

lori vliegen said...

your blue butterflies are beautiful, and your carved stamps inspire me to get out my carving tools! i'm glad you enjoyed some creative time to yourself! xox

Robin Larkspur said...

I must immediately comment on the beauty of your butterfly; the colors are remarkable; this painting makes me happy!!
In work places, in stores, anywhere really that involves more than two people existing together, so much time, effort, energy, emotion, is wasted on trivial matters: gossip, anger, jealousy, etc...such a waste. Each little moment that one can treasure is worth more than all the gold in the world.

Jenny said...

Beautiful quote... and post Ana... and so completely true... love your butterfly and your stamps... they are incredibly sweet...

Hugs
Jenny x

carol l mckenna said...

Ah, yes ~ I of what you speak ~ Lovely art ~ and fun carvings ~ stay true to you ~ rest will fall into place ~ Your quote from the Little Prince is one of my favorites ~ (A Creative Harbor)

thanks for coming by ~ ^_^

Victoria said...

Beautiful and powerful! I have always loved that movie and that powerful quote..brilliant!!
HUgs
Victoria
PS beautiful art and imagery!!

BIKBIK AND RORO said...

Such a gentle, beautiful post -- like your butterfly painting.

I am reminded of something by Dr Richard Swanson which I'd quoted in one of my earlier posts: "Progress has given us unprecedented affluence, education, technology and entertainment. We have comforts and conveniences other eras could only dream about, yet somehow we are not flourishing under the gifts of modernity as one would expect.

"We have 10 times more material abundance than our ancestors, yet we are not 10 times more contented or fulfilled. Margin has been stolen away and progress was the thief. We must have room to breathe. We need freedom to think and permission to heal.

"Our relationships are being starved to death by velocity – no one has time to listen, let alone love. Our children lay wounded on the ground, run over by our high-speed good intentions".

Anonymous said...

Your post strikes a chord with my current state of mind--dealing with the silly squabbles at work . . . admittedly allowing/ choosing to get sucked into them. The truth is there are far more precious experiences in life to engage our selves with. I am enjoying your art you have accompanying your post as well--very light and uplifting . . . the stamps are lovely. 

Thank you for stopping by my little brook :)

35jupe said...

Your stamps make me want to make stamps.

Your butterfly picture is beautiful and reminded me, also, of Blue Morpho Butterflies. (I've never seen one alive, they must be amazing!)

And yes! You are absolutely correct, to my way of thinking.

Jenni said...

Love the butterfly and the stamps are SO cute... LOVE!
Time is indeed so precious and we all need to stop and think about that some days.. we have indeed made our lives way too busy at times with trivia.
jenni

denthe said...

Very true what you say! And something we should all remember! Love your beautiful blue butterfly and the little stamps are so cute!

Sulky Kitten said...

Love the postcard - I'm a sucker for butterflies! It's amazing how much emotional energy we all waste on trivial pursuits!

turquoisemoon said...

Very true... Luv your stamps!

unikorna said...

What a lovely post...you are always so sweet and optimist...I shall visit you more often hoping to steal a bit of your good energy :).

Sherri B. said...

Such wise words...your butterfly and stamps are so pretty!! Please keep on sharing your beautiful work. :)

ArtSings1946 said...

Oh, I love the quote and also, of course your art. I find it painful to be around most people nowadays. So I stay in as much as I can.

Love Always,
Jan

Jeanie said...

Your pretty stamps are so beautiful! I have to say this is something I've always wanted to try, and keep trying to find the time to do that and so much more! Enchanting!

rebecca said...

dear ana,
i remember the first time i read the little prince, those words live on in everyone who has shared that precious book.
precious.
life.
now.
this moment.
i want to invite you to a sacred gathering every sunday in october, the art of remembering.
it is just that simple.
we share a snippet of memory honoring a loved one now gone.
simple and touching gives way to greatly profound.
each story shared allows all the differences of life to fall away like so many leaves of autumn.
suddenly
simply
we are one in love.
xoxoxoxxo

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

I hope you enjoy a few days off, too. It will help you get energized! Sweet hugs!

Anonymous said...

Amen sista!!
Oh - how I can relate.
And...such adorable stamps and beautiful butterfly pic
:)
peace

S said...

That is one of the major reasons why I am happy at home doing things I love, for me success/non-success at job is not related to happiness/contentment and that's why men in modern society who have wealth and success are far from being content.

Tammie Lee said...

thank you for sharing your lovely thoughts on what is important.

your stamps and butterfly i find to be charming ~

Christine said...

lovely post, stamps and adorable butterfly!

wandamarie.blogspot.com said...

YES, what a great saying! and how BEAUTIFUL your work. just love your stamps!

Sara Lucinda Bell said...

It's so true, and so strange to see people--grown adults--behaving the same way they did as children, only slightly evolved. That whole mine-mine-mine-I'm-the-best attitude never goes away for some people, just changes.
I'm very intrigued by your talent! I can barely whittle a hot dog roasting stick, let alone carve out beautiful stamps!

Victoria said...

I love your butterfly and stamps!
Thanks for commenting on my blog, the retreat was wonderful.

tinajo said...

Pretty stamps! :-)

Anonymous said...

XO

Jess said...

beautiful ... love that!

Inna said...

Lovely.
I've been wanting a few days totally off, just to do the things that are important to me ... reading, writing, journaling, blogging, hanging out with my closest friends, etc.
Enjoy your free time!

Ariel said...

Yes, for me time is the most precious thing.I try to prioritize a lot now.
Your butterfly painting is so cheerful to look at and way to go with your carving Ana
Susan

The Dancing Crone said...

I love the butterfly! It looks very powerful. I used ton use the textured paper myself - especially for pen and ink. I have found that it doesn't work as well for me with the oil pastel technique i use. Which is toooooo bad because I just bought 5 sheets :(. did you make the stamps? They are absolutely charming!!

An'Angelia Thompson said...

The truly important things are indeed invisible to the eye. Thanks for the reminder. Your stamps are absolutely yummy :o) ♥

Kilika*Hechoamano said...

I'm keen on Le Petit Prince, big trues in a litle book. Your stamps are lovely.

Shaharoh said...

Beautiful postcard and stamps. I wish days off were more and working days were less. My mind struggles with my heart constantly but every now and then, they are in sync and the result is magnificent. xoxo!

Unknown said...

I love stamps too.

alteredstatesstudio said...

it is incredible isn't it? i manage a small group of non-licensed people, and i am amazed at the trivial things they want to get caught up in....emotional tolling to keep this group in line sometimes. i love your new babies!! my favorite is the blue flower grouping.