All or Nothing isn't Always the Choice.

(my new little David Loren Bass oil)

I spent the weekend, a couple of weekends ago, at Chinati Hot Springs,where I met artist David Loren Bass. I liked his work and decided to purchase one of his landscapes of our area that really spoke to me. It wasn't quite finished so we were going to talk later. After I got back to town I realized how foolish it would be for me to spend that much money right now. I called him and regretfully cancelled the sale.

A couple of days later it came to me that my choice didn't have to be all or nothing. It wasn't that painting or no painting. There might perhaps be some middle ground. I contacted Bass and arranged to go and have another look at his work. After much deliberation I chose a small oil on paper.

A few years ago, when I first opened my ING account, I left some money in my local savings, just to keep it active, and then basically forgot about it. When I got home from purchasing the painting I received my quarterly statement for that account and, what do you know, it held just twenty-five dollars more than the cost of the painting! It made me feel like I'd gotten the painting for free. I know I could have been truly dedicated and focused and continued to hold that money or use it to pay for something "important". But I didn't. Once I let go of thinking I had to have that larger painting or do without, the universe presented a way to have something else, just as good!

Sometimes it's a good idea to take a step back and come at our choices from a different angle. The answers may not be as black and white as they first seem.