Knowing When to Stop

Knowing When to Stop

I just burned another pot of beans. The crazy thing is that they were finished cooking when I added the salt & a few other seasonings. But instead of turning the burner off & just letting the seasonings marry in the pot, I left the heat on thinking that I would help the process along.  It might have been ok, but I left the room & forgot I was cooking the beans. This isn’t the first time I’ve burned food. I need to stay focused on what I’m doing & know when to stop.
The same thing happened to a painting this week. Though it’s not completely ruined like the beans are, I wish I had stopped sooner. I feel that this painting has lost some of its crispness, its edge.
I think it’s an important lesson to learn in life. Knowing when to stop is just as important as knowing when to take a risk & charge forward. Sometimes we stay in a relationship that isn’t good for us, way too long, & we end up burned (been there). Or we stay in a job that no longer inspires us & we lose our edge (done that too). It’s good to reevaluate life occasionally & just check to see where you are. Are you still embracing each day with the reckless abandon & joy of a child or are you dreading waking up? If the latter is true, it’s time to stop & seek a new path. That doesn’t always mean cutting ties, but sometimes it does… sometimes it means looking at the situation with new eyes, or seeking counsel. Remember, whatever situation you are in, you are never stuck. Never.
It is important to surround yourself with things that inspire you to live with passion. A meaningful painting on your wall could change your perspective & give you the extra push you need to know when to stop & when to press on. My website is www.MichalMadisonArt.net/galleries.html. If you see something you love, let me know, we’ll work out the details of making it yours. If you imagine something you’d love to have, but don’t see, & think I can create it, let me know, send me a message. I do commissions as well.
Staying on top of your game, staying fresh, vibrant, full of life has a lot to do with knowing when to stop.
Wishing you a day filled with magic & miracles
~Michal Madison

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