I often use the analogy of my life being like a book. We are always writing new pages in our books. And sometimes one chapter ends and another begins. I like this analogy, but its also rather limiting. If typical life changes are chapters, then what are major life changes? Are they new books? That doesn’t feel right. Books typically flow in a single orderly progression. Life is often not like that at all.
Yesterday I found a better analogy while listening to Oprah Winfrey’s “What I Know for Sure”. Life is like a painting we are creating on our own canvas! It starts out blank and can be painted in any way we choose – there is nothing inherently orderly about it.
We may use one color for a while, and then switch to a different color. Sometimes we paint in one area for a while, and sometimes in another. Sometimes we paint concrete images, and sometimes its abstract art. Sometimes we paint over existing paint, and sometimes we throw paint on the canvas. Sometimes we don’t paint anything at all. And in all cases, beauty is in the eye of the beholder!
I really like this analogy. I am painting on my very own canvas in my own unique and creative style. And its going to be a one-of-a-kind masterpiece!
The Spiritual Atheist 