monk

your mind starts to filter out the unimportant and focus only on the important."

"To tell you the truth, I think it's about time I discovered my purpose," I said. "Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of great things in my life. But it isn't as rewarding as I think it could be. If I left this world today, I really can't say for sure that I've made that big a difference."

"How does that make you feel?"

"Depressed," I offered with total honesty. "I know I have talent. Actually, I was one heck of a good artist when I was younger. That was until the legal profession beckoned with the promise of a more stable life."

"Do you ever wish you had made painting your profession?"

"I really haven't given it much thought. But I will say one thing. When I painted I was in Heaven."

"It really fired you up, didn't it?"

"Absolutely. I lost track of time when I was in the studio painting. I would get lost in the canvas. It was a real release for me. It was almost as if I transcended time and moved into another dimension."

"John, this is the power of concentrating your mind on a pursuit that you love. Goethe said that 'we are shaped and fashioned by what we love.' Maybe your Dharma is to brighten the world with lovely scenes. At least start spending a little time painting every day."

"How about applying this philosophy to things less esoteric than changing my life?" I asked with a grin.

"This should be good." Julian replied. "Like what?"

"Let's say one of my aims, although a minor one, was to drop the spare tire I am carrying around my waist. Where would I start?"