Reflection: In painting, there’s a guiding principle loosely referred to as “A lot of this and a little of that.”

The concept in the art world is that all one thing can be boring, and that even equal measures of two separate elements may not be that engaging. To create a work of art with a more satisfying sensibility you need a ratio of elements that is often less than equal.

For example, a great work of art may feature:  a lot of warm color and a little bit of cool, a lot of light values and a little bit of dark, a lot of sharp edges and a little bit of softness.

Here’s how the principle could be applied outside the world of art to create a more satisfying balance in our everyday lives:

• If you find yourself swamped by a whole lot of work, even adding a little bit of play can shift the experience in a more satisfying direction.
• If your diet has you filling up on a ton of veggies, even adding an ounce of chocolate can sweeten the scene.
• If you’re heavily involved in other-care (whether children or elders) planning a personal ‘just for you’ adventure could improve your outlook.
• If you find yourself wholly office bound (suffering from filing cabinet fever), a coffee elsewhere with a client or colleague could lift your spirits just a little.

Action: What are you experiencing a lot of in your world these days?

What is one little change you could make that would counterbalance your present lot in life?

Try one small thing this week and see how it improves the overall picture.

Quote Of The Week:

“Life is a work of art.” – Quote that appears on my RBC cheques

Resource Of The Week: In this blog post, Todd Henry describes four ways he intends to Treat Life As Art.

Readers Write: In response to last week’s message, Umbrage – Take It Or Leave It, Pause reader WG writes: This sounds a lot like my approach to dealing with some difficult people – “Don’t take delivery!” This is how I remind myself not take ownership of problems that don’t belong to me.