Passion and Courage

These two words, "passion" and "courage", are singing in my heart today. Someone very close to me recently shared them with me as a mantra to live by, and I have been reflecting on them ever since. 

The image above, taken at the Chihuly exhibit at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts last September, also speaks to me of passion and courage. The colours are vivid and the shapes are large; in fact, many of the shapes are so large that one person cannot shape them alone.

I think Chihuly is a living example of passion and courage; despite—or perhaps even because of—physical obstacles affecting his sight and strength, he has pioneered a new method of working with glass; members of his studio have had to collaborate to produce these massive and impressive glass sculptures through a shared vision. The sheer size of some of the pieces could only have been achieved by exploring new ways of thinking and working with glass to create something unique. 

What does it mean to live life with passion and courage? Courage means stepping out in faith, despite our fears. It means allowing ourselves to risk in order to follow a dream. It means believing that the path we choose will eventually bring us through the challenges we are facing to a place of peace and great beauty. It is a reminder of our innate ability to keep moving onward through the unknown (even when we doubt) as well as a willingness to trust and follow our inner voice. Passion is meant to be shared; it's important to remember that we don't have to face our challenges alone... we can explore together and achieve something magnificent, something unique that will delight and inspire.

Words to live by, indeed.