On the Magnificence and Wholeness of Our Masterpiece

by Belinda Munoz on January 3, 2011

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It’s a new year once again. Like many, I’m compelled to imagine a clean slate, awaiting colorful splashes of comfort zone-pushing adventures, boundary-testing experiences, realized dreams and hell, even a sprinkling of wild, magical fantasy-come-true, with each passing day, all of my own creation. It’s a seductive visual and it almost has me channeling my inner Picasso.

And yet I also know that the new year can be seen as just another day in the Gregorian calendar; part of a continuum representing a past that is rich, informing who and how we’re becoming regardless of how much we’d like to remember — or forget.

We literally leave the past behind. Yes. But every now and then, it leaves a mark with us. After all, we are impressionable beings with keen sensibilities — constantly feeling, knowing, interpreting, integrating — that make us the endlessly fascinating species that we are.

That mark? Sometimes, it can take center stage. It’s not a problem if the mark is desirable, like a good reputation established from long ago.

But if it’s an unwanted mark like a coffee sneeze stain or melted dark chocolate slick on an otherwise immaculate water color painting? That stain, no matter how small, has a way of stealing attention from that beautiful masterpiece, threatening to depreciate its value, its magnificence, its wholeness.

This new year:

May we move closer to loving our wholeness, stains and all.
May we grow comfortable in our magnificence.
May we recognize that the life we each live is already a masterpiece.
May we make room for all the joy and love that’s meant to be ours.

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Image by DailyPic

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{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Positively Present January 3, 2011 at 3:57 am

Beautiful post, Belinda. I really loved it and it left me feeling very inspired for the New Year! I’ve been working really hard on recreating the look of my site, positivelypresent.com, and it feels really great to recognize that, even though I’m launching something new, the life I’m living is already a masterpiece. Thanks for the inspiration!

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2 Belinda January 4, 2011 at 2:58 pm

Thanks, Dani! Love the re-design.

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3 TheKitchenWitch January 3, 2011 at 7:27 am

Happy New Year! May this year be free of coffee sneeze stains! :)

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4 Belinda January 4, 2011 at 2:58 pm

I’ll drink to that.

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5 ayala January 3, 2011 at 9:55 am

Lovely post! Happy New Year to you and yours!

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6 Belinda January 4, 2011 at 2:58 pm

And you, too!

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7 Rudri January 3, 2011 at 10:05 am

Happy New Year Belinda! Glad you are back. Love the metaphor.

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8 Christine January 3, 2011 at 10:35 am

How I’ve missed your wisdom, the simplicity with which you show us that the everyday is spectacular. I’m looking for that wholeness, and hope to find ways to full embrace it. Thanks for this perspective!

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9 Belinda January 4, 2011 at 3:00 pm

Thanks, Christine. It’s good to share the journey to appreciating wholeness with you.

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10 Cathy January 3, 2011 at 2:12 pm

Nice to see you back. It’s the stain that gives character – may yours always be pleasing. Happy New Year.

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11 Belinda January 4, 2011 at 3:00 pm

Thanks, Cathy. And yours, too.

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12 BigLittleWolf January 3, 2011 at 7:54 pm

Lovely sentiments to start the new year. And good to read you again!

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13 Belinda January 4, 2011 at 3:01 pm

Thanks, BLW. It feels good to plug back in.

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14 rob white January 4, 2011 at 1:22 pm

Wonderful words, Belinda. Viewing our inevitable “stains” as stepping stones for growth is a vital step in realizing our highest nature.

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15 Belinda January 4, 2011 at 3:01 pm

Cheers to our inevitable stains, Rob.

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16 Marci January 5, 2011 at 8:21 am

I want to clink your glass and cheer with you, as we appreciate our stains and love our masterpieces :)

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17 Belinda January 6, 2011 at 12:42 pm

Cheers!

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18 Aidan Donnelley Rowley @ Ivy League Insecurities January 5, 2011 at 11:18 am

A beautiful post to kick off the new year. I think it is the stains that make us who we are and we should embrace them. After all, they are part of the masterpiece we already are. Thanks for the art and inspiration here :)

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19 Belinda January 6, 2011 at 12:43 pm

Thanks, Aidan. Good to see you here.

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20 Sara Healy January 5, 2011 at 12:44 pm

Belinda,

Thanks for this gentle reminder of how to approach the New Year. It’s come at a good time, as I’m in process of paying bills. Your wisdom has just made drop my shoulders which were almost my head in tension. I loved this line, “May we move closer to loving our wholeness, stains and all.” That’s a good resolution for ME.

Welcome back from your holidays. I look forward to visiting this site often and getting soothing reminders for living my life:~)

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21 Belinda January 6, 2011 at 12:41 pm

Thanks, Sara. Can’t wait to get my calendar in the mail!

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22 Tess The Bold Life January 5, 2011 at 5:14 pm

This is absolutely beautiful! Happy New Year.

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23 Belinda January 6, 2011 at 12:41 pm

Thanks, Tess! And to you, too.

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24 Patty - Why Not Start Now? January 5, 2011 at 8:20 pm

Hear, hear, Belinda! Thank you for validating my coffee sneeze stains. I think you are the only person on earth who could do that. Here’s wishing you and your guys a happy new year. xox. p.s. did you hear Picasso is coming to the de Young?

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25 Belinda January 6, 2011 at 12:41 pm

Picasso in the city? Oh, I’m all over that! I find his work so intense. Let me know when you and Dave come to see it so I can say hello and give you a hug! xx

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