Pablo Picasso was a painter, printmaker, ceramicist and theater designer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. As I have read about him, I’ve come to see that he was as wise as he was talented.
Covid Disconnection
We are attempting to cope with the Covid pandemic in many ways. We socially distance, we try to maintain structure and routine in our daily lives and we exercise. And, of course, we stay connected via phone, email or Zoom. I have been struck, though, that with all this 24/7 verbiage about Covid, we are often saying very little to each other that is truly helpful. All this “connection” doesn’t, actually, seem to lead us to feeling more connected.
The Gift of Ourselves
Let us acknowledge that we are feeling powerless, helpless, sad and angry. When we talk about Covid we might say “this is scary.” Understandable. But it’s quite a different thing if we were to say “I feel scared” or to ask another, “are you scared?” When we utter these latter words, we are opening ourselves up in a human way and expressing compassion and empathy. “This is scary” does neither. We all crave comfort and security in these Covid-saturated times and being on the receiving end of empathic emotional intimacy and tenderness is salve for our souls. When we show our true selves and when we ask others to do so, we are, in essence, giving away a precious gift. The gift of ourselves. It’s ironic that the more we give, the better we feel. Genuine giving isn’t depleting, it is repleting. It is exactly what we need right now. It’s no wonder that our dedicated and giving healthcare workers are as revered as they are.
Give your Gifts Away
Pablo Picasso’s life purpose was one rooted in generosity and decency. He understood that no one becomes poor by giving. Quite the opposite. So if you wish to feel less scared, less helpless and less powerless these days, give the most precious gifts of yourself away. If you have compassion and kindness within you, give it away. Give it frequently, give it generously, give it freely and give it abundantly. If you do, like Picasso, you can paint a canvas where you will make those around you feel so much better and you will feel at least as good as they do.