To continue on the subject of Wabi Sabi and the gold to fix cracks, I wanted to also share this video with you: Everyone is an artist – Jessica Wachter – TEDxDes Moines 2013.
I met Jessica Wachter on my job as a tour guide, she was one of the tourists who wanted to visit Neuschwanstein Castle with us. We did our job as usual and I really enjoyed having Jessica and her family on our tour. Jessica gave me her card at the end of the day and told me that she is an artist and her latest project was all about how everybody is an artist. As she also mentions in the video, an artist is ‘anyone who has the courage to come to the canvas of life and expose his or her gifts, his or her gold’ So she saw us as tourguiding artists. We are the tour guides of the second bike tour in Europe she mentions in the TEDtalk.
It is wonderful to hear from one of our guests how they experienced our tour, and especially if they have such a way with words that even make me stop and think: ‘Yes, I guess I am an artist’. I am having fun while doing my job. I make sure everything goes smoothly, no bumps in the road. I do my best to let people have a wonderful, even magical time when they visit the world famous castle.
As Jessica says: ‘We learn to overcome challenges by making adjustments, by remaining positive, by having fun, by focusing on our talents and the skills we excel at.’ Don’t focus on the things you can’t do or can’t be, but on the things you can do and can be. I may not be great at painting or singing, but I do my best with what I can do: making sure people have a great time visiting Neuschwanstein.
There are so many things that you can excel at, things that you can be an artist in. Be compassionate, care, love, have passion, live your life fully, do what makes you happy. Wabi Sabi, the beauty of imperfection, you don’t have to be perfect to have gold within you. Let the gold shine through the cracks. Be the artist that you are, show your gold within.
What is your gold?
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