How can I bring life to bloom?
The subjects of the Art of Life do not mainly concentrate on the highlights of life, they are more focussed on the tiny details in everyday life.
Every moment and all situations of life can be created and designed by us in the hands of the loving God.
Naturally it is alright to make plans, proposals and concepts. To prepare oneself as much as possible for each moment of life is also correct. But each moment is still unique and unforeseeable. The Art of Life means to bring together this uniqueness with our preparation and conditions and with beauty as the splendour of God’s Glory. This has to take place as a process of improvisation.
The Art of Life is a concept with many definitions, usually coming from the field of philosophy and life-development. The German term “Lebenskunst” is on one hand dominated by the writings of the philosopher Wilhelm Schmid and on other hand is used in advertising for different websites of artists and counsellors. In the English speaking world it seems that "Art of Life“ is still a relatively new term.
The term “art of survival” seems more established, but contrary to the Art of Life the main aim is that the individual can survive in a strange situation while Art of Life intends to bring beauty into the events of life, both for myself and for other people.
Of course there are not only Art-of-Life-events there is also a general lifestyle of Art of Life. (But a lifestyle starts with single events and expresses itself through these events.) This lifestyle of Art of Life can be characterised by good coping strategies for stress and sorrows, by a value orientated life with simplicity, love for goodness and truth on one hand and by thankfulness and sereneness on other hand, supported through the peace of God including his victory over sin, suffering, pain and death.
The starting point for my understanding of the Art of Life is the observation that the main three elements in the thinking in western history and also church history are Beauty, Goodness and Truth. In much of the world life is dominated by the beauty in culture, but in the Christian Church, especially the protestant churches, the people have lost a vision for beauty as being of spiritual importance. It was Urs von Balthasar who developed a new understanding of beauty as the splendour of the Glory of God.
I believe that each moment of life is held by the word of God and I have the hope that all these moments can be transformed in the splendour of His Glory. This is amazing for us, and should fill all of our lives with enjoyment and thankfulness.
The practice of the Art of Life is not a technique, it is more a process of improvisation.
The process of improvisation is supported by inspiration through others, and of course through the Holy Spirit as well. Creativity is necessary, to know that there are always more solutions than only one. The challenge in the Art of Life is at least to be ready to broaden our horizons - culturally, globally, historically and biographically in profoundness and extensiveness. And don't forget that Humour is always helpful.
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Take one, two or more of the following 12 Keys for Living life as Art as a source of inspiration for your Art-of-Life-Event:
12 Keys for Living life as Art
(Click the key for a further explanation)
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