UNLEARNING THE FEAR OF CHANGE
I thought resilience was an innate trait, something you were either born with or not. Now, I know that the 'bring it on' attitude is a learned behavior that anyone can master
Can you believe half the year has already flown by? How are you holding? My brain is asking for a vacation -or at least more than 5 hrs. of sound sleep! 😴– Work, home, people… some days I feel like life is playing Whack-a-Mole with my sanity. We’ve been trained to dread obstacles as if they’re the boogeymen under our bed. Stress, anxiety, frustration? Yep, welcome to the party. Plot twist alert: resilience is a skill anyone can learn and polish over time. Like Batman.
What stands in the way becomes the way
Every day demands are high, and more and more people are finding it hard to adequately fulfill their roles, and even more, when you are trying to work on your dreams, or have some personal time. The day is over, and you didn’t even have time to think, always ready for challenges.
In any situation, you can choose to see obstacles as they are, find a silver lining, and charge ahead like you’re auditioning for a superhero role. Some people can turn disasters into opportunities like MacGyver building a hand glider with a paperclip and a napkin. Me…I make amazing sandwiches 🙂 -Seriously, they are amazing-
My crash course in grit began post-high school. Surviving a totalitarian regime in Argentina, moving to a foreign country with little cash, and starting from scratch—fun times, right? The urge to quit was strong, but I stuck it out. I worked by day, hit the books by night, and honed my talents. Sure, I often fell flat on my face, but I didn’t give up.
Surviving a totalitarian regime...
My lesson in developing grit started shortly after I left high school. Surviving a totalitarian and chauvinist regime in Argentina, coming to a foreign country with no money, and starting from scratch to build a life was, without a doubt, the most trying time of my life. The temptation to quit was strong, but I forced myself to endure. I resolved to embrace who I was, develop my talents, work during the day, and attend university courses by night. It wasn’t easy, and I often fell short of my own expectations, but I didn’t give up. I practiced self-control and managed to stick it out long enough to gain skills that would serve me well in the future. When I left, I was barely able to speak English and had no college degree.
Spoiler alert: You are the secret to your own success
Eventually, I gained skills and became an artist, entrepreneur, and writer. My paintings were featured at multiple sold-out shows including Art Basel Miami and several exhibits and shows across the USA. Also co-founded a few multimillion-dollar businesses, and have the most amazing 8-year-old who drives me lovingly mad! To nurture grit, you need an outrageous will to thrive, and sometimes like Kenny…“You’ve got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em”
Will you fail? Definitely. Will it be a cakewalk? Ha! The best you can do is keep going. Challenges are part of the roadmap to wonderful things. Whether we follow that map is up to us. There’s no magic formula for success—just the guts to face struggles, the knack for finding joy in small things, and the stubbornness to keep moving forward.
Spoiler alert: You are the secret to your own success.
And that is what I explore through my art, the chance to find the extraordinary, the humor, and the inspiration to live an out-of-the-ordinary life. Each of my paintings has a voice and a story. The colors, wonder, and humor in my work create a unique atmosphere of happiness and expression. Each show is a celebration of connection, that’s why we say people “adopted” one of our misfits when they get one of my paintings.
Thank you for reading a bit of my story (there’s still so much to tell you) For now, I hope my art inspires joy, curiosity, and a sense of discovery to live the best version of your life!
