THE ART OF SEEING A SUNSET

Welcome back! Just got home last night from a wonderful trip to New York City and a 4th-of-July-get-away cruise with Queen Mary 2. Our trip/cruise was a belated celebration of our 38th wedding anniversary last June 12,2008. My husband and I embarked at New York City and then cruised to Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada), then to Boston, Massachusetts and back to NYC. This was a different cruise from the Hawaiian cruise we took during our 30th wedding anniversary. We missed the spectacular sunset. During cruising many tropical places, we always enjoyed the beauty of the sunset. I am re-posting my sunset blog. Many of my friends and viewers have seen it. For those who missed it, please enjoy. For those who have seen it before, enjoy again.

It is often said that that......"the best things in life is free." I often believed that quote.

Whenever I read about free stuffs, my eyes lightened up. I like to hear "Buy one, get one free" or "Free gift, for the first fifty customers, and many other promos. What "free" things come to my mind that money couldn't buy? For me, it's the spectacular sunset.

One time, I saw a nice "Family Circus" cartoon at the Los Angeles Times. The family was watching the sunset and the little boy asked his mom, "How much would it cost to see the sunset if God decided to charge for it?" I could only answer.......PRICELESS.

One of my passions in life is seeing a sunset wherever I am, at home or basking in Paradise. I have seen countless of spectacular sunsets during our travels but nothing melted my heart than the Hawaiian sunset. Today people are too caught up in the rush, noise, and confusion of demanding routines that it is not easy to see the beauty of the sunset before us.

Alexandra Stoddard, a famous interior designer said, "Few really know how to see and as a result are unaware of the majesty and beauty around them. But seeing can be learned, and those who learn to see well, the world becomes an entirely different place. Life is suddenly rich with promise full of light, color, texture and harmony." This is very true. We have to learn how to SEE. Just because we've been given eyesight doesn't mean we know how to use our eyes to look and really SEE.

Of all the artists I've grown to admire, the Impressionists speak to my heart most directly. The greatest gift of the Impressionists is that they taught me to look around the ordinary experiences of everyday life. In their passion for the beauty of nature, they open up a wider visions, enabling us to see nature and things more beautifully.

HOW TO SEE THE SUNSET THROUGH THE VIEWPOINT OF AN IMPRESSIONIST ARTIST? 1. WISH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS WERE HERE Wherever you are, STOP and SEE the SUNSET. Claude Monet, an impressionist artist painted water lily over and over again. He said, "I have never been bored with it. It is always different." So is seeing the sunset. You'll never get bored. It is always different every passing day.
2.FIND A ROMANTIC PLACE TO SEE THE SUNSET Don't just settle for an ordinary place. During our 25th anniversary (1996) we were privileged to stay in one of the twin towers at Hyatt Regency Resort in Waikiki. We had access to the Regency Club located on top of the tower. From there, we got a breathtaking view of Waikiki Beach, Diamond Head, and downtown Honolulu, that we had never seen before. From the rooftop, we saw the "most fascinating, interesting, and captivating sunset" in our whole lives.

3. BECOME A SUNSET ADMIRER AND SEE IT WITH YOUR LOVER From the Hyatt Regency rooftop, we saw this spectacular sunset. It was an overwhelming sight of the fading sunset in all it's glory. It was fascinating to see the kaleidoscopic changes in the sunset. The sunset will surely make your old flame blazing for a day, or a week, if not forever.
4. LOOK BEYOND ORDINARY COLORS Seek colors that are uplifting. Seeing vibrant and pulsating colors of the sunset will not only bring more joy and pleasure to everyday life but also transforms mere existence into the art of living.

5. SEE THE SUNSET THROUGH THE EYES OF VINCENT VAN GOGH He was my favorite impressionist artist. When I see the colorful sunset, I think of Van Gogh and began to feel that he was painting just for me. His paintings are windows into a sunny scenes and sunset, which make me alive. His vibrant yellow, a primary color has lots of wavelengths of energy and is a color you associate with cheerful sunset.
6. DON'T FORGET THAT REAL SEEING TAKES TIME AND CONTEMPLATION Watch the sunset everyday and stop what ever you're doing, to fully enjoy the sunset as it comes down to the horizon.

7. SEE THE SUNSET FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES A sunset from Maui (Hawaii) is not the same as a sunset in St. Maarten (Caribbean). Like many impressionists artists, they experimented with different colors. They are colorist - loving fresh, alive, clear colors. What a dull world this would be without colors? Imagine a world without color. A day without sunshine. And at the end of the day without a sunset.

8. WATCH THE SUNSET WITH YOUR GRAND KIDS DURING A LUAU Set aside time to have adventure and fun with your grand kids while they still want your companionship. It will also renew your souls, spirits and hearts and become like kids again.

9. TAKE A DIGITAL PHOTO OF THE SUNSET During the Impressionists era they didn't have a digital camera. They painted impressions as quickly as they saw them. Today, a digital camera can capture all the beauty and wonders of the sunset without spending days painting them. If you can't always see the sunset, you can look at your photo collections. Our spirits do not always soar. Sometimes even the noblest of spirits sinks into a despondent sea. When you get so low and desired escape from struggles, the photos of the sunset will be a divine inspiration that will help lift you up, soften your heart and open your mind.

10. FIND PLEASURES IN LITTLE THINGS LIKE THE IMPRESSIONISTS: Food that tastes delicious, friendship that is sincere, smile that is meant to cheer, a rainbow that is inspiring and a colorful sunset scene that is bursting with colors. Simple life is better.

11. TREAT YOURSELF TO A DELUXE BOX OF ACRYLIC PAINTS WITH ALL THE COLORS FOUND IN THE SUNSET Painting is a rewarding hobby even if you don't aspire to be a pro. Acrylics are more affordable than real oil paints. Create a painting on a real huge canvas with just dabbing and pointing like the Impressionists. Hang it where you'll see your "self-made-sunset" everyday. The bold colors will exalt you, elevate you and allow you to grow more creatively.

12. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT Don't be discouraged if you couldn't paint like Van Gogh. Even Van Gogh practiced, apprenticed and started with simple sketches before he became a great artist. He did it with practice, not magic. If you paint and practice a few minutes each day, you will reap tremendous benefits, over time.

13. AT THE END OF EACH DAY, LET GO AND REACH OUT So many of us hold grudges, resentments, and bitterness. The way to be happy is to forgive others for their imperfections and mistakes. They are only "human" and not perfect like a sunset. 14. KEEP ASKING YOURSELF, "WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT?" Take a few seconds to ask yourself this question. Is making more money important than taking the time to watch a sunset? Reminding yourself of what's really important helps keep your priorities straight. 15. SING "HOW GREAT THOU ART." Praise the Grand Designer (God) who created the sunset for us to enjoy. Who said that there is no such thing as free? This is a free show beyond comparison. God never made a stingy sunset. Look! What beautiful colors He put into the sunset! Chrome yellow, lemon, orange, saffron, peach, crimson, and and amber. The sun turns light peach, burnt orange, then maroon before it slips away. Tomorrow will be another day. A new day to start anew. A new painting to inspire others.

SADLY many people spend far more time watching reruns of television shows, they don't even enjoy. Instead, make time for seeing the wonders and beauty of nature like the sunrise, rainbow and sunset, that nurture the heart. I wish that you will use the precious minutes of your every day, living creatively. There are great things that you can do every day and every trip. The best is opening your eyes to see the spectacular sunset. I have been there, with my eyes open, and I desire that what my eyes have seen your eyes may also see.

"HAPPY SUNSET WATCHING!"