Have you ever notice that your life has become bland? Colorless? Drab? You just don’t seem to see bright colors? Or you don’t use them?
Maybe you haven’t notice…
I didn’t realize the colors in my life…indeed, my life…had become “muted” until last week while I was in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, for a conference. There the colors are nothing less than vibrant.
In fact, my home has a living room filled with colorful furniture—blue, pink, yellow, and green surrounding a multi-colored Persian carpet that sits on Saltillo tiles. Yet, the colors are pastels. I tend to wear bright colors…maybe in an attempt to brighten my life.
In Mexico, everywhere I saw a colorful feast for the eyes. No muted colors anywhere. I saw dolls, yarn, clothes, foods–all more colorful than anything I see in the United States. This made me wonder what this color range does for the people who live there. Does it brighten their days? Does it make them happier? Or have they become immune to the colors? Was I so taken by the colors because I don’t see them every day? Is it just me who feels I have less color in my life–or don’t see it?
Colors have an energy and
a meaning. Purple is seen as spiritual, for example. (No wonder the Pope wears it.)Blue is the color of trust and peace. Red is the color of passion and anger, but we also think “stop” (like the stop sign) when we see it.
You have to wonder if having bright, cheery colors around on a regular basis might make our days and our spirits brighter and cheerier, if it wouldn’t make our world and our lives less drab and muted. I surely would love to wake up to a multi-colored extravag
anza every day. I think it would start my day off differently. But would I eventually not notice? Or would the colors affect my psyche anyway?
It’s no wonder we are so attracted to the cities around the world that feature lovely painted houses in all the colors of the rainbow…I came home from Mexico thinking about painting my home bright yellow or blue rather than the green that helps it blend into the trees that surround it. I want to replace my white kitchen plates with colorful ones instead. And I wanted to throw away my black clothing.
Color gives our eyes a celebration, but it takes our hearts and souls to the party as well. How often do you use color to raise your energy and your spirit? I know I’ll be using it more often after my trip to Mexico.
