The Pig Vs. Picasso- lessons for taking a leap of faith

I’m not a pack rat.  Unless you define a pack rat as someone who’s always packing up items to bring to the local thrift store.

And although I declutter every season, I tend to hold onto things that have great meaning to me.  So if you come to visit you’ll see a stuffed guinea pig named Gordon, Winnie the Pooh books published in the 1950’s, a cow cookie jar that was a gift from my dad, and two unique pieces of art work.

One is Michael Sowa’s Diving Pig and the other, a signed lithograph by Picasso, Dance of Peace.

These two pieces have great personal meaning to me, and they hang right next to each other in my home.

I live with a revolving door.  Everyone’s always welcome, and my home is constantly filled with laughing teenagers, dear friends, neighbors, family, and coaching clients.  I thrive when I can brew tea and sit down at my kitchen table for a good chat.

Invariably, people look around and their gaze always lingers. 

“Wow- I love that.”

“I can’t believe you have that hanging in your home.”

“It makes me so happy when I see it.”

“Where did you find it?”

I always smile because everyone is fascinated with the Pig.

In the seven years I’ve displayed the Picasso, no one has uttered a peep.

It’s all about the Pig.

I was thinking about this yesterday as Perri and crunched down our path, the leaves beneath our feet.  Why the Pig?  What is it about the Pig that draws everyone in?

I believe it’s because we all relate to the Pig.

In the picture, the Pig is fully committed to her fate.  She’s diving off a dock – airborne, ears back, eyes focused ahead, hooves straight out.

What is she thinking in this moment?  Is she wondering if she can fly? Or swim? Does she worry about doing a belly flop or does she know she can pig-paddle her way to her destination?

We all want to make the leap of faith.

We want to believe that if we jump, our life will appear, and all will go as we dreamed.

We want to feel the freedom of flying, even for just one moment.

We want to be limitless.

All these emotions and desires stirred up because of one Pig.

The Picasso is beautiful, but we just can’t relate to the creativity or genius of the man.  However, that Pig?  We can appreciate her determination and maybe envy her choice to fly a little.

So where am I going with this?

The next time your faced with a decision where your options are to stay safe and stuck or to believe and soar- channel your inner Pig.  She’s smart enough to know that just by deciding to leap, her life will shift in ways that she never dreamed of.  Yes- she may sink at first, but then she’ll discover how to swim.  Or she’ll hit the water and just take off on an adventure of her making.  Regardless, she has that moment of freedom as she’s airborne- confident and committed.

I bought the print because I was drawn to the Pig, her belief that against all odds she could fly. I admire her faith, her confidence, and her grace.

When asked about the print, I always respond the same, “Don’t you want to be the Pig.”

And every time, the answer is yes.