La Dolce Vita: The Sweetness We Keep Chasing
We live in a world that constantly tells us more is better.
More success.
More productivity.
More followers.
More hustle.
We're told that if we just work a little harder, build a little bigger, achieve one more goal, then we'll finally arrive at the life we've been longing for.
A few days ago, after a restless night's sleep, I unexpectedly drifted off again in the middle of the afternoon. As I slowly woke, one phrase floated into my mind:
La dolce vita.
The sweet life.
For years, I thought the sweet life was something you earned after enough hard work.
But what if it's something God invites us to receive today?
It reminded me of the old story about the businessman who meets a fisherman resting beside his boat. Curious, the businessman asks why he isn't out catching more fish.
The fisherman explains that he has already caught enough for the day.
The businessman eagerly lays out a plan. Catch more fish. Buy a bigger boat. Build a fleet. Expand the business. Become wealthy. Retire early.
Finally, the fisherman asks, "And then what?"
"Then," the businessman replies, "you can spend your days sitting by the water, enjoying your family, taking naps, and living a peaceful life."
The fisherman smiles.
"I'm already doing that."
The story isn't really about ambition. There's nothing wrong with working hard or pursuing meaningful dreams. God calls many of us to build, create, and steward the gifts He's given us.
The question is whether we're postponing joy until someday.
As artists—and really, as people—we can quietly begin believing that our peace lives just beyond the next milestone.
When I sell enough paintings.
When my business finally takes off.
When I have more security.
When life settles down.
But Jesus never invited us to postpone abundant life.
He invited us into it now.
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." John 10:10 (ESV)
The sweetest life isn't found in accomplishing everything on our list.
It's found in noticing.
In lingering over a cup of tea before it grows cold.
In hearing the birds outside your window.
In painting without rushing.
In taking a walk.
In laughing with someone you love.
In sitting quietly with your Bible open, allowing God's presence to steady your heart.
It's found in recognizing His fingerprints in the ordinary moments we usually hurry past.
This year, God has been gently teaching me that I'm not building this business alone. Abba and I are building it together and that changes everything.
It means I don't have to carry the weight by myself, force doors open or grip so tightly. I can work faithfully while remaining deeply at rest, trusting that He is responsible for the harvest while I simply remain faithful to the work He's placed before me.
Perhaps that's what la dolce vita really is.
Not escaping responsibility.
Not giving up on our dreams.
But discovering the sweetness of God's presence woven into the ordinary moments we usually rush past.
Because maybe the life we're striving so hard to create is the very life He's inviting us to notice today.
As I finished my newest painting, Abundance, I realized it wasn't just a still life of overflowing fruit.
It had quietly become a reminder of everything God has been teaching me.
True abundance isn't found in striving for more. It's found in recognizing the goodness that's already been placed in our hands. It's found in slowing down long enough to notice His provision, His beauty, His faithfulness, and His presence woven through the ordinary moments of our lives.
Perhaps that's the sweetest life after all.
Not a life without work, but a life where our work flows from peace instead of pressure.
A life where we're no longer chasing abundance because we've discovered that, in Christ, we've already been invited to faithfully live from it.
My prayer is that this painting, and this season, will remind us to keep returning to that truth.
To breathe deeply.
To pay attention.
And to receive the sweet life God has been offering all along.
A Gentle Invitation
If this reflection resonated with your heart, Abundance is now available as a fine art print.
My hope is that every time you pass by it, you'll be reminded to slow down, breathe deeply, and notice the goodness God has already placed in your hands.
The original painting is currently drying and will be released soon, but fine art prints are now available in my shop.