If you ask anyone who knows me well who I admire most, they’ll tell you in a heartbeat… I admire Bob Ross. Yes, the former military sergeant turned painting extraordinaire and public television host best known for his show The Joy of Painting. You’d be surprised at how much random trivia I know about Bob Ross. Go ahead, test me.
If you’ve ever watched an episode of Bob Ross’s show, you know exactly why I look up to him so much. If you haven’t… well, let me just say, you’re missing out. I’ll go ahead and break it down for those few unfortunate souls out there who don’t smile at the words “Titanium White”.
Bob Ross didn’t make a penny from the airing of his show, The Joy of Painting. He simply wanted to bring smiles to the faces of others. All of the episodes have even been uploaded to YouTube so us Gen X kids can enjoy his beautiful paintings and his positive words of encouragement as well, all for free. When his paintings were sold, he donated the money to charities and other causes. Most of this money went back into PBS to further fund his shows and others like it that brought enjoyment to people across America daily. That’s selflessness at its finest. We could learn from that kind of unselfish act. Now, of course, not all of us are talented enough to paint on national television everyday and reinvest that money back into our communities. However, I think this is a good example of how we should strive to live our lives. Money isn’t everything. Of course, you need money to live, but sometimes, it’s better to do something in service of others than do whatever will get you the biggest paycheck. Sometimes it really pays off to skip on the milkshake at Chick-fil-A so you can buy the man outside who’s homeless a nice, hot meal. Selfishness is one of the purest evils in the world, and any time we can do a good deed for someone else, we’re combating that, even if all we have to offer is a compliment, a smile, or a hug. These can go a long way. Don’t underestimate their power.
Bob Ross was the king of positivity. Just after his wife died, he spoke on his show about how dark times make you enjoy the good times more. Specifically, he said, “If you have light on light, you have nothing. If you have dark on dark, you basically have nothing. Just like in life. You got to have a little sadness once in a while, so you know when the good times come. I’m waiting on the good times now.” Even in such a dark moment in his own life, he still found a way to maintain an overall positive outlook and to share that with his viewers. Another of his famous quotes is, “We don’t make mistakes, only happy accidents” and this one is my personal favorite. Of course, taken literally, this quote is about painting, but he intended the quote to serve another meaning. In life, we do a lot of things that we regret. Some people like to call them mistakes, I prefer to call them happy accidents because from every single situation, no matter how bad, something good can come from it. The bad experiences are how we learn. They shape us into who we are. So, next time you find yourself dwelling on what you should have done differently, think about how different of a person you would be now had you not had that experience to learn from.
Bob Ross also teaches us the importance of checking up on others. Bob Ross read every single letter that was sent to him. He often considered what his fans were saying when recording his shows (like the time he painted in black and white to prove to a colorblind fan that he, too, could paint beautiful pictures). Bob kept up with his regular writers. If he hadn’t heard from one in a while, he’d write them or give them a call to check up on them and see how they were doing. This is phenomenal. This man cared so much about others that he found it important to check up on the well-being of people he had never met, yet sometimes we struggle to check up on our closest friends when we know they’re not doing well. When is the last time you called your mom? Why don’t you check up on that friend you haven’t seen in a while, they might need a little extra support today.
Bob Ross’s legacy was obviously painting, but he’s probably almost equally well-known for his love of the world around him. Bob Ross rescued and adopted a baby squirrel in need and loved it dearly. He was also known to speak to trees and spend countless hours watching animals scurry and play in his backyard. This is incredibly important. We spend so much time caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, that we rarely take time to stop and appreciate the beauty around us. God gave us a really pretty world to live in and explore, yet we’re so busy with our crazy lives that we barely notice it. We all need to learn from Bob and take a moment to sit on our front porch and watch the squirrels hop from tree to tree. We all need to show love and appreciation to all of the animals and plants and other beautiful things around us. Now, I’m not saying you have to go around naming trees and talking to them. Some people find that a little “crazy”, although every time I’ve tried it, it’s been pretty fun. I’m just saying that you need to take a second and stop whatever it is you’re doing. Your next task can wait thirty seconds, trust me. Take that time to look up at the sky and see what shapes you can find in the clouds. Take that time to listen to the sound of the wind blowing past your ears and take note of what the warm sunlight feels like across you skin. Real life can wait sometimes. You need a moment to get out of your headspace, and the beautiful world around you is a great place to escape to.
Bob Ross spent the first half of his life as a sergeant in the military. His job literally called for him to yell and people and be as mean as possible sometimes. He vowed to himself that when he left the military, he would never again raise his voice at anyone. Instead, he spent the second half of his life painting beautiful scenes on television for the world to enjoy, spreading happiness through his art and his positive words of wisdom, and appreciating all of the wonderful things in the world around him. Bob Ross was a beautiful soul but guess what… you are too. You are so wonderful and so loved. When life gets a little hard, take a few moments for yourself. Watch a Bob Ross video, if you want! It always helps me. Always know that you’re loved by God. Nothing is too much for Him. He loves you.
Lately I’ve been actively trying to lead more of a Bob Ross-esque kind of life. The things that it has done for my mental health has been phenomenal. You should give it a try, and I’d love for you to send me a message and let me know how it works for you. To end this in a very Bob Ross style, happy painting and God bless.
Complex World, Simple Mindset 