"What one does is what counts. Not what one had the intention of doing."

While on holidays last week, I was wandering around the Picasso Museum in Malaga (more so for the escape from the 40 degree heat outside than the culture of it). Picasso was born in Malaga but left when he was young (10). As his place of birth, the city have embraced this artist with a dedicated museum containing many of his pieces donated primarily by this grandchildren. Anyway, I'm digressing... As I wandered around the museum I found myself reading every plaque on the wall and making my own artistic judgments about each piece as I moved from room to room. 

My favourite piece was this one:

Naked with Cat - Picasso

Not because of *adjusts my glasses and sips espresso* 'the artist's provocative use of colours or the juxtaposition of the notions of sleeping and being wide awake at the same time' - but rather it reminded me of... me. Except I am not a lady nor do I have a cat. My reaction to most things in life is emotive. I tend to gravitate towards songs/art/images etc that strike an emotional chord with me. If something makes me smile, recollect a memory, makes me sad or reminds me of someone - that is when I connect with the arts regardless of its medium.

This painting made me smile as I looked at it as it made me think of my dog CJ. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love my little white fluffy dog. CJ takes up his nightly occupancy either on or beside me every night as he drifts off to sleep. He doesn't care how uncomfortable his bony paw sticking into my leg makes me feel as long as he is comfortable. I've often woken up in the morning almost diagonal in the bed and there is the little scut curled up in a ball in the place where I should have been sleeping.

Anyway, I have rambled off point yet again so back to the topic in hand. The museum was littered with quotes from and about Picasso. As I stood reading one of them (perhaps in a happy place after just experiencing that painting above), I read the following quote from Picasso which was painted on the wall:

"What one does is what counts. Not what one had the intention of doing"

This has stuck with me since reading it, so much so I went back and wrote down the quote so I would remember it. It has been bouncing around in my head since I visiting the museum last Sunday. While I believe hugely in the power of intention, Picasso (fair play to him) has a point. Intention is well and good but if the action is never carried through, what was the effective use of having the intention in the first place?

I cannot get this quote out of my mind... And for that reason Picasso has inspired me to do something... The Dublin Marathon! At lunch time yesterday (after my first morning back at work), I signed up for the Dublin Marathon this coming October. 

My overall intention is to be healthier, fitter and stronger. This, which will be my first Marathon, is an action I can take to bring me even closer making my intention a reality. I can't believe how far I've come in the past year, I've done so much more than I thought was even possible. So why not? Why not strive to complete a Marathon. It is honestly something I had never even considered for myself. Hell, I'd never considered a 5K as possible.

I'm figuring the jump from 21K to 42K can't be as "bad" as the jump from off the couch to 5K. Running is something I really enjoy - and while I am not running this to try qualify for the London/New York/Boston marathon, I am looking forward to running this for me. To push myself, not to my limit, but to raise my own bar which has already jet-rocketed from where it was last year. What one does is what counts...

... and what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!