Many of you know that I like traveling, camping and Photography but, what you don’t know is why I do the things I do. So I want to take this time and share “Why I Do, What I Do”.
Growing up I always wanted to travel to far away and exotic places. But like most of us, life gets in the way. We Pick a career that will make us money, not necessarily one that will bring us joy and happiness. We learn to like what we do and accept the outcome as part of growing up.
Like most people, there are days when we dread going to work and there are some days when we can’t wait to get there. We see our fellow co-worker and friends getting promotions and even taking their careers to the next level. And like most, we sit and wonder when is it going to be my turn. When do I get my brake?
After pursuing a career and chasing dreams, I realized that none of these things I was doing was what I wanted to do. I was doing what I thought others expected of me and what I thought felt safe. But none of it really brought me any joy. I was just existing not living. Sure I would steal an occasional blissful moment out of life, but after it was over, it was back to my reality.
I started taking road trips across country in search of something that would bring me joy, “PHOTOGRAPHY”. It was a very liberating feeling.
But because of the way we have been trained to think, all I could think about was how to make money doing it. So like every other photographer starting out, I opened a studio and offered my services to the public and once again I found myself in the same position as with my previous career, bored and not feeling self-fulfilled, forgetting about the reason why I started taking pictures, it brought me joy and, I wanted to share that experience with others.
Sometimes you just have to let go and enjoy what you do. I started looking at my images from a different view. Did I capture what I saw but; more importantly did I portray it in a way that others would see what I saw. And, does it excite them or want them to see this image up close and in person. When you enjoy what you do, others will enjoy it too. And they are willing to pay you for it. It reminds me of an old saying; “What you put into it, is what you get out of it”.
The joy of taking pictures also brought me to another realization, I really enjoyed traveling; seeing different places experiencing new people. It introduced me to a much broader world. So at that moment I found something else I wanted to do, travel and take pictures. As usual, I started thinking about how I was going to make money out of it.
Habits are a hard thing to brake and developing new ones can even be harder. It’s like standing on a corner waiting for the light to turn green so you can cross. But we become impatient and continue walking on the same side of the street we were trying to cross. Always; wondering what would have happened if we had just waited for the light to turn green. Life is a process and it never skips steps. Every step is built upon the previous one laid down. And the future pavers and determined on where you place your next step. Your foundation is determined by how sure-footed you are in your current footprint.
When I had my epiphany, just do it. Make it a full-time journey. You can read one of my previous post (The Awakening Part II) when I received that Ah-ha moment. I rather look back at the things I have done, then live with the regret of not doing what I wanted to do because of fear or what others may think of me.
Conquering one’s fears can be a difficult task, I have had many. Fear of being in the woods alone was a major concern for me. But watching and listening to people who camp, dry camp and RV you learn a lot. And you learn ways of not putting yourself in harm’s way. And as you master those fears you move on to the next step.
Had I not gone through this process, I would never have had the joy of experiencing sitting in silence and hearing my voice. I had forgotten what it sounded like. Truly peace is something that comes from within, no one can give it to you or take it away from you.
This has been a process for me, So for those of you who want to break free from those chains of bondage, Like “NIKE” say “Just Do It”. There is never going to be a perfect time. Its a process like everything else in life. You work at it and refine it as you go along. The key is to embrace the process and enjoy the journey.
I hope this has brought someone out there the courage to follow your dream and do what makes you happy. Stop thinking about your dream and start “Living Your Dream”.
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Living My Dream 