Follow your own path
I think one of the hardest things to do in life is to shut out that extra “noise” that is always present and learn what to keep and what to filter from all of the advice we are given on a daily basis. It’s something I have been trying to figure out my whole life and am still working on today, both in my business and personal life. I am realizing recently that I am letting those outside forces influence me too much, especially in my personal life, affecting how I feel in certain situations, and how I interact with myself and others. Days like today I wish I could clear everything else out of my head and just trust my heart, my instinct, and my gut feeling.
How do you find that line between taking advice from those you trust and love, and learning from other’s experience, and balance it with your own experience, what you feel, and what you know deep down to be true. Only I really know my own strength. (which I sometimes underestimate) Only I know my own heart and experience in each situation I find myself in. Take my business for example. When I left my job three years ago, the logical step in most people’s minds would have been to go out and get another full time job. To make sure there was financial security and to follow the “normal” path. Instead, with the encouragement of my family, and the knowledge that they supported me in anything I chose to do, I decided to go out on my own and start my own photography business. It was my passion, I had been told I was good at it, and I was tired of working ridiculous hours and being stressed out all the time so I could make money for someone else and be told it wasn’t good enough. When I told people that I was going to start my own business, I can’t even tell you how many of them said, “ooh that’s scary!” or “you’re so brave to do that.” or even “that’s a really competitive field, are you sure you want to do that?” Now let’s pause here. I realize that most of these people did not mean to try and discourage me, that none of them said what they said to be mean or discouraging (and probably were just reflecting their own fears onto me) but it was still said, and if I had a couple of dollars for all of the times I heard these phrases and more, (and still hear them) I wouldn’t have to worry about finances.
Now take a moment to imagine if I had listened to these naysayers, gone out and gotten a full time job without giving a second thought to my passion and dream to become a photographer. Sure, I might now have more money and less debt. I might have more stuff and less stress in some ways, but I would have missed out on this incredible journey I’ve been on for the last three years. I wouldn’t know the feeling of accomplishment I get when I look at my photography today knowing just how far it has come. I wouldn’t know the feeling of joy I get every time I pick up my camera to capture another happy, emotional moment for a family who trusts me to do just that. I never would have found Operation Love (www.oplove.org) and wouldn’t have known how absolutely amazing it feels to give back to military families by providing images that capture the incredible emotion, love and energy that comes when they see their loved ones after months apart. (for that matter I would have missed out on meeting a lot of amazing, strong people who I now call my friends)
If I had listened to all that extra “noise” when I decided to start my own business, I wouldn’t have been able to affect other’s lives with my photography. I wouldn’t have the ability and means to affect so many lives by pressing a shutter button at just the right moment in order to catch that photo that makes people cry happy tears when they see it. I wouldn’t have the ability to give people the same emotion and feelings when they look at my work that was present when I took that photo.
It is a gift that I am able to give to so many people and I am so very thankful to be able to give that gift. So thankful that I didn’t listen to all those telling me that I shouldn’t go outside of the box, that it was “scary.” So thankful that I followed my heart and passion, trusted my strength and talent, as well as the strength of my family behind me, and I took that step into the unknown. My life would be very different if I hadn’t, and I truly believe that this is meant to be. I still have those moments of self doubt, when those “gremlins” creep in and tell me that I am not good enough, or that I should be more successful than I am, etc, etc, etc. But all I have to do is look at my work, look at the lives I have touched with my photography and forge forward knowing that I am a success, more than I ever could have imagined, even if my bank account doesn’t reflect it. Some days, like today, it takes many sets of stairs accompanied by positive mantras and followed by a quiet corner on the beach listening to the water lap the shore. Whatever it takes to quiet those gremlins and shut out the extra noise and opinions.
So I will try to take the same route with my personal life. Tune out the extraneous voices, the “this is what I would do if it were me,” or the “this is what should have happened by now,” or the ” I couldn’t do that if I were in the same situation,” and I am going to listen to my gut, follow my heart, and trust my logic. Take the strong advice and thoughts from my friends and family and filter them, storing them, using them to make me stronger, knowing that it all comes from a place of love.
Only I know what I need to do for myself, for my business, and for my future. Only I can make these decisions, knowing that I am doing what is best for me right now, even if it isn’t the “normal” decision, and knowing that it isn’t what most people would do. But then again, I’m not “most people.”
Sometimes we just have to take a leap of faith knowing that one way or another we will come out okay, and even stronger on the other side.
Through the lens-Kruse Images & Photography 