Quote of the day: “When I think about simplifying my life, I see it as a process, rather than a thing or a destination. There is no point in time when I will say to myself, ‘Ah, I have arrived. Isn’t this grand?’ It is not something that I have accomplished. It is not even anything I can really define.” – Linda Breen Pierce in Choosing Simplicity: Real People Finding Peace and Fulfillment in a Complex World.
So it is with all of life. We never arrive. There is always room to learn and grow. Today has been full of opportunities for growth. Here is just a short sample of my thoughts during the day.
Where’s the joy? Where’s the passion? Where’s the fun? Why am I so out of sorts and grouchy? Tasks that just yesterday felt like fun have lost their zest. When I look at my work I see faults and issues. When I contemplate the future I feel worry. And to top it off, I haven’t been out making new photos for over a week because of some back pain issues. Even doing still life photos at home doesn’t appeal to me today. I’m not sure where this mood has come from but it sure is uncomfortable.
Yesterday I spent several hours framing photos for my first exhibit. It was great seeing how everything came together and I was jazzed by seeing my work matted and framed. But here’s the rub, I’m also feeling uncertain about how the exhibit will go. Will others see beauty in my work? Or will they think it’s amateur and boring? I know. I know. I’m not doing this for others. My photographs are reflections of how I see the world. They are expressions of gratitude to the flower kingdom and the trees and the water and to life. But…I can’t afford to keep doing this if no one wants to buy my work. OK, this is fear speaking and judgment and probably a little bit of ego. Let it go. Feelings come and feelings go. They are not reality. Breath. Focus on the next right thing. Let the other stuff go. Feels like an AA meeting – one day at a time, one moment at a time. Life is simple when you live in the moment. It’s the days when I’m not living in the moment that are complicated.
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