The power of words.

Quote of the day: “Without knowing the force of words, it is impossible to know more.” — Confucius

Make no mistake.

Words have power

Think about the words you use to describe your life, work, experiences. Words can help you create wonderful experiences, or set up invisible walls that restrain and confine you.

I have spoken many times about my limitations or my health challenges. I’ve also talked about how stressful I think wedding photography is.

When I use that language, I feel the power of those words to put me into a box. The words make me feel limited and challenged. They pre-suppose an outcome. They create stress, even before anything has occurred.

Fortunately, I’ve started challenging my typical thoughts and language. Through this I’ve discovered the power of words.

When I change my language I change my thoughts.

When I change my thoughts I change my experience.

Last weekend  as I photographed my brother’s wedding I consciously chose to frame the occasion as an opportunity to have fun doing what I love for someone that I love.

Even though I had some concerns about how challenging the event might be for me, instead of focusing on them, I chose to focus on love—doing what I love and feeling joy and appreciation for my brother and his wife and their new life together.

I think it made a huge difference!

I had fun photographing the wedding. It was the most joyful time I’ve ever had at a wedding (even my own wedding many years ago).

I asked for help when I needed it. I took a few short breaks now and then. And when I thought that I had captured the most important moments, I quit.

Although I was exhausted at the end of a couple of very long days, I felt great the day after the wedding. No pain or tiredness. No negative after effects! That’s amazing for me and has not been my experience in the past.

And I’m very satisfied with the photographs I made of the wedding.

It was so much fun photographing the wedding that I’m now talking with another photographer I know about partnering to photograph small weddings and events. I’ve said for a long time that I would NEVER become a wedding photographer.

Obviously, I’m rethinking those words. I think it would be fun to find people who want the kind of natural and photo-jounalistic photography that I do, for their weddings. And I think it would be even more fun to partner with another photographer.

I’m not sure how this will turn out. We may do one wedding together and decide it’s not fun. Or we may find a niche and have fun doing more weddings. Time will tell.

Have you explored the power of words? What words are you using that may be putting you in a box? Are you ready to find new words that create openings?