When I first began working as a photographer (after a corporate career as a software engineer) I was determined to create a “successful” business, meaning I felt the need to create a business that made money. I began honing my skills as a photographer and trying to figure out ways to make my business successful.
I took an online class on creating a soul-centered business and in that class met Liv Lane. Here was someone much younger than me who had worked in the corporate world and left it to do what she loved. Her courage and bright light inspired me.
Choose Joy…
Then I went to a workshop Liv taught and in it she gave each of the participants a written personal intuitive message that she had received. Here is what she wrote for me:
Marilyn — Joy is productive, even when the results aren’t tangible or easily measurable. You need not have anything to show for it. Do what you love only because you love it — eventual rewards will come & be icing on the cake. Until you can comfortably rest in experiencing joy for the sake of joy, you cannot commit to doing what will inspire joy in others.
My initial response to this message was tears. It felt so true to me. I had grown up learning that my worth was measured by how productive I was. Letting go of trying to be productive meant letting go of outcome. To step back and let go of wanting or expecting any particular outcome was a radical change for me. To stop trying to produce art and instead feel my way into finding joy in the process was hard, even though I knew that making photographs brought me great joy.
It has taken persistence and careful discernment but I now live my life asking myself, “Does this bring me joy?” and adjusting every single day of my life.
At first I was not very good at predicting what might bring me joy. Paradoxically things that I was most afraid of or were most hard often brought extreme joy. I’ve learned that my body knows joy when it feels it so I look for signs of expansion and lightness in my body as signs of joy.
One note from Liv changed my life to a journey of joy. I will be forever grateful to her for that.
May you walk in beauty. May you experience joy.
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