I know, this is supposed to be a photography blog. You’ll find all kinds of blogs out there where they’ll try to convince you that if you just buy this camera, this lens, this fancy piece of photography gear, your photographs will be so much more amazing. I am finding, at this time of my life especially, that the most important “tip” I can give you is to cherish each moment in your life, and take photos along the way to remember it all.
Sometimes (actually all the time) we take so much for granted in our lives. You woke up this morning. You opened your eyes and could see. You got out of bed. You spoke to someone you love. You heard their voice. You held your child. You fed your pets. You stepped out into this amazing world for another day. We actually take for granted most all of these things, and yet any one of those could have NOT happened today.
The “routine” of it all gives us a familiarity that leads to an assumption it will all still be there tomorrow, and we instead focus all of our attention on the stresses of the day, the outrageous political fighting, social media, worries about our finances, petty differences with others, all the while ignoring those things we are most familiar with and matter the most to us. They can be so close to us, we don’t really see them.
For many people, there are those moments where the “routine” comes to a very abrupt, harsh, unavoidable STOP: “you have cancer”, “your son has cancer”, “your child was in a severe accident”, “I can’t move my right arm”, “I just found him lying there”, “I don’t love you any more”, “I hit the brakes but couldn’t stop in time.” …
We take so much in life for granted, and even when we start focusing very intently on being thankful for everything in our lives as a gift, we still end up taking so much for granted.
It’s those darn distractions about what is wrong with our world that keep us from seeing all that is right in our world and being thankful for those things, even the smallest of things. (And in most cases, they are not “things”).
I urge you to take time to practice a life of gratitude. Love the people in your life a little more. Wake up each day with a little more appreciation that you have one more day on this amazing planet.
Make each day a great day. It won’t be perfect. Not everything will go according to plans. That’s ok. Don’t lose sight of what REALLY matters, and choose to live this day, not just exist in it.
And back to photography… how you feel about this world around you totally shapes how you see the world, and how you see the world totally shapes how you photograph it. Practice your photography with a sense of wonder and gratitude for each and every moment.
Take more time to just sit on a park bench and reflect on this amazing life you have been given. Do it now. Not tomorrow.
All you really have is now.
All so true Kevin and beautifully stated. If we all kept reminding each other to find the good and share THAT- we would all benefit from that.
Wise and insightful as I would expect from you, Kevin. You are appreciated for your knowledge and for your humanity. Thank you for the lovely reminder of daily blessings. Best to you and yours.
❤️❤️?
Kevin,
Thank you for this. I am going to share it, if that is ok with you. I intend to LIVE today, not just exist, as I inhale all of God’s blessings with gratitude.
Have a Wonderful Week!
Thank you for this reminder to cherish those around us.
Words of wisdom that are so overlooked and even abandoned in our daily walk. Our lives become so routine and thoughtless until something changes and that awareness makes us realize what we take for granted. Thank you for the reminder!