I was excited all week to write this next blog post since I am really trying to keep my personal commitment to posting once a week, but like all things in life, time seems to run short, which is the best lead in to the thoughts I want to share.
I had hope to hit my first deadline by noon today but that did not happen until 7pm and I was not sure this post was going to happen. However, I was still so inspired to share these thoughts, I now sit typing away at 9:00 pm.
I have read the quoate “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you did not do than by the ones that you did “Mark Twain” and “Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take but the number of moments that take your breath away” also Mark twain.
I did slow down enough to think about those words of wisdom and have created my own version, which really resonates with me.
“What stories do you want to tell in the rocking chair.”
The camera has given me the gift to not only seek out amazing experiences that I may not have done other wise but to also develop a talent that I did not know existed until life threw me a huge curve, or what I felt was more like getting hit by a MAC truck.
Finding a passion that fills your soul and taking the risk to make those new found dreams happen is just about the scariest thing a person can do especially when you discover this passion after you spent more than a decade building a successful career, a large income and all the “things” that go with it.
Jump……..
I often take breaks from long hours on my computer, due to deadlines, to enjoy my community of friends on facebook and twitter. I did that just before I was going to settle in to write these thoughts.
I responded to something I read with ” Follow your passion, let it bring you to your knees when failure seems inevitable but don’t quit… keep going.. we get one chance at this, there are no do overs…. there are many stories of those with their last pennies in their pockets who make it because they never stopped believing and never gave up.
I very quickly received this reply through an email
“I am glad you shared that, I have no pennies in my pocket but I am hitting the road, giving up my apt, and heading to maine for the summer to work a job and than heading south somewhere, get my car paid off and i am free. I got my camera and just going to sleep at friends and truck stops in my car. I am still in school finishing my degree but I can do it online, yahooo I can’t wait, no material things for me. I raised my kids they are doing great. they think I am buit (I think they may have meant broke) I have done it before and came back, but this time its different they are on their own now. I am going to just take photos of what triggers my heart and what I see on this road trip…….
After such a long day I felt blessed to have this happen which summed up the thoughts I was going to post.
Risking everything you have when the chances are you may not succeed are very high, may make you want to stay safe, holding on to the things that you have, but when you get to the end of this journey what good are they if you wonder “what would my life have been if I would have had the courage to give it all up, chase that dream, and experience all I had dreamed about.
So I ask, “What stories do you want to tell in the rocking chair?”
As always, comments are open and I hope you will share your thoughts and pursue your dreams.
Such a beautiful post for this Sunday morning, May 1, 2011.
I will tell stories about how I followed my passion, my heart’s desire.
http://www.brucebarone.com/Your%20Heart%27s%20Desire.htm
Bruce
Wonderful Share Piper…Your Going Forward!!
Thanks for this Piper! I’m walking towards the edge right now, calculating my jump and hoping to land somewhere soft. This sounds a bit counterintuitive to your words of wisdom but your words give the courage to keep putting one step in front of the other until I reach my jumping off spot, knowing that I am heading in the right direction.
Keep sharing!
~ Amy
Keep pursing the dream. I guess the message is, try not to be sueded by all the material things and remember at the end of this journey you want to know you gave it your best shot and experience all the wonder things that you wanted to. Don’t let fear stop you.
I ‘discovered’ photography about two years ago, after my own experience getting “hit by a Mac truck.” Actually, it was a series of trucks. At first, it was just to have something to do, a reason to get up in the morning. It was nice to have people say nice things about my photography, and even nicer when they would pay me.
But the real payoff is my new ability to see the world in a totally different way. I see beauty and value where before I only saw background clutter. I see character in broken things and people, and love in most unexpected places. The day I stopped comparing my work with other photographers, I began to experience real joy in my pictures and heartfelt pleasure in “capturing the moment.” I do more than 90% of my photography for free, partly because I really don’t need the money, but mostly because it is something I can do to bring joy to someone who can’t afford it otherwise.
One of those “MAC trucks” is a disability that keeps me in a wheelchair 100% of the time. This has added another dimension of challenge and opportunity to my work that I wouldn’t trade for anything. These are things that I eagerly look forward to telling my granddaughter each time she visits.
Thank you so much for sharing, your story is amazing, inspirational and perfect for this post. I wish you well on your journey. You have a real talent for photographing people and catching great moments with perfect expressions. Maybe soon you can add your story of inspiration to your website.
Piper, I have never regretted “jumping”. Your post is pulsing with passion and integrity. I have forwarded it to my children – as good a piece of advice as I could ask for. I hope, in the moments when you may feel fearful, that you will tap into the well of support that is out here for you and your choice of how to live your life. Be well!
I am very honored by your comments and thank you for your words of support and encouragement. It truly has been through comments such as yours that get me though the very rough times.