Month: May 2019

Fate…

or destiny?

Strange things blow in through my window on the wings of the night wind and I don’t worry about my destiny.

Carl Sandburg

Fate or destiny…

I suppose that it’s all just a matter of beliefs. A comparison of thoughts and actions.

First there’s fate; the normal expected outcome.

But what if you set that aside and strive towards fulfilling your potential, your destiny?

What if you decide to be positive, stay present, and confidently move forward forsaking everything that tells you that you can’t, that you aren’t, that you won’t?

Can you change your destiny?

We came across these pelicans, one of my favorite birds to photograph, purely by chance in the early morning hours. Migratory birds that the winds of chance blew our way for a brief time, this one morning. Good things happen when you open up to the possibility.

Quiet…

pond reflection of clouds, sun, and iridescence

a living meditation.


My wish is to stay always like this, living quietly in a corner of nature.

Claude Monet

What if you could live a quiet life? How much of the stuff around you do you really need? How much of it actually brings you joy?

I’ve been on a mission for the past couple of years to simplify and move towards living quietly. It’s so easy to get caught up in the stuff and to form attachments to things that have long ceased to enrich your life in any meaningful way.

Another component of this way of living is being mindful of time. How do you spend your free time? Who do you spend it with? Are you stretched thin accepting every invitation that comes your way whether or not it’s something that you really want to be doing? While it is important to not be closed off to human interaction, to get out and to interact with people socially, it’s also okay to say no to doing everything.

How does this relate to photography? I make conscious choices when heading out the door to shoot. I don’t need to carry every lens in my arsenal and just that very act jump starts the creative process, sets the tone for the images.

Living quietly.

A living meditation.

Surround yourself…

with happiness.


We are like chameleons, we take our hue and the color of our moral character, from those who are around us.

John Locke

I came across this quote today and it deeply resonated. It got me thinking about luck and karma, and how important the choices that we make on a daily basis are.

Starting with who we surround ourselves with. I can’t begin to emphasize how important this is to over-all happiness. As humans we are not at our best being solitary but neither is it good to be around people who dwell in negativity. I think we do a great job beating ourselves up over past criticisms or life events that did not go well so it does become vitally important who you do allow into your inner circle.

Call it luck or karma but once you make the critical decision to be in a supportive environment, obstacles do begin to drift away. It takes time, commitment, and a lot of introspection but the benefits of living this way cannot be quantified.

And the good thing? Today would be a perfect day to start!