is it stopping you?
Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts.
Charles Dickens
I wanted to share this moment with you. It was taken this week at the shelter that I do volunteer photography for and for me it captures why I’m there.
I’ve lived in this community for twelve years now and until December had never ventured into the shelter. Why? Fear and my expectations about what it would be like to look into those eyes and then walk out the door leaving them behind.
The only way to conquer your fears though is to move through them. Like so many other things that I’ve done from falling in love with night photography when I’m afraid of the dark, to taking scuba diving lessons when I was younger to get myself back in the water after watching Jaws, fear was holding me back from doing something that I felt I could contribute to in a meaningful way.
We’ve gotten into a routine now that’s really nice and I look forward to my time at the shelter. It’s a special group of people and their love of animals is evident.
This image you might think, not so remarkable, lots of dogs know how to “shake”.
But…
he only has three paws, he’s missing a back leg!
So much heart.
There are many ways to make a difference, don’t let fear keep you from doing something. Work through it and you might be surprised at what you discover.
Come on…what are you afraid of?
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
it's (almost always) about the water... 