Grateful To Take A Breath.

I think the reoccurring theme for the past 8-12 months, for me, has been: busy. At the macro, my workload has been consistently demanding. Breaking that down to micro bites - I have various people I partner with that are excelling and creating their own path of wins and I get the privilege of helping them move in the right direction. All that to say, it’s a very demanding seat to be in. Ironically, it’s a seat I love to be in. Demanding, busy and grateful all live in synchronicity with me the past few months.

That said, it started to take it’s toll on my well-being. I was getting stressed getting pulled in different directions all the while managing the other avenues of my life that are equally as demanding. I had nothing left for me. And, as a result, I started to grow resentful of my calendar, the people in my life that needed me and even my poor dogs. So, I took an entire week off. Let me preface this by saying, I really love my job and the company I work for. But it is very demanding. And, taking a week off of work was the only option I had - I can’t take time off of family or dogs. So, I carved out time where I could.

What did I do this entire week?

My face has been smashed behind my camera and I’ve loved every moment of it. If I hadn’t mentioned it before, my love for photography is above and beyond creating a beautiful image. The camera forces me to slow down, look around, see things and details that I may not have noticed without the camera in my face, to look for moments between people, nature and interactions. In addition to the art of photography, it’s learning my camera. It’s like buying a new car: you know how to drive, but you have to get used to all the buttons and capabilities of that car to make it feel like second nature when you get in.

I’ve enjoyed my moments of learning my camera and the therapy photography has offered me: moments to slow down and take a breath.

Below have been some of my personal favorites. My eyes and hands are still in training. Nonetheless, these are 10 good ones out of the hundreds that I’ve taken. I’m still likely batting 10%. But hey, I’ll take it. We all have to start somewhere.

Music (while typing this:) Anchor by Novo Amor