Mom bowling the other night when the skating rink we went to had no public skate that night.
Me at the bowling ally roasting in my beautiful and fuzzy sweater that shed all over everything.
There were 12 in our group and therefore we had a lot of balls.
Last night I was driving home thinking about all the times I simply drive past a good picture for reasons of time, laziness, safety or any number of excuses.
Here is how it generally happens:
For some reason I see the best scenery and photo ops from the driver's seat of a car. Yes, its true. I drive down the road literally thinking of different shots and blinking my eyes in a desperate attempt to at least document that scene in my mind. This may sound totally weird but when I blink I automatically think of the shutter sound as if I took a real picture. So why don't I stop and take pictures for real. Well...you see...I don't have time...not really...where would I park?...Isn't it illegal to stop on the interstate?...I could go watch the sunset tomorrow night...maybe. Boil all of that down and you have nothing of substance. Just a pile of lame excuses that mostly are not even true. I can't even begin to tell you the great opportunities to take pictures and even make money that I have missed because of excuses and laziness. Yesterday was no exception. More then once I kept driving when I felt like I should stop. I neglect to seize the moment, regularly. Then I feel bad. Guilty. Regretful. Irritated (with myself), etc. What a way to live. Doing the same thing over and over again even though I know the result will not make me happy. Does that make me insane?
So driving along thinking about these things I thought of all the times I have heard/read that the best way to reduce stress is to say no. No to things that are not as important and cause us more worry and less sleep. On the flip side I began to wonder what would happen if I began to say yes. Instead of saying no and feeling bad, or saying yes and not getting around to finishing it, what if I did the things I am prompted to do...right away?!?! Novel idea, I know, also a lot easier said than done, but...
What if I just pulled out a card and responded to a letter right away?
~I would probably have a much happier Grandmother and deeper relationships with others
What if I just picked up the phone when I felt the urge to call someone rather then convincing myself I was interrupting?
~I would be able to complete projects a lot sooner
~This would also enhance my ability to stay in touch with friends and build relationships (something I feel like a failure at)
What if I really got off the computer instead of clicking into facebook or google reader one more time to see if someone just happened to post something exciting in the last 10 minutes?
~I would be a better steward of the time the Lord has given me
~I could finish projects that I have looked at for years...literally
What if when mom asked me to walk the dogs with her I just dropped the trivial task I was so distracted by and went?
~I would bless my mother and make our relationship even stronger
~I would get fresh air and exercise (always a winning combination)
~The dogs would like me better then my sister...HA HA, that is a joke
What if I said yes when someone asked me to go out somewhere instead of over analysing it and becoming nervous about the possibilities?
~I might have more friends
~I would probably have a good time
What if I just did things when I felt an urgency to do them, when I knew I should do them, when they FIRST came to mind?
~I would probably get a ton more accomplished
~I would be obeying the God through the prompting of the Holy Spirit, as I am normally perfectly capable of discerning between right and wrong and I am talking about doing good and profitable things
~I would be healthier and happier
Now, so far this theory is simply intellectual I am speculating what my life could be like and I have the distinct feeling that I can't even imagine all of the possibilities and opportunities that would arise by living that way. I KNOW without a shadow of a doubt that I must ask the Lord to bless me in an effort to develop self-discipline. These things will have to change slowly; one "yes" at a time.
Thank you for reading, I am now going to shut the computer and read one of the books in my "stack" (books I have been meaning to read)
~Reforming time waster
Here is how it generally happens:
For some reason I see the best scenery and photo ops from the driver's seat of a car. Yes, its true. I drive down the road literally thinking of different shots and blinking my eyes in a desperate attempt to at least document that scene in my mind. This may sound totally weird but when I blink I automatically think of the shutter sound as if I took a real picture. So why don't I stop and take pictures for real. Well...you see...I don't have time...not really...where would I park?...Isn't it illegal to stop on the interstate?...I could go watch the sunset tomorrow night...maybe. Boil all of that down and you have nothing of substance. Just a pile of lame excuses that mostly are not even true. I can't even begin to tell you the great opportunities to take pictures and even make money that I have missed because of excuses and laziness. Yesterday was no exception. More then once I kept driving when I felt like I should stop. I neglect to seize the moment, regularly. Then I feel bad. Guilty. Regretful. Irritated (with myself), etc. What a way to live. Doing the same thing over and over again even though I know the result will not make me happy. Does that make me insane?
So driving along thinking about these things I thought of all the times I have heard/read that the best way to reduce stress is to say no. No to things that are not as important and cause us more worry and less sleep. On the flip side I began to wonder what would happen if I began to say yes. Instead of saying no and feeling bad, or saying yes and not getting around to finishing it, what if I did the things I am prompted to do...right away?!?! Novel idea, I know, also a lot easier said than done, but...
What if I just pulled out a card and responded to a letter right away?
~I would probably have a much happier Grandmother and deeper relationships with others
What if I just picked up the phone when I felt the urge to call someone rather then convincing myself I was interrupting?
~I would be able to complete projects a lot sooner
~This would also enhance my ability to stay in touch with friends and build relationships (something I feel like a failure at)
What if I really got off the computer instead of clicking into facebook or google reader one more time to see if someone just happened to post something exciting in the last 10 minutes?
~I would be a better steward of the time the Lord has given me
~I could finish projects that I have looked at for years...literally
What if when mom asked me to walk the dogs with her I just dropped the trivial task I was so distracted by and went?
~I would bless my mother and make our relationship even stronger
~I would get fresh air and exercise (always a winning combination)
~The dogs would like me better then my sister...HA HA, that is a joke
What if I said yes when someone asked me to go out somewhere instead of over analysing it and becoming nervous about the possibilities?
~I might have more friends
~I would probably have a good time
What if I just did things when I felt an urgency to do them, when I knew I should do them, when they FIRST came to mind?
~I would probably get a ton more accomplished
~I would be obeying the God through the prompting of the Holy Spirit, as I am normally perfectly capable of discerning between right and wrong and I am talking about doing good and profitable things
~I would be healthier and happier
Now, so far this theory is simply intellectual I am speculating what my life could be like and I have the distinct feeling that I can't even imagine all of the possibilities and opportunities that would arise by living that way. I KNOW without a shadow of a doubt that I must ask the Lord to bless me in an effort to develop self-discipline. These things will have to change slowly; one "yes" at a time.
Thank you for reading, I am now going to shut the computer and read one of the books in my "stack" (books I have been meaning to read)
~Reforming time waster
5 comments:
That was such a good post! I also struggle with being a good steward of my time and getting out of my comfort zone! Thanks for sharing!
Wow. That post could've been written by me! I just get caught up in the snow and cold, wishing I lived down south so I could easily do photoshoots. Yes, I am guilty of not using my time wisely. I don't take the initiative to step up and do what I need to do.
But I am learning and have cut down my internet time a lot. I am now almost finished reading a book I bought in June.
I have a question...where did you get that really cute camera bag???
Thanks Tori! and thank you for all the comments I don't respond to! :)
Caitlin! I haven't talked to you in sooo long...I had no idea you were stalking my blog although I must admit to doing the same thing to you! It is amazing how unmotivated I am in the winter but I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. The Lord has given me an amazing love for the area I live in right now even with the extreme winter forecasts.
If you are talking about the camera bag I posted a picture of in August it is a Shootsac. Designed by Jessica Claire. You can google it easy. I love my shootsac for assignments where I can't possibly be lugging all of my equipment around and be productive. It was a real life saver for me but like everything else in the photography world it is an investment. And one downfall is it is not designed to hold you camera body. So it is really good at what it is designed for but you just have to hang the camera off of the other shoulder when you need two hands free.
Yeah, I've been stalking you for quite some time now! When it gets warm, and I get motivated, we should meet somewhere in Chicago and go shooting. Is it possible for you to take a train down? The Metra starts in my town and ends in Chicago. I don't know how it is for you though.
Thanks for the info on the shootsacs! When I first saw the price I thought, no way. Then I realized that my bag cost more!
Are you taking anymore IPS courses this year?
I do that all the time too! (And I wish I could capture pictures with my eyes!) So I've been working on taking the time to stop, get outside my comfort zone, and work to get the picture I want. The last picture on this post is an example of what you can get when you do that!:
http://www.lydiaphotography.com/2008/10/san-antonio.html
Post a Comment