We live in a day and age where there’s a group of folks eager to point
out the wrong doings and inappropriate behaviors of others, shaming them at every chance and making a hoopla on flakebook and other social media.
This idea occurred to me:….“who has time and the gumption to monitor all the wrong doings of others?”
I have a theory. Most live in an empty vacuum.
In that vacuum we fill with endless meaningless content that does no more than entertain -like a jolt of feel-good mojo in our brain that creates instant gratification.
A shot of dopamine.
And the science backs me up on this one. It appears being outraged fuels as much dopamine as any other emotional state. (maybe more than heroin and cocaine)
In other words, it feels good to get mad as hell.
But, will it help your cause? Will it move you forward? For some it will.
For most, it won’t.
I’ve had times where I got so pissed off it inspired me to “get out there and prove them wrong.”
“I’ll show them!!”
And get out there and show them. But, be warned. Choose wisely what and who you get mad at my friend.
Knowing the difference is pure wisdom. More on that idea in a minute.
Nothing wrong with being motivated by outrage. As long as you don’t get pulled into the dark side.
Use it as springboard. Don’t get sucked into the cesspool.
It’s hard to stay grounded when the vacuum is pulling hard. Especially with the allure and pull of social media.
We think there’s something legit about posting on twitter and fakebook.
Truth is, like sugar, it tastes great, but there is little to ZERO nutritional value.
For me, facebook is a cesspool of narcissism. I admit, it can and does serve a purpose for business.
And I use it mainly as such, occasionally losing my grip and posting a rant or two.
The key is to stay focused on: where I want to go? Who do I want to become?
This is a never ending quest. The climb is real. The struggle is daily.
Far from perfect, I try to hone myself, to be the best I can be. Does it get easier?
Hell no. Yes, wisdom is an added tool that can, when honed, benefit us, should we choose to use it.
But the truth is, as time moves on, I have one day less to live. So, it matters more than ever to make each one count.
Learning to make the days count is a skill, fueled by time and wisdom that by-passed me in my youth, that has become, for me, the biggest aspiration.
When I was young, I wanted it all. Problem is, I didn’t really know what “all” meant.
Now it means making each day count. And fighting the pull into the cesspool.
Make the next year your best.
Make the lessons learned from the last your rational, your motive.
And make your successes from the last year be the basis of your gratitude.
Yours in photography and success,
Robert Provencher
“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”
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