I didn’t start “living” until I quit drinking, faced my demons and sobered up. That was almost 30 years ago.
All my demons and neurosis made me who I am. It’s a long list. But one I was willing to tackle and in short order change things around.
When I stew in self-doubt and shame, I quickly realize I wouldn’t have had it any other way. My experiences were one of a kind and all mine. What’s important is my attitude TODAY and my actions TODAY.
Shame is a dream killer. I refuse to let it kill my dreams.
We all need to reconcile our past and our demons. The we learn and grow.
Where there was once fear, doubt, pain and uncertainty is now fertile ground for productivity, health, love and gratitude. A total flip.
Besides the “usual suspects” of things to be grateful for, family, friends, health, business, here’s an oddball list of things that truly made me who I am:
* My many (and humiliating) failures — without them you can never
truly have any real successes, can you?
* Being homeless -(yes, for 8 months I slept on my studio floor)- as it taught me humility, patience and, in many ways, ingenuity.
* The “critics” (including the voices of the critics in my own head) who have tried (and still try) to hold me back.
* Fears — which have kept me alert and out of trouble and always presented me with opportunity if I chose to face them square on.
* The PILE of crushing debt I used to be in — I am thankful for being able to climb out of it. And yet, I’m also thankful for the experience, as it taught me more about money than any class, school or book ever could
There’s more items I could add but I think you get the picture. Gratitude is the best antidote for fear.
And gratitude is a strategy that we should use everyday in our lives and in our studios.
Wake up every morning and the first thing we say and think is “thank you!”…
Yours in photography and success,
Rob Provencher
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