A Snapshot of Me.

Tanya from Life in 3D found this post. I have it in my favorite posts page above, but it was disabled for some reason unbeknownst to me. So, I'm not sure how she located it, but she left a sweet, thoughtful comment and I decided that I needed to revive it from the dead and give it another shot since it obviously wasn't viewed by many in the blogosphere gauging by the number of comments. I posted it back in February when I was going through a very introspective time. So enjoy a little snapshot of me... while I hang with my family visiting from California.



Since my daily project 365 ended I haven't picked up my SLR as much as I once did. Although the break has been nice, I miss it. I mostly miss the way I feel when I look through that lens. I'm able to view the world in an entirely new light, like a secret that only I'm privy to.

I may not be the best photographer, but it moves me and inspires me. I look at other's work and at times feel inadequate. As I was laying in bed last night trying to get my mind to shut off I had this epiphany. I realized that we are all so different. We have different strengths and weaknesses and talents and passions- and that's what makes the world so beautiful. Can you imagine listening to an orchestra with only an oboe or looking at a flower garden with only purple petunias? Although they are both beautiful on their own, how much more beautiful it would be listening to a full orchestra or viewing a garden with a wide variety of blossoms and colors.

I guess I've been trying my whole life to try to fit into a mold of this person I thought I was supposed to be. I've been looking for validation and acceptance in all the wrong places- because the only person I need to make happy is me. And it's ok to be different. It's our differences that make families and relationships and the world in general better. They enrich our lives.

At times I feel like such a small person in a big world. I don't have a master's degree. I'm not a beauty queen. I don't have fame or fortune. But those are not the things that build character or make us truly happy. If you don't believe me, just read some of the recent stories about some of the afflicted celebrities that have gone off the deep end or the philandering politicians.

We need to be true to who we are and embrace our quirks and our passions, even if we're not going to win any grammies or notoriety. As much as I enjoy the work of artists and musicians and actors... I realize that I, too, have much to offer. They may be smaller contributions, but contributions nonetheless.

Everyone has talents, whether inward or outward, that they can share with others- they come in all forms... a good friend, a concert pianist, a great cook, a writer, a runner, a gardener, an optimist, a dreamer, a teacher, etc... they are talents all the same. We need to not be afraid to embrace who we are. Just think of all the lives we can affect if we take fear and insecurities out of the equation.

I remember getting this quote as a kid in church one day and I kept it in my journal for years. I don't know what ever happened to it, but I was able to find a copy on the net.

“I am Me. In all the world, there is no one else exactly like me. Everything that comes out of me is authentically mine, because I alone chose it -- I own everything about me: my body, my feelings, my mouth, my voice, all my actions, whether they be to others or myself. I own my fantasies, my dreams, my hopes, my fears. I own my triumphs and successes, all my failures and mistakes... I am me, and I am Okay.” -Virginia Satir

I challenge each of you to dig deep and figure out what talents you possess that maybe you've been hiding away. What makes you tic? What makes you uniquely YOU?