Happiness is Addictive and Contagious

As I sipped my coffee this morning and read through my friends status updates on a networking site I came to the conclusion that happiness is contagious. By pursuing my own happiness and dreams I have in one way or another encouraged others to pursue their own bliss. Be that by trying their hand in a hobby they have long admired or being brave enough to put their written words to paper or screen and releasing it to the world at large.  

I began this journey as a self exploration, to finally after all these years get to know myself like I know others who share my life. For the first time in my long existence to put myself first and foremost in my thoughts and actions, if only for a few brief moments a day or one day a week.  I have explored many different paths during this journey and have many more I plan on trying to see if perhaps they too may be a good fit for my growing awareness of not only myself but as my universe as a whole.

I am still on occasion getting the negative Nilly who swears my interest and passions are in some way taking away from my quality of life.  Those who feel my time would be better spent doing something for them instead of myself. But I have also learned how to turn off those voices in my head that have been a constant reminder that I am not good enough, smart enough or pretty enough to accomplish the goals I have set for myself.

I have learned to step outside my own safety bubble and take risk that before this journey began I never would have been brave enough to pursue. Because I have learned that failure is part of the journey and without it we cannot learn nor can we evolve into better people.

I have also learned that happiness is addictive. I try very hard to work within a set budget or use materials that are readily at hand. But even with using the things I already have to follow my bliss I still find myself daydreaming about the day I can afford bigger and better toys for my passions. Be that photography equipment or kiln for glass bead making.  I have become addicted to that adrenaline rush that often accompanies trying a new thing for the first time and the endorphin rush from completing a project and being proud of that labor and creativity invested.

A bead created by my darling husband during our first attempt at glass bead making and 

chain maille necklace made by me.

 A tree of life made from sterling silver wire with fresh water pearls.

A glass cabochon made during the latest journey of my jewelry passion

Not all things I have tried I have discovered I am suited for. Some things have fallen by the wayside never to be tried again simply because although the experience was fun it wasn't something that peaked my interest or made my heart soar with joy.  I have also evolved within the blissful experience. One often leading to another or morphing into something completely different than the original experience was leading to.

Along my journey's path I have also been blessed to meet some of the most amazing, intelligent, supportive, loving people on the planet who have often stepped forward out of the blue and helped me learn and evolve. And regardless if the passion took or was passing I will always treasure those people and their giving nature to advice and guide me towards more information, advice from others within that sacred circle of knowledge.  I have not only learned about myself I have also learned quiet a bit about humans and their capacity to help another that they are in no way connected with.

I have seen the better side of humanity. Something most of us are never able to see because of the constant flow of negative people and onslaught of negative things in our direct line of vision.  I have been able to see people in a whole new way and vastly improve my original thinking regarding human kind as a species.

I have played with fire ranging from shooting off fireworks, which I have been afraid of in the past, through setting steel wool on fire to capture some amazing photographs.  I have fitted a rifle to my shoulder and shot through the center of a target at a decent distance and learned that you are the master of your own destiny.  I have gone places and experienced things that had I not taken this journey I would have missed out on.  I have learned what is making me happy and what steps I need to make in order to further my journey of self exploration and self discovery.

 

 A shot done with a long exposure and a dogs laser light.

 

Fireworks shot taken on the 4rth of July in Nashville, TN

Shot taken with long exposure and single tea light candle

 

I have eaten foods that I have in the past said I tried it once and it was nasty with a new appreciation and a new outlook.  I have also learned that we are all alike as some core center and regardless of the color of your skin, your country of origin or your upbringing we all have the same basic needs. To love to be needed and to be heard.  I have learned that not everything is as simple as it may first appear and that many skills and talents may go untapped if you do not try and practice and succeed through failure. I have grown a true appreciation for artist and their skills and their knowledge.

 

I have taken a walk on the wild side and been rewarded with a growing sense of accomplishment and happiness.  I do not regret my experiences even the miserably failed ones simple because they have helped me grow and evolve into the person I am becoming and given me a sense of self respect that no amount of money could have bought.  They have given me something to write about, something to explore and something to think about long after the experience is gone and past.  They have filled an empty vessel with happy memories, exciting moments and ideas of things I would like to try.

My journey has not always been an easy one, at times it has felt like walking through molasses in the dead of winter. My steps slow and calculated and my headway non existent to the untrained eye.  I have had my pitfalls and missteps but in the end I can look back and honestly say I have done that been there and truly lived.

I have found myself growing closer with many in life and using my new talents to enhance their quality of life and their own happiness.  And I have found that I am far more positive person for having taken the chance and tried something new.  I just wanted to share those insights today and hopefully encourage others to begin their own journeys and to step outside that comfortable bubble we all form around us to protect ourselves from outside world. 

As children we come into this world filled with amazement and awe at the simple things in life.  We are open to new ideas and new experiences but with time we shut down. Be that because we are told that we cannot do that or that it is impossible.  I say never lose that sense of wonder that we are all born with. That spark of curiosity that helps us grow and evolve and learn.  A day in your life that you don't learn something new, be that about yourself or your world is a wasted day of your life.  If you cannot afford a traditional education there are always options available to you via independent study, exploration and experimenting.

I hope my words inspire and make all those who read them take a closer look at their own lives.  That they put those safe predictable and ordinary lives under a microscope and look at the things we do that make us happy and the things that don't.  That they decide that life is entirely to short to be miserable and that being asleep at the wheel of their own destiny is no way to live a remarkable life.

I often tell people I have no intention on arriving at my grave in a well preserved body. I plan on sliding in sideways worn out and exhausted and screaming "what a ride". Simply because we are not guaranteed an additional 5 or 10 or 20 years to pursue our dreams. We are only guaranteed right here and right now and it is never to soon to follow your bliss.

Until next time blog buddies, stay safe, stay sane, and be happy.

Getting creative in following your bliss

Sometimes the things you want don't come easily. Sometimes you have to wait or work or even at times settle for just a tiny bit short of what you may have originally wanted.  Sometimes you have budget, do without something else or even come to realization that although you really want something it just isn't the right time or you aren't in the right place to make that happen right this second.

Should you give up on following your bliss, NEVER.  I have been wanting a macro lens for my new camera but the price tag has given me nightmares. Almost as much as I spent for my camera body itself.  I have several macro filters which give me much closer shots but is like reaching for that brass ring only to feel it slip through your fingers.  I can take some pretty awesome shots with the filters I spent 16 dollars on but every time I look at one of my shots I think to myself that could be so much better if I have a macro lens instead of just macro filters. 

I have tried stacking them (screwing multiples together via the threads on the end).  I have tried playing with the settings on my camera to adjust lighting and film speed and yes even worst case scenario playing around in my digital darkroom.  But I feel that my efforts are falling just a tiny bit short of what I really want.

Am I giving up NO.  Am I going to wait and save and eventually purchase the lens I want, maybe.  I have been doing some research regarding what exactly is a macro lens. Watching videos, reading articles. I did find a fascinating on on how to create a macro lens for a point and shoot with a magnifying class but nothing quiet fit what I wanted and the picture quality I wanted to capture.

Although I take great pride in the photos I have taken and some have been rather amazing especially for someone who just very recently picked up a DSLR for the first time. I am always keeping my eye towards the future. Doing research and asking those in the know in order to further my knowledge and hopefully figure out exactly what would work for the lowest price, therefor enabling me to grow and hopefully improve as a photographer.

In the meantime I have become very proficient in the digital darkroom.  Learning just how far I can push my photographs to get exactly what I want and what is fabulous composition instead of just ok shots.  I have also learned that I can digitally enhance photographs to set the scene and tell a story even without the high tech toys I long for.

I have learned that every shot isn't going to breathtaking or even in focus and learning to live within my current restriction.  I have learned that composition is everything in photography. You may get an amazing shot but if the background blends or the camera decides at the last moment to switch to a different subject you may just be wasting your time.

I have also learned that it takes roughly 100 shots before you will finally get that shot you are going after. Partially due to shadows and lighting, and partially due to struggling with subject matter. That lighter colors and darker colors are the absolute hardest to capture on film because the camera doesn't see life the same way the human eye does. I have learned about fill lighting to help bring definition to darker subject and learned about bouncing lights using white poster board or reflective car window shields.  I have also learned that off everything I do in my daily life that 30 minutes I carve out to actually fire my camera is on some days the absolute best 30 minutes of my day.

It gives me something to look forward to, a treat for myself if you will for doing all those things I know I have to do but so don't want to do, like washing dishes, or making the bed.  I have also learned that my passion is a journey unto itself. One I never would have gone on if I hadn't been willing to work for what I wanted and wait until the Universe decided I deserved it.

You may be asking yourself why am I rambling about macro photography and what pertinent information it has in following your bliss.  The answer to that is this. Sometimes you may want something will all your heart. You may daydream of finally having that one thing that you truly believe will make you happy.  You may plan and scheme and talk about that one thing that you really believe will give you happiness. But if you concentrate on only that and not the journey itself you are cheating yourself of the experience of growth. The possibility of learning something along the way.

You may be ignoring the life lessons you were meant to learn in order to prepare yourself for that wonderful moment when the thing you dream about is actually in your hands.  You may even miss out on some very amazing moments that because you were so focused you forgot to look around and notice the little things that life has to offer you in order to help you grow into the person you were born to be.  I am unsure who said it but I do know it is true.  Life isn't about the moments between breaths.  It is the moments that take your breath away.

So I hope my rambling today has helping someone who may be struggling with following their bliss or someone who is considering following their bliss.  Finding your bliss and having your bliss isn't the main goal of this journey. Experiencing new things and putting yourself in a learning frame of mind is. Following your bliss is about not only finding what makes you happy and making it a reality.  It is about learning more about yourself and your world at large.  It is about enjoying the journey and not focusing so much on the end goal.  It is about opening yourself up to new possibilities and the fact that perhaps that end goal isn't all it is cracked up to be or that perhaps the Universe or your higher power has something different in mind for you.

Following your bliss is about all the scrapped knees and busted elbows along the way. It is about all the amazing people you will meet on your journey and all the amazing things you will see.  You don't have to travel the world to experience new things. Yeah travel is awesome and getting the see the world would rock but sometimes you bliss can be found as close as you own back yard.  It just takes viewing the world with a new perspective and allowing it to come to you when it is ready.

You cannot force something to occur just because you want it, sometimes you have to work really hard to get where you want to be.  Sometimes you have to learn to accept failure before you can experience success. And those failures can teach you so much more than success ever will.

I hope my blog today has given some of my readers food for thought. Sometimes you just gotta improvise and learn to do what you can do when you can do it and how you can do it in order to get where you want to be eventually.  Life is a learning process.  It is about loving those closest to us, appreciating the blessing we all have in our lives, even if sometimes those blessings are hard to recognize and most of all enjoying the ride.

Until next time blog buddies, stay safe, stay sane, and be happy.

Some of the amazing shots I am getting as close as my own back yard. Sometimes people will search the ends of the world trying to find what they had all along. Sometimes people will falsely believe that it takes all the money in the world to make them happy. The reality is this. Happiness is a state of mind. It isn't a goal or a journey, it is about knowing that what you are looking for is as close as right where you are. Make the most out of life. Learn to take great joys in those special moments that make life worth living.  At the end folks, life is about what we did in the time we were given, not what we did in the time we never got.

If you would like to follow where my journey is taking me between the bogs I invite you to check out my photography site on facebook. It is a chance to see exactly what I am up to and exactly what I am learning along the way. It isn't just about photos it is also about life and the magical roller coaster we all experience from day to day living it.

My photography page on Facebook