photo by www.Grey-Owl-Photography.com
Last week’s post – Top Photographer Lynsey Addario Lives Her Dream – I highlighted one of the worlds Top Photographers. Researching Addario’s life and work, it is obvious that she is passionate about her role in capturing the reality of life at war - most recently with U.S. involvement in Libya.
It’s also apparent that photography is not just another job for her, or just something she does to pay the bills. She loves it. Its a part of her. She’s passionate about it – she lives and breathes it every day. There is just something about watching someone live their dreams – tirelessly, relentlessly, without compromise - that continues to inspire me.
This week I’ve been reading and reviewing The Case for Falling in Love - a book written by Mari Ruti, PhD. Although it isn’t directly written about photographers, I can certainly link the idea of falling in love with another person to falling and staying in love with our dreams.
A whole chapter could focus on Addario, for instance – focused on a woman in love, driven to live her passion every day.
In chapter 7 of her book, Ruti holds possibility of what it would be like to Seeing the Extraordinary in the Ordinary. She takes a few pages in this chapter to refute the familiar saying, “love is blind.”
She writes,
I think that love is actually unusually clear-sighted and perceptive. It makes us keenly observant. Everything (about our lover) stirs our curiosity. We become inquisitive and eager to explore. When we are truly enchanted it’s hard for us to look away. And the more intimate we get, the more we are granted the privileged of seeing what others don’t have access to. Love may rob us of all kinds of basic skills, such as the ability to stay focused, but it definitely does not strike us blind.
So I started thinking….When I am in love,
I feel alive and thriving.
I am tireless.
I feel creative and driven to stay true to myself.
I hold possibilities for everything I do – taking risks I normally wouldn’t take.
I feel complete – knowing I am a part of something bigger than myself.
Ruti is right. When I am in love, everything before me is clear – not ‘blinding’ at all.
So what about falling in love with our own dreams?
The way we see when we are in love lifts us above the morass of our mundane concerns; we are able to gain a glimpse of the more inspired realms of human life. We are able to find the extraordinary within the ordinary.
When you think about the dreams in front of you, are they clear? Are you curious and inquisitive, eager to explore? Does your life feel enchanting and privileged?
Are your dreams extraordinary?
Are you in love?
Until next photo,
Rem
Remy’s dream is creating opportunities for photography showings and public displays of her work and to ultimately be recognized nationally as a photographer . . . then the world. Remy is CEO of CornerstoneCreative, a business consulting practice in Northern California. Remy’s post day is Wednesday.
Remy’s dream is creating opportunities for photography showings and public displays of her work and to ultimately be recognized nationally as a respected photographer . . . then the world. Remy is CEO of Cornerstone Creative, a business consulting practice in Northern California. Remy’s post day is Wednesday. +Remy Gervais
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