A good friend of mine recently told me that we need to focus more on faith than the hard lessons we go through and have patience. Sometimes, the world is just going to lay it all on you at once without any remorse. It doesn't permit you to beat yourself up along the way or to drown in the negatives. The past two weeks have been challenging and exhausting. I've lost, mourned, suffered, and mentally checked out. As a result, my mind made me feel and sound like a failure. It reached the point where I considered shutting down everything. After having an honest conversation with myself, I realized the many positives about my journey. I do what I can with the resources I have; most can't do that. I've entered a world with no proper training or guidance; my brand became a staple in the South Jersey area. Most studios only have a life span of six months, and my doors are still open. If this isn't my gift and purpose, I would have been out of the game years ago. To the photographer that is questioning their journey or thinking about letting go, please listen carefully. The mentally draining things we go through daily last for however long we allow them to. You are not a failure. That's the wrong "f" word to focus on. Keep your faith and the rest will make sense later on.
