Photography Spirituality Family

Timing is everything. As is often said, you find things or they find you as needed. How fitting then, that just as I begin to make changes in my own life, Eat Pray Love should be in theaters. I went to the movie last night and I couldn't help but relate to the journey and feelings of the main character. As she went through her three phases of Eat Pray and Love to find her true self, I came to the realization that I have my own three elements that help me find my balance and stay true to myself - photography, spirituality, and family. Lucky for me, I don't have to buy any plane tickets ;)

PHOTOGRAPHY

I love taking pictures. My friends jokingly refer to me as "paparazzi." My photography habit started mainly because I am, by nature, a very sentimental person. I love having pictures of people, places, and things that made me happy. I love memories and I love capturing special moments. Because, as we all know, nothing lasts forever but looking at a picture can instantly bring back the feeling of that time, place, and who you were then.

However, lately photography has begun to mean even more to me. Instead of using it just to capture my own memories, I use it to capture the beauty I see in the world. By focusing on taking pictures of breathtaking scenes in nature, I have been put in a state of awe as to the wonder of it all. From the smallest flower blossoming through a crack in concrete to a dolphin jumping out of the water to a magnificent sunset overlooking the horizon, photographing nature is a reminder of how truly small one person is in the grand scheme of things. It removes feelings of egoism because you realize how truly small you are. The world is gigantic, full of an unimaginable array of life, and truly awe-inspiring. That being said, you also realize that everything is connected. Each living thing, including you, is one piece of the puzzle - a gigantic gazillion-piece puzzle - that needs every single piece to be complete. Once you realize that, you take comfort in being a part of this great, big, wonderful world and you are filled with gratitude for being part of something so much greater than yourself.

One more thing, to everyone who gets annoyed when someone wants to take picture of you, remember this: It is a compliment. A photo says, "You were so important to me that I put down everything else to come watch."

SPIRITUALITY

I believe in G-d. My faith has never wavered. My connection and observance of my faith.. well, that's a different story. Make no mistake, I have no doubt that what I believe is true. But for some reason, I've been having real difficulty putting my thoughts into actions. This can't be good for the soul because it's trapped in your body and they're at odds. Without going into too much detail on this particular subject, I will say that once again, timing is everything. How fitting is it that I am reevaluating my life when Rosh Hashannah is right around the corner. I plan on taking full advantage of the High Holidays by reevaluating myself and allowing my soul to guide my actions. After all, "You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body."

FAMILY

The one thing in life we have absolutely no control over is our family. What makes that so comforting though, is that you know, that since you had no control over it, you were born into the exact family you were meant to be a part of (no matter how crazy they seem to be). When all is said and done, family is all you got. They are the ones who love you unconditionally. My family is my backbone. Because of them, I have been able to fall and pick myself back up again, time after time. As you go through life, you need other people to share it with - people who are loyal and love you. There's no greater love than that of family.

And don't get me wrong, family is not just limited to blood. I am so blessed to have a few friends that I have been close with for as long as I can remember. We have seen each other through everything, all the ups and downs of growing up. We've all made mistakes and we've always forgiven each other. We always will. We're are a secondary family. We truly do love each other. We understand each other. We're sisters and brothers with different parents. And that's family.

Remember this, "You go through life alone. But you'll have many visitors. Some are long-term. Most aren't." Those long-termers... hold on close to those and realize you're blessed to have them!