"I reject your reality...

and substitute my own.

"I reject your reality and substitute my own."

I was reminded of his quote today by a friend at the stables.  It is from Adam Savage on Mythbusters.

.
Stop to think about that sentence for a moment.  I did.

At the time the reference was made, my friend was sitting on a young horse and I was sitting quietly on Arvo as emotional support.  His young horse was working through a bit of anxiety over the changes in the elements.  The wind was blowing a warm, yet strong, breeze; this young mare was highly tuned to the changes around her. Meanwhile, the three of us sat, smiling and enjoying the breeze, waiting for her to just relax back into the moment with us.  My friend did not take on her anxiety, did not amplify her nervousness by over compensating for her restless movements, he merely sat relaxed in the saddle and smiled- then said, "I reject your reality and substitute my own".

As he said that sentence, I had one of those "ah ha" moments.  That was exactly what it is about.

In a society that is so fiercely driven by individualism, work ethic, personal determination, and success against all odds- it becomes ever challenging to reject the idea of walking in the grass next to the path most are traveling.  The idea of  of plugging into the education system (switch conveyor belts) straight into the corporate system allows for such ideologies commonly represented as the white picket fence with the 2 car garage, health insurance, 401K, and a 40 hour work week dominate the long term goals of said individuals.

How does this relate to photography?  "I reject your reality and substitute my own".

I reject the embedded idea that human beings plug into the system for the security that the above mentioned lifestyle affords.  I am not rejecting working in the corporate world, mind you, but rather that it is too easy to allow the work to become work simply for the sake the the means.

We all want security.  We all need passion. We all crave inspiration.

I reject the idea that I may subjugate myself into working in a corporate environment to be more financially comfortable at the end of the month.  I substitute my willingness to be uncomfortable from time to time while embracing the knowledge that if I work hard enough, stay inspired, and learn from our inherent fear of success- that my reality will always be worth it.

I reject standardized work hours and understand that I may double your 40-hour work weeks to manifest my reality.

I reject the idea that any amount of security is worth a lack of inspiration in your life, job, or career.

I substitute that if I allow the flow of inspiration to merge with an awareness to manifest my personal goals and the flexibility to walk, run, and pause where needed- the "security" will follow suit.

I see this theory reflecting truth from the growth of my photography company.  That is my reality.

Yesterday, I witnessed a long standing goal of mine suddenly become a tangible reality as I unlocked the photo studio yesterday.  I sat for a quiet moment and thought about how much work, time, fear, challenges, growth, learning curves, technical purchases, new information and continued inspiration the last few years have afforded me... I smiled.

"I reject your reality and substitute my own."