While looking around yesterday, waiting for the hubby who went into the town hall, my eyes landed across the street, specifically on a wall of a small shop. The artwork featured a camera and some writings. I just had to see what it said, so I zoomed in, took a snap, and then smiled when I read it.
The metaphor on the wall had my mind wandering for a while, and reminded me of what I sometimes forget—that, like a lens, we can choose what we focus on and what fades out of view. We hold the shutter, and we can [re]frame our own experiences.
Just as a camera requires focus, we must also intentionally direct our energy to what matters and not waste it on the background noise. I know... I know... this is very challenging, especially in today's world where distractions are the norm. It doesn't mean it is impossible, though.
And just as a photographer seizes a fleeting moment, we must also live in the present. Yeah... yeah... this is easier said than done, especially when we have been so accustomed to reliving the past and worrying about the future.
Being fully present [in the here and now] pulls us away from past regrets or future anxieties, allowing us to be truly grateful and appreciate the simple, everyday gifts of life.
And as the film requires the darkroom, life also presents us with dark moments (difficulties). But just like film, we must develop from the negatives. The challenges we face are not meant to destroy us, but to build us and shape our character. Often, they reveal our hidden strengths. This reminded me yet again of what I read recently—our problems don't disappear; they get better.
Anyway, isn't that when we take a blurry picture, we don't quit? Instead, we adjust our position, wipe the lens, steady our hand, and take another and many more?
Life offers us the same chances. Every new day is a fresh start. Every sunset is a cue to reset, refocus, press the shutter, and try again.
All photos are my own unless specified. 30062026/08:38ph
