Time to Adjust Your Sails?

“The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The realist adjusts the sail.” William A. Ward

by Skip Cohen

A few months back, Sheila and I got in the habit of each picking a motivational writer and, over breakfast, reading a short thought for the day. While it's not something I ever thought I'd enjoy doing, it's terrific. It gives us a daily anchor, especially through the last year of being somewhat isolated.

This morning, Melody Beattie really hit home, tying into something I've noticed repeatedly with many of you over the last few months.

"There is always someone else to take the fall if our plans don't work out: "I would have been more successful, but the economy was slow this year." "Well, that sounds nice, but my therapist says that I should avoid too much stress." "I wanted to do that, but my husband didn't like the idea."

What a frightening prospect it is to take your life into your own hands, to decide whether or not you will accept full responsibility for all of your actions and choices.
 
What an amazing - and sometimes terrifying - freedom complete responsibility for actions brings! Sometimes we make mistakes. Sometimes we stumble and fall. But oh, the feeling when ou finally get it right, when you decide to take that step and it works! That when you discover that those fragile butterfly winds on your back are not there just for ornamentation. You can Fly!

Take charge of your life. Take responsibility for your actions. Ultimately no one chooses what you will do but you, anyway. Enjoy the freedom. You've had it all along."

​And here's my point: I'm tired of photographers who blame everything on the pandemic. I'm not suggesting business hasn't changed, or for that matter, that revenue didn't disappear. But I'm seeing so many artists who continued to build relationships with their clients, offered support during the toughest of times, and worked to expand their skill set. Now, as things slowly change and we get back a little normalcy, they're in the perfect position to bring back some of the last year's business.

Hunkering down is about your health - NOT about your business! And there's time now to rebuild and regain the momentum you had before the pandemic.

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