In the days leading up to this picture being taken

My mind grabbed a hold of me—telling me that I looked too tired

That I’d been eating too much and was bloated
~

I unconsciously let those thoughts blend in with who I am

And it was as if I was looking out from those thoughts just like I had put on a pair of tinted glasses
~

As those thoughts became part of how I saw the world,
Feelings of anxiety and unease permeated my experience

And my mind continued to churn out thoughts,
Telling me to cancel the shoot and to reschedule once I was better rested and properly nourished ~

I almost let those thoughts dictate what I did
~

Instead, I was able to notice my thoughts *as* thoughts

And I chose to hold them lightly instead

I looked at the purpose of them —to keep me safe

And then I remembered how I want to live my Life —with courage and authenticity
~

If I had listened to my mind’s call to stay safe

I would have experienced short-term relief in putting off the shoot

But in the long term I wouldn’t have been living my values—or my Life

I would be narrowing my experience

Instead of staying true to what I want to create:

Pictures that are like poetry

That are infused with how I want to act in the world and
How my work feels

Open
Connected
Courageous
Self-Empowered
Purposeful
~

On that day
The thoughts were still
part of my experience

But I was no longer
getting tangled up in them

I wasn’t acting from them

They were still there

But I had taken my power back
And so

I dropped into the moment
I felt the energy of the day
My gratitude for finding this passionate, enthusiastic and gifted photographer

I heard the birds chirping madly

Felt the bitterly cold wind
whipping around and through
me and my dress

I immersed myself
in the green of wintery Nature

Felt the lifting of my energy
Infused now with something more

Grateful and radiant in the knowing
That I could continue to move ahead
in this moment

I let the process of thinking
just *be* there

While I accessed
the depth of True experience instead
~

If I hadn’t shown up to that shoot

I wouldn’t have been living my life’s work:

To own my authentic Path
To trust what Life is offering me
To continue to act in ways to live as I desire

—No matter what unhelpful thoughts and feelings show up 💚🌳💙

Photo credit: Tristan Woods