Seriously. Haven’t you ever heard that before? Okay, so I’m paraphrasing a bit from what Gary Fong said in his talk last night, but I think a little creative license is allowed, right?
My interpretation of Gary’s analogy of soap was that when we try to grasp for it, the more we work, the harder we reach for it, the more it just slips right out of our hands. It’s when we let it go and let it settle that we are then able to pick it up again. That’s not unlike life or our dreams. When we strive, grasp and try so hard to reach for something, it often remains just outside of our grasp. Or worse moves further away from us altogether. Gary calls this the “Law of Repulsion.”
The question is how do you reconcile this letting go with my post just two days ago about hitting your target. I think they actually work together. The principle Gary was talking about is what led him to become and write the book, The Accidental Millionaire. It wasn’t through planning and focusing on being a millionaire. It wasn’t even about knowing what businesses he would one day run and own. What led him to where he is today (a multi-millionaire) was an upward spiral of constantly doing what it took that day.
He started with wedding photography, began inventing products for photographers, and eventually went on to purchase two companies—one to manufacture the products and the other to ship them. That’s not really a trajectory that anyone would say is common or likely. Yet, by being open to what came next, by seeing that what he was doing at the present moment was preparing him for the future moments, that’s where he ended up.
So the principle of preparation and doing what you can in the context of your current circumstances is sound. It’s the daily discipline of improving your craft. It’s the constant focus on the process, what you can control in the present moment and letting go of expectations and projections of any future outcomes.
I’ve really approached this challenge that way and it works. I have no expectations about what 300% improvement in my photography will really look like. Since I can’t see it, all I can focus on are the three daily tasks I have in front of me. And before you know it, I’m at Day 65 and shooting images in New Orleans or on a photowalk in the French Quarter with Scott Bourne. You just never know where your path will take you. Letting go of the need to control or force a specific outcome or vision allows for the unexpected. And that makes the ride fun!
What are your thoughts?
Manual: Page 90—Custom Settings.
Images: Looked at images from the McLellan’s on their blog. Fun shots from a shooting workshop in NOLA last week.
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