We are the takers of the photographs

Sometimes when we look back at old photographs we are able to see a glimpse of life we overlooked at the time. Hints of life we didn't want to see at the time. Refused to see at the time. But knew they were always there but did not want to admit they were there. Could not accept they were there. Too blinded by what we wanted to believe rather than what was right there in front of us waiting for us to discover all along.

We always know when something is not right and sometimes we force it because we are afraid to face the inevitable. Afraid of upsetting or hurting others while we upset and hurt ourselves instead. We are nervous about disrupting the balance when we knew all along there was no balance. The deck was stacked against us from the beginning but we kept shuffling the same deck over and over again wondering why the hand we got was always so lousy. Why we always had a bad taste in our mouths.

Until we accept, sometimes we have to be willing to make decisions only we can understand.  Decisions only we know are right because they resonate deep down in our souls.

And sometimes it takes a long time to make those decisions because we are afraid of what others may think. Afraid of how we will be perceived to the outside world rather than what feels right for us. Worried about who will leave and who will remain. Afraid of the judgment of others when others would be honored to be in our place; but because they aren't, will throw poison darts at us to try to take away our confidence. Try to take away our spark. Our light.

But what we have to accept is no one can take away our spark unless we give them permission. No words others speak of us can hurt us unless we allow them to hurt us. No action taken by another can break us unless we allow them to break us.

People, places and things come and go in our lives and all that remains is us at the end of the day. All that remains is who we are and what we were sent here to be and to do.

We must trust life to direct us. To lead us. To guide us by listening to our own inner power and not to the voice of the naysayers. Not to those who try to take us down. Not to those who are here to spread dark energy. Remembering we always know the truth and the light because we are the truth and the light.

Sometimes it’s good to look back at photos we have taken because we realize we took those photos for a reason. We realize they tell us stories we already knew but were afraid to accept. They show in an instant the truth we tried to suppress or ignore but photos don’t lie. They capture the essence of what our inner eye saw at the time. What we were asking to see but could not see. Would not see.

They show us how we were and still maybe afraid to change the people and places and things that did not feel right in our lives because we were afraid of where we would end up. Afraid of hurting others. Afraid of being alone. Only to realize the only people that were ever hurt and betrayed and led astray were us and us alone.

Life is like a series of pictures. A compilation of stories. And we are the main characters in those pictures. The heroes of those stories. So the question becomes what images do we want to leave behind. What story do we want to be told about who we are and what we are?

Only we know the answers to those questions and only we can live the life we are meant to live. No one else can do it for us. Only us. And we have to be brave enough to stand  in our own wisdom and power to be who we asked to be. Regardless of the naysayers, soothsayers and dream slayers. We are the object of our dreams, champions of our fate and bringers of our own light. Because we are the owners and drivers of our destiny. No one else but us.

We are the takers of the photographs. What were we trying to capture and know about ourselves? Look carefully, the story is there in the photograph as it is in our lives waiting for us to see with our eyes wide open. Namaste.