What Do You Want To Do With Your Life? | Maine Wedding Photographer

When I was in high school I wanted to be a poet, but I knew I’d never make a living penning down the images that would develop in my mind, so I set more reasonable goals: I would teach.  And then, while in college, I decided I’d be a professor of poetics.  Yes, I thought, this would allow me to live the dream; perhaps I would achieve a bit of fame in the national poetry scene and contribute to others’ educations, while making a decent income.

Eventually, when I tried teaching for the first time as a graduate student, I found that I enjoyed it and found it meaningful, but I didn’t get that gut feeling that told me that teaching was my destiny.  And as I continued on with my graduate degree, I knew that the world of academia was also not quite right, even though I loved writing papers on creative, zany topics.

I finished out my master’s degree, because what else was I supposed to do?  After all, I couldn’t make money writing or doing something creative, right?  I watched my classmates go on to their PhDs or continue to teach College Composition, and during the next couple of years, when I was underemployed at jobs that did not excite me, I wondered why I felt like I was failing at my own life.  But slowly, over the course of a year, as I began to spend my free time becoming reacquainted with my camera and found a passion that consumed me, I thought, well, what the heck?  I have nothing to lose– I’m going to try and live a life that is based on what I’m really passionate about, a creative and wonderfully challenging life spent with interesting people doing interesting things.

And, because I loved what I was doing, it worked.

I mention this story now because I found myself turning it over in my mind when I came across this video and watched it:

When I watched this for the first time, I wanted to cry because Alan Watts, the narrator of the video, says it perfectly:

“better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing than a long life spent in a miserable way.  And after all, if you do really like doing what you’re doing it doesn’t matter what it is… you can eventually… become a master at it… But it’s absolutely stupid to spend your time doing things you don’t like… and to teach your children to follow in the same track”

Life is short.  Do you love what you’re doing?  If not… what can you do to make that happen?  Let’s all make 2013 a time of change and reflection and aim to make our lives centered around happiness.

Because blog posts are always sad without a photo… here’s a sneak peek from an engagement session I did this weekend.  I always love a great sunset/silhouette shot!