For those of you who aren't aware, my love Karen and I, had left to travel the world for four months in June of 2018. This was no small thing, and in the beginning, I wasn't sure how I was even going to make it happen. Not only was it the opportunity that took us around the world, it was the opportunity that ultimately led me to leave my full-time job to pursue a career in photography full-time.
A Leap of Faith
Karen and I were spending a weekend with some friends down in Sylvan Lake in November of 2017. I had taken on a photography job back in Edmonton on Saturday and I had invited Karen to come along to assist me and also to see how I work.
As we were driving Karen was talking about her upcoming trip to China in June of the following year. She was going to China to learn Mandarin as part of her university program and was going to spend some time afterward travelling in Europe. At the time I was working a 9-5 position and I knew that I may only be able to come visit her at some point for maybe a week or two during her trip. She was talking about how difficult it would be to spend so long away from each other. "I wish you could come with me," she said. "I wish I could too," I said, slouched in my seat, feeling dejected.
All of a sudden a thought occurred to me, and I sat up. "What if I did!" I exclaimed. "What do you mean?" asked Karen. "Well what if I came with you? I could work and save money from every job and I'm sure I could make it happen!"
It was at this moment that I shifted my thinking and did not advocate for my limitations. I knew what I wanted to happen and I set my intentions in alignment with that. I had never travelled outside of North America. At the time I did not have a plan and I did not have steady photography work. What I did have was an intention, a belief in my ability to achieve my aim, and support from my partner.
From this place of intention and belief, it seemed like opportunities showed up for me in ways I couldn't have planned for. Before long I was saving money, I got my passport and visas, I got my vaccines, I had moved out of my condo, and eventually I resigned from my full time employment. Leaving my job was something that I wanted to do for a long while but I never felt like it was the right time, until a week before we flew to China in June, 2018.
This was only the beginning.
I've learned valuable lessons about intention and the power of positive thinking in the pursuit of a goal or objective. These lessons have helped change my perspective on my life and my business, and I believe they could be beneficial to anyone who wishes to make changes in their lives.
You can read more about my trip in future posts I make here.
Thanks for reading!