I want my photography to mean something. I want my writing to mean something. I want you to walk away with something. I kept revolving around "having a positive outlook on life." But we’ve all heard that we should “have a good attitude,” “to avoid negativity.” But, it kept nagging me because I know it’s more than that. It’s about being aware of your attitude and everyone else’s around you, just like a photographer evaluates the entire scene for the best shot. You’re building a more positive life than you think. Happiness is great. And personally, I think you should strive to be happy, but I want to specify that I’m not talking about happiness specifically. Living a positive life means persevering, not giving up, looking on the bright side even in harder times. It’s not possible to be positive 100% of the time and eliminate every bad day. No one is asking that! It’s about the big picture. Life is like a camera. If things don't work out, then take another shot. Not all tries will be good. Capture the good times and develop from the negatives. Focus on what's important. Because aren’t we all in the same boat here? Don’t we all have our problems in life? And aren’t we all coping with them? Here’s our downfall though, we forget that everyone else is in the same boat too. That's why we share photos, to let others see through your lens and experience different perspectives together. People have larger problems than others, but remember you have your shoes and they have theirs, there is no walking the same line. Being positive means accepting that bad things are temporary, that there is a silver lining. But, I want you to realize you are more positive than you think you are. Dr. Streep from Psychology Today states that “bad things indicate a need for the self to change something. That is, bad things prompt self-regulation.” His point is that humans naturally become a more positive person after a bad situation. Maybe not right away, but before letting those events get you down, think about the resilience you’re building. Not every photo I take will be "picture perfect," but each time I'm learning how to make the next photo that much better. Think about the big picture. The Mayo Clinic says, “positive thinking doesn't mean that you keep your head in the sand and ignore life's less pleasant situations.” You don’t have to pretend that everything is all fine and dandy to be a positive person. It just means that through difficult times, you’ll still find a way to persevere. Be confident with yourself and don’t count yourself out of living a positive life just because you might not be happy all the time. We all better ourselves through the different events that happen in our lives. Remember that everyone has their own problems. Everyone has their own lens to look through.
Life is like a camera. If things don't work out, then take another shot. Capture the good times. Develop from the negatives. Focus on what's important. *All pictures taken by Kelly Peterson Photography*
2 Comments
Natalie Mueller
3/6/2017 10:17:38 am
I love every aspect of this blog. It relates so much to my life and I love how you related your blog back to photography. It is so cool that two completely different things can come together and relate to each other as one. There are times in my life that I have a negative attitude and I feel down, but now I just have to look at it like you do. I have to “take another shot,” as you would say, and look at the bigger picture. Not everything in life is meant to go your way, in fact a lot of times things don’t go your way. But that’s what life is about. It is about learning from the mistakes you make and overcoming the negatives in order to be a happier person, both points that you stated very well. Everyone has their own perspective on life, and it is important to remember that they aren’t all the same. Life is a roller coaster; we just have to remember to make the most of the highs and the lows. This blog post was constructed fantastically and it is very relatable to life today. Great Job!
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Jason Rock
3/8/2017 06:08:39 pm
I really liked this article, I believe it has a great theme overall. I especially liked how you related your message to a real world example. I find myself agreeing with you throughout your post. I wasn’t expecting to think so deeply on a Wednesday morning but your post made me do just that. When you state how we post pictures to show people a little glimpse into our life, it made me realize that your argument is very true. For instance I recently shared an Instagram post just to show I was a member of National Honor Society. I wanted to let others know that I am not a dumb football player. Crazy how your blog post and my world coincide. Great post! Thanks for sharing!
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Greetings!I'm Kelly! I like to find beauty in what might seem mundane to us over time and bring to life what we experience each day. Check out the About Me tab for an additional look at who I am. Archives
July 2019
Taking an image, freezing a moment, reveals how rich reality truly is. |