A few years ago I was shooting photos early one Saturday morning. In the downtown area of Charlottesville, Virginia there is a chalk wall where people leave a variety of comments and drawings. I was reminded that morning that the unexpected can be a good thing.
On that early September morning, I noticed that square in the center of the wall it said, “You will likely forget this ever happened”. Given the flurry of colors and words, pictures and printing, it was a good representation of how so many are caught up by the noise. It becomes likely that an experience is forgotten.
As I was framing the photo, a little girl walked through the image carrying a plastic bag. The image that I call, “Taking My Chalk and Going Home” was an unplanned treasure and she made it more than I intended it to be. Instead of a wall of text and drawings, it now has life and intention as this little girl seemed determined and focused on her direction.
Can you remember those days as a child full of dreams, hope and imagination? I recall imagining that I could build a spaceship and go to the moon. At the time I was living in the Bayside Trailer Park…and it was nothing like a park: dirt roads with pot holes and old trailers and old cars. Yet, that was the life we had during some very poor times. Even so, I could still imagine flying toward space and my only supplies were some scrap pieces of wood found behind an empty trailer. Where did those days of wonder go? If asked, some will answer that question by saying that life got in the way or the unexpected came their way.
It’s easy to get caught up with life and the busyness that comes with it. Some limit their dreams to what they currently have and falsely believe that is the limit of their potential. For those who believe that self-limiting story, that becomes their reality. Yet, it doesn’t have to be or stay that way.
When the unexpected comes, sometimes it brings opportunity. Opportunity to see things differently, to feel things differently, or even look at ourselves in a new way. Granted the photo is a “little” unexpected thing. There are the big things that come along that can shake us if we are not grounded and prepared to view it from different angles.
When you look at the cross section of a tree stump, its history is displayed by the age rings. The inner rings (or child years) are part of the same tree with the older rings. Notice how the inner rings are protected by the nicks and dings of life while the older rings are closer to the thin skin of the tree that shows the wear.
Our hopes, our dreams, our ambitions and our potential for the future are still there, just clouded by unfocused noise.
Don’t let the unexpected limit you, but use it as an opportunity. Ask yourself, “What lessons can I learn from this?” And, “What can I do with that?” If you want your life to move forward, you have to move. Movement takes action. Just know that inside, you are the same capable person, able to imagine and create a future in the same way you as a child could do in your imagination. If the noise of life or the unexpected has gotten in the way from what you currently believe is your future, that can be changed – you can live the life you’ve been wanting.
If you’re unsure where to go or what to do next, then seek the help of a Life Coach. You will see the empowerment that is already within you to find your way to success. I can help you get there.
~ Anthony M. Davis, BCH, MSCA
As a side note, this unexpected image sold many times over as art prints.
