“hide not your talents. they for use were made. what’s a sundial in the shade?” – benjamin franklin
awhile back i had a photoshoot with swafia, a talented and beautiful entrepreneur in the d.c. area. i learned so much from it. honestly, it was my first shoot since the holiday season. i love photography. i think i’m pretty good at. but i’ve been hiding. however, behind the scenes i’d created an entirely new website; i’d purchased new lenses. but only a few knew. the shoot with swafia helped with my motivation and i left with a few takeaways.
go with your strengths
what are you good at? i mean so good at that people come to you for it. whatever that is, go with it! (trust me, you have it!). a few summers ago, i learned to go with it. for our annual retreat, my office read the book strengths finder by tom roth. it includes an assessment that identifies your top traits. mine are: adaptability, ideation, connectedness, empathy and relator. i’m extremely ‘go with the flow’ and i love weaving experiences. i also recognize my lacks, so i ask for help and defer to those with the strengths needed in the situation. there’s beauty in that balance in any environment. recognize and appreciate it.
hear the cheer
when swafia arrived for the shoot, someone was in the car with her. he emerged carrying clothes on hangers. i thought, “oh my GOD, she has an assistant…this is big!” it was big, but the ‘assistant’ turned out to be her friend. throughout the shoot he encouraged her, motivated and cheered her on. he brought out her natural, already there smile. i remembered we need those people around. it made me appreciate the people i have cheering for me. we all have them. it might be a family member (thanks jiniya), a partner, a boss or even the cashier at the grocery store that tells you “you’re still looking good.” listen and look around for them. they’re there. look out for them, the same way they do for you.
believe
belief is faith. it’s not tangible. i think it’s that yearning for something. something bigger, greater, better, above where we are. it’s that voice, that nudge that tells us to keep going; aim higher. we see ourselves at the elevated place we want to go. hard work gets us there but belief drives and sustains us. i love capturing memories. i believe it, too. thanks for the nudge swafia. this is just the beginning…trust and believe. 
