A thought in photography and life:

Be highly selective.

For example in photography, be highly selective about the photos you decide to keep or ditch.

In life, be highly selective in terms of the people you decide to let into your life. Be highly selective of the foods you eat, be highly selective of the books you read, and be very selective about the music and media you consume.

Life is limited and short. We cannot do everything, we cannot read everything, and we cannot listen to everything.

Perhaps this is the secret to thriving in life: deciding what NOT do do, what NOT to listen to, and what to ignore.

To be picky is good.

I think in modern society, we are taught from a young age that being picky is bad. To be picky is to be ungrateful, to be sinful, and to be morally wrong.

I think this comes from a ‘poverty mentality’, in when you CANNOT WASTE. Also from a Christian perspective: “We must be grateful what God has given us.”

My thought:

Perhaps pickiness (being ruthless about what to reject from our lives) is our virtue — something essential to the principle of thriving in life.

Do we know ‘what is good for us’?

This is where things get tricky:

Others think they know what is best for us.

Certainly when we are children, for the most part, our parents know what is best for us. But as we get older, we start to discover our own true preferences — what we love, and what we hate. But as we get older and gain our own opinion, our parents (and society) see that they are losing power over us, and therefore continue to try to dominate and control us. This isn’t sinister or evil — it is natural! Everyone feels deep pain when they witness themselves losing power over others.

But my personal belief is this:

Only YOU know what is best for YOU! Ignore everyone else.

Be extremely hard-headed, stubborn, and tenacious about what you truly care and believe in. Never compromise your true beliefs.

When it comes to the petty and unsubstantial in life– just obey the other person (whether it be your partner or kids). But when it comes to what you really care about in life, you must never compromise, no matter what.

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BE BRAVE!

ERIC