comfort zone

sara and hero ... an amazing team

what is a comfort zone? where is it? where is yours? can you move to another comfort zone or do you have to stay in one permanently?  i had a glimpse of what mine looks like this past week, and how, even though it's not a physical place, it's hard to move beyond nonetheless.

but, here's the thing ... whether you break through the barriers on your own with just white-knuckle willpower or someone else pushes you through them, i believe that once you do venture out of that place, the air is so much sweeter and the sun is so much brighter.

i had a session this past weekend. i had an amazing session this past weekend. it was my biggest and most exciting photographic opportunity so far in my career. i was surrounded by fun and talented people in a scenic outdoor environment, with a dog that was amazing and i was there with my camera. pinch me, now!

but ... i almost didn't go because i didn't have the faith and confidence in myself to believe that i could do it and do a good job. i had lame excuses and, thankfully, they didn't work on someone in my life who sees more in me than i see in myself and she wasn't letting this one go. 

my subject that day is a celebrity in the dog world. she's nationally known and incredibly accomplished at her craft. i was awestruck and became an instant fan. her dog, hero lived each moment with unbridled joy and had laser focus on doing what he's trained to do.  he was just happy to be doing what he was doing with the person he wanted to be doing it with.

that was his comfort zone and i want to live each day just like that. ready to do what i'm trained to do and do it without fear or hesitation. i am a pet family photographer and i think i'm going to start working in a new comfort zone. i got this! you got this! we got this! watch the dogs, they're great examples and teachers.