2 Easy Ways to Achieve Positive Mind Shifts

I suck at taking pictures – no really it’s true, I’m not over exaggerating. Just ask any of my kids, they would agree without hesitation. Let me give you an example. I was recently in San Diego with my kids for my youngest son’s 18^th birthday. This particular Sunday, we had just finished having breakfast at the Goldfish Point Café in La Jolla. Anyone familiar with this spot knows that it is right on the waterfront showcasing breathtaking seaside views. Wanting to capture memories, as I always do, we walked across the street to the La Jolla Cove with its awe inspiring landscape and did what everyone else was doing – taking pictures.

I had just upgraded to an I-Phone 7 Plus with the cool new camera that includes portrait mode. The ads say, “Shoot like a Pro with the New Depth of Field Effect.” The advertisers didn’t’ have me in mind when they captured that slogan. Before I knew it my kids had quickly taken my camera and were shooting candid shots that quite frankly looked very professional. Mine – not so much; let’s just say mine didn’t make the Instagram cut. If I had a $44,995 Hasselblad H5D–200C Multi shot DSLR camera, I guarantee you I’d blotch the shots.

Why? I have no idea – maybe I don’t know how to get the right angle, perhaps I can’t discern the proper lighting or see the effect of shadows. Nothing works for me with a camera in my hand.

But there is one thing I have mastered through the years with a camera and that is taking memorable, unforgettable snapshots in my mind. As an expert photographer, I vividly captured the time:

Someone called me stupid. Click, save image.
At 16 when I overheard two high school girls saying, “Rita looks pretty from far away but up close she really isn’t.” Click, save image.
I dropped out of Finite Math at ASU – 3 times to be exact. Click, save image.
That day in court when the judge’s gavel went down with a deafening thud as he pronounced the dissolution of my 31 year marriage. I not only had an intense photo in my mind but I took that one a step further and become a videographer and made it a reel to reel.

I could go on and on but you get the picture (haha, no pun intended).

So, what kind of photographer are you? What snapshots do you expertly click and save in your mind? Do you continually play them as reel to reels and have them set on repeat?

The breakup you just experienced?
The day you were fired?
How about the promotion you were passed up for?
Remember the time someone called you dumb, ugly, worthless?
The rejection letter?

We are all living this tapestry of life. Many times we see snapshots of our lives only from the backside of the tapestry; looking frayed and knotted with a mess of discombobulated threads. If we keep the snapshots in our minds fixed on the jumbled mess, we will stay stuck there and perhaps abandon our hopes, dreams, and purpose.

Another unfortunate thing happens when we are fixated on the backside of the tapestry, we attach powerful words to the images; stupid, not worthy, not good enough, loser, failure, unattractive, and we start believing those labels.

So how can you become an expert photographer and change your portfolio?

The first step is to go into the dark room where film is processed and turn on a bright light. The image will be ruined. That’s only the beginning. The next step is to take new snapshots and focus on them.

What has been your greatest accomplishment?
What are you most proud of?
What do you dream of?

These are the snapshots you can now focus on.

I honestly still suck with a camera in my hands. But you know what; I’ve become a high-end professional photographer. I’ve mastered the art and craft of picture taking in my mind by using this creative dark room work. You can too. You can intentionally ruin the old images and replace them with the new ones and see the beautiful, front side of the tapestry of your life. Remember photographs tell a story – what story are you telling yourself?

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Rita Hudgens

Leadership and Personal Development Coach at Transform University

Rita is a Performance Improvement Coach. Her mission is simple; she helps entrepreneurs, achievers, and leaders make positive changes in their behavior. She empowers her clients so they are more in control of their present which in turn gives them a greater sense of self-confidence. She creates a safe environment for them and builds on their values, passions and strengths so that they can achieve their personal and professional goals.

Rita helps her clients:
• Embrace their true potential
• Change their limiting beliefs/thoughts
• Create Purpose
• Live Empowered, Confident, and Successful Lives

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What Do Your Snapshots Tell You? 2 Easy Ways to Achieve Positive Mind Shifts