The One That Moves Me

May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and some good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful. And don't forget to make some art-write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.

Neil Gaimon

I hate resolutions, but I love quotes like this. They're more about living life to the fullest rather than putting artificial rules in place for our lives that make us feel like we're being punished. So this year I'm not making any. This year I'm concentrating on "going with my gut" because if I do that, all these other things will flow from it. I've learned to listen to it even if it doesn't make sense at the time or, frankly, make sense to anybody else.

When I take photos it often plays out the same way. There's usually three or four in a series that are very similar. I stumble on an angle I like and I shoot a few just to be sure. When the selection process starts I try and be as ruthless as possible. You would think the picture I'd choose would be the most perfect. The lighting is right, all elements are in the shot...everyone is all smiles. But I very rarely pick that shot because the little voice in my head says that's not good enough.....go back to the other one.

I can't explain why, but there's something about it. Something that makes me stop. Something that means I can't take my eyes off of it. It might be messy, it might be moody and it might mean taking a chance. But something about it moves me.

That's the one I pick.

I don't know what this year will hold. A rocky start has already happened to be sure. I meant to get this post up New Year's Day. But I caught the plague from some very adorable cherubs and my mind couldn't process much more than how to make chicken soup for a few days.

I also think I was meant to have a couple of conversations that solidified what I already knew I wanted to write about. Life isn't perfect. It's really hard. But when we have things that we know are true in our hearts, things that we know beyond a shadow of a doubt are the right thing for us we have to go for it. We have to be strong. We have to be patient. We have to take every chance afforded to us and live this damn life to the fullest.

I don't want good enough. I want it all.

So what will I do this year? I will live. I will love. I will work. I will take pictures. I will sing (I sing in a band, but trust me it's still poignant even if you don't literally do it). I will have to make choices. I will have to decide whether to turn left or right. What will I choose? I don't know. But I do know.....

I will pick the one that moves me.......