I was listening to a podcast recently and the guest, Dr. Aditi Nerurkar, mentioned a concept which she calls "living a lifetime in a day." Essentially, she proposes that humans gain the most fulfillment, meaning and purpose from 5 categories: work, family, solitude, vacation, and retirement. The entire concept of "living a lifetime in a day" is to incorporate a little bit of each category into our schedule on a daily basis - even if just for a couple minutes.
She describes the first category, work, as our opportunity to create meaning and purpose in what we do. This may look like choosing work that's meaningful to us, or to find a way to make mundane work more meaningful; to give it more significance. The second category is family (or friends). This is simply spending time connecting with your tribe - in person, ideally, otherwise on the phone or video chat. Because, to use Dr. Nerurkar's words, "human relationships are the most significant predictor of happiness." The next category is solitude - dedicating time to be alone, to be quiet, to be calm, and to spend time on ourselves, intentionally. "Science shows that alone time can enhance our ability to respond well to others," giving us a greater likelihood of not only connecting more profoundly with loved ones, but to also navigate difficult situations with calmness and grace. From there Dr. Nerurkar recommends spending a bit of each day on "vacation," which is to spend time doing things that bring you joy - reading, writing, exercising, exploring, dancing, playing music, cooking, etc. Things that we typically do when we have free time on vacation, but rarely dedicate time for in our normal lives. Even if just for a couple minutes - do something you love each day. And lastly, "retire" each day - take time to reflect back, take stock of your accomplishments throughout the day, how you felt, what you enjoyed the most, and possibly even decide on how you'd like to make things even better the following day. I know in my life, when things get busy I'm more likely to put these personal priorities to the side, and for that reason, I plan on making these a priority to start my day, as often as possible, so that I'll be less likely to neglect them when life inevitably interrupts my plans. What do you think about this approach, and is this something you can see yourself enjoying and sticking to? "When we learn to live a lifetime in a day, we redefine time, our greatest and most cherished currency. By taking the long view and zooming out, we paradoxically let ourselves zoom in on what matters most: people, connection, love, purpose, and ultimately happiness- the most therapeutic and resilience-building life force of all!" -Dr. Aditi Nerurkar
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My aunt recently pointed out to me that the only portraits I have shared from Indonesia were of men - and she was right! It had never even occurred to me until she said something. So I dug through the rest of my photos and found this one that I've been meaning to share. When I approached this woman and asked permission to take her photo, she was extremely shy and I was certain she was going to say no. But miraculously she accepted and I happily began taking photos of her. Unfortunately, the first photos I took turned out okay, but not great. Her nerves caused her to practically squirm away from the camera and her discomfort was obvious in person and in the photos. Just as I was preparing to stow away my camera with the intention of putting her out of her misery, she reached down, picked up the bundle of produce she was selling, and hugged it in close. And as she did, she just sort of settled into this calm, natural, peaceful pose - almost as if the produce gave her the comfort and confidence she needed. And I still remember the feeling when it happened - like this tiny blast of electricity that hit me in the chest for a split second and then was gone. I saw, in real time, her entire disposition change - almost as if the nerves that she had been feeling passed directly through the camera and bounced off of me instead. It was the first time I'd experienced something like that while photographing someone and I'll likely remember it for the rest of my life.
"A portrait is not made in the camera but on either side of it." -Edward Steichen You may know this about me, but when I'm not out taking photos my day job is serving and selling wine at a popular winery in Napa Valley. A while back, during one of our staff meetings, one of our winemakers, TJ Evans, was talking about our various different vineyards and their various different characteristics. One of these vineyards he described as "the one with the airplane shaped reservoir." I had never thought of it quite in those terms, but I knew exactly which vineyard he was referring to and I knew exactly where it was located --- I pass it every day on my way to, and from, work. Even though I had never considered photographing it before, hearing TJ's description made me wonder what it would look like from above. Eventually, as you can see, curiosity got the best of me and on a beautiful morning I decided to fly my drone over the top of it. The sun was rising and the fog was still scattered throughout the valley and it ended up being a lovely start to the day. And I'm really glad that I allowed someone else's perspective to pique my interest.
"The greatest tragedy for any human being is going through their entire lives believing the only perspective that matters is their own." -Doug Baldwin Well, we officially made it to 2024! This is the first year, for as long as I can remember, that I didn't do anything for New Year's Eve. I'm not saying I typically go wild or anything, but I usually do something, somewhere with someone. Not this year. I stayed home, just me and Rosie girl, watched a movie and ate a pint of ice cream. Yes, the entire pint. And it was lovely. I even made time to meditate before heading to bed. And I know what you're wondering so I'll put you out of your misery, yes I stayed up until midnight. But barely. There were actually a few reasons why I decided to stay home on New Year's Eve. One big reason is that I haven't been drinking lately, and the thought of being around a bunch of drunk people on one of the biggest party nights of the year didn't appeal to me. Another reason is that I've been saving as much money as possible for my trip to Nepal, and apart from the gigantic $4.99 ice cream splurge, didn't feel like spending a bunch of money on a night that I wasn't that excited for anyways. But an even bigger reason was that I simply didn't feel like celebrating the new year with a bunch of noise and a bunch of people and a bunch of alcohol. I was happy to be quiet, and calm, and welcome the new year with a clear mind and a clear heart. And I was rewarded by waking in the morning, well rested and without hangover, to this beautiful foggy morning on a local hiking trail with my camera and my dog. And it felt like the perfect start to the year.
"It is only when we silent the blaring sounds of our daily existence that we can finally hear the whispers of truth that life reveals to us, as it stands knocking on the doorsteps of our hearts." -K.T. Jong |
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