In retrospect, I have deceived myself…

I have somehow equated being naturally gifted at something to mean putting in a lot of effort. Boy, was I wrong. Dead wrong.

I got the rudest awakening in my photography exploits. This was not like high school. Back then, I did not actually have to study for certain subjects because I got the concepts quickly in classes. Neither was this like music where I could learn a song within a couple days. Rather, I was forced to learn and discover about the craft, and even myself. That process has been painful.

Ask my brother. I have quit multiple times. I almost sold my camera. There is something about not getting it right the first couple of tries that makes one think you are not good at it at all. Every photo taken was problematic in my eyes. It was never enough. Blame that on the overachieving side of me. However, with well-needed encouragement from family and friends, I realized that some crafts take more work and time than others. I cannot expect to grow overnight in anything. I had to put in the work and be patient with the process and the outcome.

I am grateful that this is not unique to me. Usain Bolt is one who serves as an example. He was a talented athlete. Owing to his pursuits, he is an inspiration to many on and off the track. Before he shattered the Men’s 100m and 200m World Records, he had to train. He worked on his techniques. He had to engage in a routine that possibly made him wonder why he chose athletics as a career. However, he stuck with the process and became the fastest man alive. His talent got him on a platform but discipline and intentionality took him further.

I’m realizing that this has been the case for me. Yes, I might have an eye for photography. However, there has to be days of intense practice, research, inquiring of others on how to improve and more. My family must be tired of me now because they have become my muse, perpetually. I believe my first set of photos are substandard in comparison to what I am producing now. I see the poor techniques I employed in the past. I use those and adjust. Still, there is so much more to learn. There is so much more room to grow. As I always tell my friends, it’s only up from here.

Though the Jamaican term “If yuh waan good, yuh nose haffi run” (translation: If you want good your nose has to run) seems unsanitary to me, our forefathers knew that reaching our goals meant putting in the effort. We have to be willing to be disciplined even when motivation is nowhere in sight.

In the age of throwing words like “manifestation” and “attract” around, we need to realize that many things we desire for ourselves will never fall in our laps. We have to go get it. We must do this with intentionality. That career. That long-lasting relationship. That weight loss goal. That sound financial portfolio. All these and more deserve our best efforts if we really want it. I know getting what we want has its challenges. However, will we not rejoice and be proud of our achievements because we gave it our best shot?

^{Photo by Anna Might (IG:@annamighttakepics)}