Holding It Up to the Light

This past week I have been taking a little time to organize my Lightroom Catalog, tidying up my photos from 2020 and setting up my folders for 2021.

Note: If you are curious about how I set up my Lightroom catalog and organize my photos, I have a video tutorial on my YouTube channel where I share my process.

I always enjoy going back through the previous years’ photos. It makes me happy all over again to revisit the memories and moments I captured with my camera. Plus seeing the faces of my people gives me all the warm fuzzies. In a year where physical connection was often very limited, the fact that I have any photos of my loved ones at all is a blessing that is not lost on me in the least.

I also love seeing the evolution of the seasons reflected in the photos of my garden and neighborhood. Nature has always been a source of profound inspiration in my photography, but especially last year I found great comfort in the rhythms of the seasons.

And then of course, there is the light. Always the light. Reminding me of everything that is beautiful and good and true in my life.

And that’s exactly what I love about this objective, big picture view of my photos. Proof that despite the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year that was 2020, there was still so much beauty and goodness.

As I was curating these images, I was particularly drawn to these photos. Little bright spots in my day, both literally and figuratively.

I especially love the way the light stands out in bold contrast to the shadows in these photos. I love how it creeps in through the narrowest of spaces to illuminate little details that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. This is power and the gift of the light – to show us what is important.

In a similar way, despite all of its challenges and frustrations, one of the blessings of 2020 was that it shined a very bright light on what matters most on my life.

So armed with this insight, I’ve been thinking about this a lot in terms of what it means for me going forward in 2021 and beyond. What I don’t need is a anther bumpersticker sentiment or a nebulous, neo-spiritual mantra. Instead, what I have come up with is a practical, functional system to help me in my desire to live a wholehearted, intentional life. And it starts with these three questions:

1. Does this >>>REALLY<<< matter? (Is this my ego or my soul talking? Is this a healthy strive for excellence or toxic perfectionism?)
2. Is this working? (Is this doing what I want it to do? Does this fit within the finite limits of my resources of time and mental+physical energy?)
3. Is this something worth fighting for? (Is this beneficial? Does it add value to my life? Or the lives of those I care about?)

From simple tasks at home to broader concerns for my community, I am finding this approach to be very useful in helping me discern what matters most.

I guess you could say that I am holding my life up to the light.

Because I trust that the Light will always lead me in the right direction.

Love, Kelly