Oh my friends, it has been a wild journey this year. And perhaps the biggest lesson I’ve learned is to let go. To let go of what holds you back, makes you feel scared, or tells you that you can’t achieve what your greatest hopes are. If we feel those negative feelings, if we feel held back, it is so often because we ourselves will not let go of what makes us feel safe. In a span of one week, between an experience I had in Chicago and hosting my Promoting Passion Convention, I had that epiphany. I realized that I could blame others for failures or, even, a lack of success, or I could own up to my shortcomings. Good things come most reliably when you change. Moving the thing that was blocking goodness from coming in is the way to move forward. And so I decided to remove that blockage.

A couple weeks ago, on the last night of PPC, I gave a closing statement to everyone gathered in our room. I recapped what we had talked about, and the ways in which we had grown together as a group. And then I made my final point, the thing that I felt that PPC was hinged on: Letting go. And so I did. I called for a pair of scissors, and in that moment, I hacked half of my hair off in front of everyone – a gesture, an invitation, for everyone to let go of something that holds them back.

Have you any idea how silly I am for caring so much about my hair? Chances are, you get it! It is just one of many things that we hold tight as something that defines us. Do you know that when I asked around if I should cut my hair, the number one response was “No, what about your pictures!”. Can you even believe that I listened to that horrible advice? “Yes,” I thought, “what about my pictures!”. And so I held on to my hair for the last six months. Until I had a revelation:

What kind of artist am I if the success of my images resides in my hair?

I’ve noticed something fantastic since I chopped my hair off, too. And that is this: When I allowed myself to release one burden, many more fell away. I no longer felt trapped by who I am as an artist, I felt the freedom to grow and change as I wanted, and I felt emboldened to share more of my true self with those around me. Vulnerability comes with letting go, and with that vulnerability comes strength. I would rather be a stronger person because of being more raw and true, rather than building a casing around myself that no one can crack. There are two ways to fight a war.

I am going to be a bit quiet over the next three weeks as I travel. I have videos prepared for you but likely no way of pressing upload on them as I’ll be traveling between India, Cambodia, and Thailand with limited internet access. And I’m going to soak in every bit of it. I’ll update you when I can, and will share lots of videos when I return!

And for an update right now…I’m going to open THE LIGHT SPACE! Thank you all so much for supporting this project through and through. The Light Space is a photography school for survivors of human trafficking in Kolkata, India and thanks to your support, we finally have enough donations (monetary and equipment) to open the school and get things running. The Light Space is in partnership with Blossomy and New Light India, and my dear friend Amy Parrish will be teaching the first semester along with local guest instructors.

And did I mention I’m going jungle exploring in Cambodia/Thailand with Lindsay Adler? I’m still waiting to see if she brings hiking shoes instead of heals! Just kidding…mostly.

All my love during this grand adventure!

And a question…

What are you willing to let go of?

Growth.
Confidence.
Success.
Happiness.
Rejuvenation.
Potential.
Possibility. 

These are 5 lies we so often tell ourselves:

1. Other people know best.

How often are you quick to believe what other people have to say about you, but even faster to dismiss your own opinions? We have a tendency to hear something negative about ourselves and believe it to be true, when our own feelings play a small part in how we perceive ourselves. Stop telling yourself the lie that someone else’s vision of you is the right one. You should be the first to form an opinion about yourself, and all else is for you to take or leave.

2. The future will be better.

I love telling this to myself. I love feeling like the future is going to be better. And this isn’t really a lie, as much as it is an instigator to a bad situation. If you always tell yourself the future will be better, chances are you aren’t doing a lot to fix the situation you are in now. Instead of saying “the future will be better”, do something about your life as it is, in this moment, right now. Make changes and live those changes. Tell yourself that your life is always changing because you make it so, and that you are in control of your situation.

3. Its out of my control.

Here’s the thing. Sometimes what happens to us does feel like it is out of our control. But what isn’t out of our control is how we react to the things that happen to us. We have the power to change any situation with how we react to it, so next time you’re feeling like you’ve been dealt a bad hand – handle it differently. See the positive side of all things, no matter how difficult, heartbreaking, or irritating it might be. There is a silver lining if you create one.

4. There’s a right way, and there’s a wrong way.

Stop lying to yourself about why things aren’t going your way. In other words, if one idea doesn’t work, try again, or try another. There is no right way of doing things. Never glorify another person for their success, create your own in your own way.

5. I’m not good enough.

When I was in high school I tried harder than anyone I knew. I studied for hours a day and cared a lot about how well I did or didn’t do. Turns out, I didn’t do so well. When I’m about to tell people what my GPA was they pat me on the shoulder and say it couldn’t have been that bad…but then they always give me that face…that one that says: Oh, wow, didn’t see that coming. I went through those years of my life and some after believing that I simply wasn’t smart. That I didn’t have it in me. What I’ve learned since is that I couldn’t have been any more wrong if I tried. Certainly I have no memory whatsoever, and that hindered me greatly in school, but there is more than one way to be smart.

We are all good enough. We are all beautiful people. We all possess something unique and individual, and the sooner you stop lying to yourself about that the sooner you can blossom into the person you want to be and the person that others want you to be. If I had continued believing that I wasn’t good enough, I may never have pursued my passions in life. You never know how you are going to excel. You may surprise yourself.

So take a leap today. Stop lying to yourself about the things you can’t do. Become the person you were meant to be, and as always, promote your passion.

What lies do you tell yourself?
What lies will you stop telling yourself?