THE LONG WAY ROUND

 

Photo by Flis Zucchi

“Sometimes taking time is actually a short cut.” 

- Haruki Murakami

As a surfer just starting out, you may want to go straight for a shortboard surfboard because it looks more appealing and cool, but then when you try to catch the waves things quickly shift. Taking time to really get to grips with technique and your environment are the ultimate game changers. Fundamentals such as waxing your board before starting, checking the weather conditions, checking your board and equipment, mastering paddling out, pop up technique, are things that aren’t worth cutting corners to speed up getting into the water. Proper training, frequency, support and fitness levels all form part of a good preparation that is essential to safety and a long-term future doing what you enjoy. 

Looking back over all the videos, articles in different languages for Findmyflis and the street photography for Photomyway Photography, and now with the newly created YouTube channel and social media, there has definitely been a lot of work going on behind the scenes. It hasn’t always been easy to keep the momentum going and sometimes working late at night or early in the morning when the world around you is sleeping soundly, you wonder, is it worth it? A positive response to one of my motivational or music videos comes through, or when for example, during my first photo exhibition the group appreciated my photos, and I know that the longer route is the one for me. This new journey is a roller coaster for sure, but that’s actually part of the fun. Managing the route, weighing up carefully the risks of shortcuts, and how we view taking time out can make or break our big dreams and plans.

With the summer holidays in full swing, photos of beaches and mountain havens are covering the social world. Even if you can’t get away this year for any number of reasons, you can still allow yourself the right to enjoy a number of free treats and take time to protect your health. Preparing for a blog post can sometimes be quite intense, so going for a walk or a run frees up my mind  and I get to enjoy nature and some fresh air. Actually going for a walk or a run can help me to prepare an article so that when I get back, I’m ready to write or jot down some notes. As a temporary solution, if you don’t have time to leave the place where you are working or doing something, why not incorporate some exercises in the place where you are and keep some water to hand and take regular breaks to stretch your legs throughout the day. 

My fitness trainer and physiotherapist has always encouraged me to see the importance of making things fun and enjoying keeping fit, or for that matter, anything that you are doing. Put on some of your favourite music and have a quick dance or add a bit of a twist to your exercise routine. If you want to weave when you run, then work that weave and go ahead and smile! Let go of the expectations of others behind as you hit the surface, and leave them there on your return from that revitalising work out. Enjoy the freedom.

The amount of effort required to achieve a goal may not always seem logical at the beginning but with time, the development of our skills, new ways of working and fresh knowledge and perspectives can make all the difference. To write an article, I really need to read a lot (which is not always possible!) or watch some documentaries and films and go and listen to speakers’ talks to help me see different perspectives. In the case of the music videos, I need to keep practising the piano and working consistently to be able to record and for the street photography, I can spend up to 7 hours taking shots in a place to get a photo reserve. It takes a lot of effort and determination, but if you can find something that you love, that gives you the strength to keep it going even if you don’t have external support or you just don’t feel like doing it one day.  

When Rick Roll, a lawyer struggling with being overweight and a recovering alcoholic, decided to become an ultra athlete, it didn’t just happen overnight. It was a long road. There were a lot of set backs, a lot of soul searching  and battles with himself to overcome numerous obstacles along the way. The bottom line is: he made it and managed to save his life to now help others save theirs and get living life. Each of us will have our own relationship with taking the long route, but this doesn’t mean that they aren’t all significant.

 

I started out as a 100-metre runner and with a battle on my hands, I started to go towards long distance running. I would walk to the end of the road and then run just over 100 metres and then walk. As I gradually increased the distance, the nausea was tough and the hills were really daunting. Thanks to the support during training from Paul Mealling at AllPhysio and Personal Trainer Viv Bennett, I have learnt to mentally prepare as well as physically for what I am going to face. On a longer run or walk, I can sometimes be tempted to take the shortcut. I reason that I don’t have time or I want to cut out a part of the monotony of that particular route, but then maybe for endurance, safety reasons or other things, I know that I need to go past and go the longer distance. 

In his '103 Lessons I’ve Learned From Street Photography', the famous photographer Eric Kim gives the advice that “it isn’t the quantity of the followers you have that matter, but rather the quality of followers you have that matters.” The brilliant street photographer, David Gibson, a believer in the abre mantra to the point of quoting it in his street photography manual, previously had over 20,000 followers on Instagram and then his account was hacked. It was frustrating to start back again, but gradually building things up again, the positive response and interest towards is photos started to shine through and the numbers are not a reflection on his undeniable talent for street photography shots. It takes time and patience to grow a business or anything that you are intending to take forward for the longterm. 

Through the experience of creating Findmyflis together with Photomyway Photography, I  have learnt that what we can achieve is not controlled by our current capacities. Working a plan successfully and being capable of learning and applying the new skills in a consistent way, complements talent and brings about the real change. You might have the fear of not being up to the task ahead but that too is part of the process. We need to be realistic about our skills and capacities, but we are able to exceed our own expectations of them. As Michelangelo once said  “The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it. Rather, it’s that we aim too low and we reach it.”

Wishing all of you a relaxing and happy time out this summer. Looking forward to seeing you in September for more motivational content and ideas from Findmyflis to encourage you on journey. You will make it, keep going and be kind to yourself.

"If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced."
- Vincent Van Gogh