How do you find your dream job??? Start by asking yourself
1. What are you good at ?
2. What are you passionate about ?
3. If you could change anything about this world, what would it be ?
4. What brings you joy ?
5. What needs do YOU have ?
6. Is there something in your life right now... that answers most of those questions for you? Then you have an opportunity to create a career out of it.
Thats what I did, and here are my answers
I am good at reading people, see their little micro expressions and understanding their deeper need in what they are trying to say. I am good at listening, and understanding the deeper needs under the surface. I can hear the things you can't bring yourself to say. I am also an amazing problem solver... if there is a solution to any problem I can find it. I love to analyse challenges from every angle and every aspect... but I also want those solutions to those problems to make people happy, to make their life better in a tangible way.
I am passionate about people's happiness, in finding the joy in life beyond the every day... there is a purpose to our lives that is more than just job, family, achievements. Life is about experience, about a journey and the needs that journey fulfils. I find the most joy in other peoples happiness, and my ability to contribute to that. When I make a difference in someone's life, when I make connections with people, when I make other feel like their not alone... I find joy and purpose.
If there was one thing I could change about this world, it would be to transform women's lives where they felt joy, purpose and freedom. Our lives are busy and our focus is always on the next acheivement, the next goal. I do not believe in pushing yourself, as this lead to burn out... I speak from experience. Over the past 10 years, I have taken a step back and slowed down, learnt to evaluate my life and take a moment to feel the moment, to appriciate what I have, to simply stop and enjoy my life. What I discovered is that the way I look does not matter TO ME, what other people think does not matter TO ME, other people's ideals, pressures, demands DO NOT matter TO ME. I am a good person, I have my strengths and my weaknesses, I try my best, I do my best, and I have good intitentions... this is enough. I would actually change 2 things about the world, slow down the pace and show kindness to one another... funnily enough I believe if we slowed down, we would be less stressed and would find the time to be kind.
What brings me joy ? Uplifting others and working together with others to uplift each other. I do not believe in competition where we compete against each other. This only makes the race a lonely place... always seeing other people as the competition, to best them, to be better than them, to out perform them... its silly. We succeed when we work together, when we share ideas then build on each other ideas. I found more success in my business when I uplift my "competition", when we share ideas and support each other. BUT Trish ! How do you gain business if your clients go to the competition? Easy, while we all share ideas, and support each other, we still have the freedom of choice to do it OUR WAY and use our distinct creativty to create something that can only be done by us. I share what I love with my clients, and that is uniquely different to my photographer friends. For example I love working with the colour red and have a fashion editorial look to my work, while my friends might love outdoor photography, or fine art photography... some love neurtral colours. Some love albums others love wall art.
The needs I have and strive to fulfil is a sence of peace and justice, a sense of equality and freedom.
Was there something in my life that answered these questions? YES ! it was my photography. My husband and I always enjoyed photography, we took our slr cameras on our adventures... I tried different types of photography in the beginning, including weddings, newborn and family photography.... as much as I loved it, I felt something missing, a need that was not being fulfilled. Photography provided me an opportunity to solve peoples problems, to create joy and happiness in their lives, to provide products to slow people down and let them appreciate what they have... with wall art and albums, easily at hand and displayed around their homes, can provide you with an anchor for why you do what you do? But it wasn't until my focused turned to women that all my questions were answered. Seeing women transform their perceptions about their beauty, their value and themselves with the photoshoots I do answered all my questions. A sense of justice and peace, where women owned their beauty, they defined their own beauty and did not let others dictate their lives for them. Its a small step in gaining control and purpose in your life, and overcoming the limitations you place upon yourself and the limitations others place upon. Its about seeing the world in a different light, and accepting that we all have value, we are all beautiful and enough just the way we are right now.
Funnily enough, my journey does not end here ! Looking for my joy and purpose always takes another turn. My approach to life is simply to experience as much as life has to offer... and I hope my work helps others experience the opportunies and privellege I have had.