Key to Happiness
It was a gloomy, overcast Sunday morning and I was feeling a little down, stressed out and just not as happy as I probably should have been.
I have the tendency to be way too hard on myself (don't we all?) and I just felt like I was stuck in a rut.
But I knew of a few things that would change that - and that was to get out of the house, go for a drive and take some cool photos.
Tammy has been my best friend since primary school and she has the most beautiful heart. She always supports me, makes me happy and just makes me feel 'me'. Whenever I see her all my doubts are instantly diminished, so the second I picked her up in the skyline, all the things that were bothering me started to fade and it was nice to have a break from sitting in front of the computer.
After spontaneously heading down a quite industrial area, I looked down one of the driveways that I was passing and spotted the perfect place to take photos. Something that makes me incredibly happy is finding a new, undiscovered location that inspires me to get my camera out and shoot.
I drove down the driveway (which was thankfully low-car friendly) and instantly felt super excited to get my camera out. To me there is something so cool about shooting cars in industrial locations and I love how the raw elements and tones really complement my car.
As I was taking photos of my car (whilst capturing everything on Snapchat of course) I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. Everything seemed to just be working - the tones, the lighting, the location, the subject - everything just worked and I felt so content.
Tammy could see how much joy the camera was giving me. She knows how happy photos make me feel so she asked if she could capture some of me with my car. So I handed her my camera and told her what to do.
After a little direction (which involved me running back and forth to check the manual settings) we managed to get "the shot" x2384315. We both had so much fun in the process and I enjoyed teaching her how to take photos. I think when you do something for others and they learn from it, it's not only good for them; but it’s good for you too!
It was then time to switch positions and get behind the lens again. Tammy is such a gorgeous girl but like most girls (me included) lacks a bit of confidence, albeit it may not seem that way in the photos. The thing is us girls tend to compare ourselves way too much to other girls and it kills our mood and confidence. But when I showed her the photos I had taken of her and how good she looked, she instantly became happy, lifting both our spirits.
I love how photos have that effect on people.
I think it is so important to remember that nobody’s perfect. We all have our own doubts and so often we compare a negative view of ourselves with an unrealistic view of other people. Dwelling on our flaws – what we’re not, rather than what we’ve got. Which makes it much harder to be happy. Learning to accept ourselves, for who we are, and being kinder to ourselves when things go wrong increases our enjoyment of life, our resilience and our wellbeing. It also helps us accept others as they are.
I think the key to happiness is to surround yourself with positive people who support what you do. It also helps when you have the keys to an R34...