CaptureTheSunrise

Do Extraordinary Things

Archives for September 2015

Saturday, September 5, 2015 (Day 248)

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sunrise

The sun is a lightbulb. Often your best ideas are the ones that are right in front of you–the ones you don’t have to think too much about. You don’t have to wait for some amazing idea to hit you from out of the blue like a bolt of lightning. Take a look at your life and the things you are good at and the things that are important to you. You can find a great idea somewhere in there. Think about what is possible for you given your current situation. Of course, people will tell you anything is possible, and while that may be true, I’m talking about what is possible right now at the present moment. Pick something and run with it. It will lead to greater things down the road and open doors you didn’t even know existed.

Friday, September 4, 2014 (Day 247)

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CaptureTheSunrise; sunrise

Know when to walk away.

Upon waking up this morning, I saw that it was going to be hazy again, as it has been all week. That was a bit disappointing to see, and I was trying to think of a way to avoid photographing the sun in a hazy orange sky yet again. I decided to head out a bit earlier to see if I could catch some early color. It worked. I only took a handful of quick shots from this location. Then I looked at my watch and saw it was at least 30 minutes earlier than my shots from the past few days, and I knew there would be some good shots to be had in a little while as the sun broke the horizon. But I walked away. I was happy with the photo you see here, so I decided to go home and savor my extra free time for today.

There are two types of people: maximizers and satisficers. Maximizers try to get everything perfect, and they take a long time to do things because they wait for better opportunities for fear of missing out. Satisficers move quickly because they only wait for an option that meets all their criteria and move on without caring if there is something better because they are satisfied. I’ve always been a huge maximizer, but this project has taught me to be more of a satisficer. And by the way, guess which people live longer? That’s right–satisficers.

Thursday, September 3, 2015 (Day 246)

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CaptureTheSunrise; sunrise

The hazy orange sky was a bit of a challenge today. The sky has looked pretty much the same for the past few mornings. I was feeling discouraged this morning as I struggled to find an interesting way to experience and depict this morning’s sunrise. Nothing seemed to look right, and as a result I held back from shooting for quite a while. Eventually I decided to just start shooting, figuring that eventually something would emerge. I walked around shooting as much as I could, and eventually I found my scene. It was my final photo of the morning.

When you’re faced with a less than ideal situation, sometimes just simply pushing forward and forcing yourself to go through the motions will help you eventually get to a better than expected outcome. Woody Allen once said, “80 percent of success is just showing up”. So don’t hesitate. Show up.

Wedesday, September 2, 2015 (Day 245)

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CaptureTheSunrise; HDR; best of stevens; stevens; sunrise

Good morning from Stevens Institute of Technology. This is the time of year when students everywhere are returning to school, so I figured today would be a good day to return to my hometown campus. The sunrise is a good example of a new beginning, just like these students are experiencing. There are many bright days ahead.

As for myself (and many others), even though my days of college and grad school are over, this campus is a constant reminder to always be a lifelong learner. The world is your classroom.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015 (Day 244)

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sunrise

Finding balance.

When you are in the midst of trying to achieve something extraordinary, you will inevitably hear a lot of people’s opinions about what you could do and what you should do. This may feel offensive at first–after all you’re the person at the helm, so what do they know? But it’s important to keep an open mind, and not go around with blinders on. Sometimes outside opinions can be valuable, and you never know where a good idea or insight may come from.

At the same time, you have to be able to evaluate what’s right for your situation. You have to be able to say “no” to a lot of things.

It’s a delicate balance, and understanding how to manage it will help you maintain both your confidence and your sanity.

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Anthony J. Johnson Photography

SpiralOut Consulting LLC

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