Sometimes the most productive thing I can do is to go slow and do absolutely nothing.

Sometimes the best thing I can do for my business is to put my phone away and go for a walk.

Sometimes the best life advice comes from eye gazing with a newborn baby.

This past week I spent quality time with family and friends in Florida. I was once again reminded that I am so much more than my work, and that life is so much more than checking things off a to-do list.

Everything is a canvas.

Your morning coffee.

Your yoga mat.

Your text message.

Your prayer.

Your outfit.

Your stride.

Your email.

Your breath.

The neck of your lover.

The inside of your lover.

Everything a canvas.

Sending a huge thank you to my dear friend Saskia for introducing me to this brilliant quote.

She literally mailed me a box full of quotes and other goodies from London, England. This quote hit home.

Poetry by Bryant McGill, voice by Darius Bashar.

Love,

D

Here’s the full quote…

“The storm is out there and every one of us must eventually face the storm. When the storm comes, pray that it will shake you to your roots and break you wide-open. Being broken open by the storm is your only hope. When you are broken open, you get to discover for the first time what is inside you. Some people never get to see what is inside them; what beauty, what strength, what truth and love. They were never broken open by the storm. So, don't run from your pain — run into your pain. Let life's storm shatter you.”

Until you are willing to truly look at yourself, it will be impossible to know your worth.

This might be the last summer of your life.

Not because of COVID, but because of life.

One day, your last breath will find you and your time on Earth will be complete.

This is true for all of us.

All.

Of.

Us.

That day is almost always a surprise.

Sad and incredible.

Scary and inspiring.

Confronting and awakening.

This is your wake up call.

Live your life…

…before it’s too late.

I see you. 

I feel you. 

I know you. 

I am you. 

AND…

I forgive you. 

I forgive you. 

I forgive you. 

It’s okay to let go. 

Love,

D

What if my goal was to inspire ME?⁣

⁣What if my ideal audience was ME? ⁣

What if the only success metric I tracked was “how close do I feel to ME?".

Let it all go

Let it go

Let go

god

.

Why trauma? Why all this pain and guilt? Why monsters? Why me?! 

Then, without warning, a voice whispered:

Silly boy, don't you see,

I gave you darkness and pain
so you could help and heal from a place of "lived-it"

I gave you integrity 
so you would not swallow your voice, when courage didn't show up

I gave you sons and daughters
so you would always remember your actions echo for eternity

Silly boy, don't you see,

I gave you monsters 
so you could hitch them to your cart and LEAD

Our most important task as creative beings is to make space, so that God can flow energy through us. 

If you want to create more, you will need to let go of anything that is needlessly filling you up. Otherwise, there will be no room for greatness to flow through you. 

Letting go can feel overwhelming. It requires radical self-awareness and honesty, both of which will leave you stripped naked and exposed. 

Sure, naked can be terrifying, but it can also be one of the most liberating human experiences - if you let it.

See the full photography collection for the above photo here.