The beauty of nature is unmatched. As we've traveled from state to state and overseas as a military family, We've been blessed to experience the beauty of God's creation on many levels. So intrigued we have been that we have welcomed the privilege to photograph as much of the beauty as possible through a camera lens.
This beauty, understand, is not always apparent through a quick glance of the natural eye but is appreciated from a deeper, more spiritual place. There is something about being in the moment; when the beauty of your surroundings catches the eye, that can only be attempted to be captured through a camera lens. Regardless of the beauty portrayed through the lens, it seems to somehow, just miss the full beauty of what has been photographed, if only by a fraction.
Photographing the beauty along the trip has become my favorite activity when traveling to any destination. It has become, for me, more about enjoying the journey than arriving at the destination. When I was younger and we lived hours away from my parents' hometown, I would crawl into the backseat intent upon going to sleep until we reached the destination. There was a building that, to a young child, seemed to be a huge building and, although it was simply at the end of the road we traveled, appeared to be in the middle of the road. I would instruct my parents to, "Wake me up when we get to the big building!" as I associated that building with close proximity to the destination. It would not be until years later, traveling that road as an adult, that I would realize all the beauty I had missed on the journey to the destination.
There are those of us who, even as more experienced adults, are still missing the beauty of the moment. We're bombarded with ads that encourage us to become a better version of ourselves. This, in and of itself, is not a bad idea. After all, we should never be complacent, as though we are the best versions of ourselves, but should set and move towards personal goals and accomplishments that are aimed at improving and stretching ourselves to reach new heights.
Yet, in our quest to become, we must not neglect to be. In such an instance, who we are seeking to become is our destination while who we are (be) is the journey. I submit to you that we do ourselves a disservice when we sleep on the journey to the destination and miss the beauty of the travel. I encourage you to see the beauty in the current moment of who you are. This does not mean that you become complacent but, it means that you find the beauty (the positives) that exists where you are currently, as you journey forward.
I leave you with this:
Often, in our quest to become, we neglect to be. In so doing, we miss out on opportunities of excellence that enhance the journey on the road to become.
~Coach Kathryn Baker
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