Stress Factor
“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from” - Seth Godin
We are living in a crazy world. A world that we don’t feel comfortable in. From mass shootings that affect everyone to personal stress that affects you as an individual. We need to start being there for one another regularly. Remember to check in with a friend who just moved, a friend who's been quiet lately, a friend who seems to have it all together, and above all yourself. There is nothing we can do to prevent life from happening but we shouldn't continue to wonder when your next vacation is so you can get away. Try to set up a life that you don’t need to escape from. Find a hobby. Get your mind off things. I am going to continue to reference this insert from previous posts as long as it continues to help people keep their heads up.
When you wake up every morning, you have two choices: Sleep with your dreams or wake up and chase them. Sometimes it feels that life is working against your favor. If you think about it, will always win after death. Unfortunately, that is the way of the world. However, no matter how hard it gets, you must always tell yourself that making it is inevitable. You become stronger because you have to be. You become smarter because you make mistakes. You become happier because of the sadness you encounter. In the end, you become wiser because of what you learned. You don’t always need advice. Sometimes you really need a hand to hold, an ear to listen, and a heart to understand. You have a solid support system. Your support system is there. Use it!
In this world, there is always going to be some type of fire under your ass. Whether it is a fire that is going to motivate or a fire that is going to burn, never forget that life goes on. You either chose to move on and risk it all or live in the past… thinking what could have been. Don’t waste time looking back at what was lost! It was lost for a reason! Life is not meant to be traveled backwards. Dori keeps swimming. Dori is smart. Be like Dori.
Let me give you a different perspective. Now read the quote again before you continue. However, replace the word ‘you’ with ‘I’ and the word ‘your’ with ‘my’ in every instance.
The picture you see above was submitted for a Shot on iPhone contest. Let me give you a little bit of what was thinking about when I took that photo. I was about 45 minutes early for my shift because I couldn’t sleep. Like every other person in the world, I had a lot on my mind. I was looking at the water fountains in the mall and was fascinated by how the water never had the same consistency. After taking 300 shots while hovering 3 inches over one of the fountains, I sat in silence so I can hear the water fall on the pebbles. It was soothing if you ask me. All I thought about was the quote from Bruce Lee. “Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. If you put water into a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Water can flow or creep or drip or crash. Be like water my friend”. I hovered 3 inches above one of the smaller fountains and took almost 300 photos before I found one I liked. If you look closely at the image, it looks like the water is pointing up. Subtle things like that get looking at life from a different perspective. As if it was a message from the universe saying things can only go up from here.
Kind of similar to cloud gazing. Remember when you were a kid and would look up at the skies to watch the clouds go by? Laying down on the grass without a care in the world. It’s fun and relaxing. It can be a great way to zone out, unwind, still your mind, and do nothing. Besides being fun, cloud watching offers plenty of health benefits. It can help improve and boost your mood. Cloud gazing can bring you some peace of mind. It's the perfect activity to distract you from a screen-dominated world. Figuring out what clouds look like is a fine way to use your imagination and exercise your creativity and can definitely offer you a new perspective on things. If you're into meditation, cloud gazing can be a fantastic way to get zen. Free yourself from all your thoughts and worries and let your subconscious mind take over. Something as simple as cloud gazing can make the biggest difference in your day. The image below was taken at the end of my day. At first, I had a ‘thank god today is over’ mentality. Once I got outside and looked up at the clouds, I was simply turning the page. On to Portillo’s I went to enjoy a piece of chocolate cake. Cue the cheesy inspirational music! Also known as Careless Whisper by George Michael. If you know, you know. If you don’t know, add me on snapchat. You will learn fairly quickly.
The Little Things: Part 2
“I’d rather be optimistic and wrong, rather than pessimistic and right” - Elon Musk
This 4th of July was the first holiday in a long time I was able to sit down and enjoy it. The family grilled and had a genuine good time. I definitely needed that to keep my mind off other things. To those that do not know, I was in a car accident a few weeks ago. Sometimes, life gets the best of you. Sometimes it’s hard to be positive. Sometimes you feel like it’s pointless to try. But you should never give up:
When you wake up every morning, you have two choices: Sleep with your dreams or wake up and chase them. Sometimes it feels that life is working against your favor. If you think about it, will always win after death. Unfortunately, that is the way of the world. However, no matter how hard it gets, you must always tell yourself that making it is inevitable. You become stronger because you have to be. You become smarter because you make mistakes. You become happier because of the sadness you encounter. In the end, you become wiser because of what you learned. You don’t always need advice. Sometimes you really need a hand to hold, an ear to listen, and a heart to understand. You have a solid support system. Your support system is there. Use it!
In this world, there is always going to be some type of fire under your ass. Whether it is a fire that is going to motivate or a fire that is going to burn, never forget that life goes on. You either chose to move on and risk it all or live in the past… thinking what could have been. Don’t waste time looking back at what was lost! It was lost for a reason! Life is not meant to be traveled backwards. Dori keeps swimming. Dori is smart. Be like Dori.
Let me give you a different perspective. Now read the quote again before you continue. However, replace the word ‘you’ with ‘I’ and the word ‘your’ with ‘my’ in every instance.
This week I wanted to give you guys a before and after since I have been slacking. I haven’t really thought about what I want to say or how to be inspiring. I have been focusing on my own state of mind with hopes to process what has happened within the last 4 months. Life can raise your spirits and make you the happiest person in the world. On the other hand, life can bring you down and make you feel like you don’t exist. Only a select few know the significance of this rose. However, only one person will ever understand how much it actually means to me and what it truly represents.
PUPPY!!!!!
"Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. If you cant help them, at least don't hurt them" - Dalai Lama
Here is an adorable Pitbull for you. I hope this brightens your day if you need it.
06.02.09 - Never Forgotten
“Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them” - Bruce Lee
This post is going to be different than my usual content. Those that know me know this isn’t a time in my life I openly talk about.
Ten years ago today I remember getting sent to the principal’s office. I was told my youngest sister was in the hospital because she ran into a bus and hit her head at the bus stop. I couldn’t help but laugh because of how stupid it sounded. I was told ‘Go home. Don’t worry about finals this semester. You graduate next week and your grades are fine’. I was young at the time and didn’t think much of it. No finals? You don’t have to tell me twice! I am sure she is fine. Why are they making a big deal out of this?
As I am driving home, I think about what just happened. I was confused. At this point, its around noon and I didn’t hear an update. I head to my the grocery store to buy flowers and a get well soon card. I am at the register trying to cash out, my card gets declined. Weird… I knew I had money in my account. Swipe again… Declined a second time… I figured it was my card so I tried the other card in my wallet… You guessed it… Declined… I called my parents and they told me they will meet me at home. As soon as I pull up, my uncle is waiting for me in the drive way. As any concerned person, I ask him if everything if everything is ok. He assured me everything is fine and asked me for my keys. Once again, I am confused. I handed my keys over wondering what he wanted. He said he just needed to make a quick trip but he wanted to drive my car instead of his. I walk in the door go to my room and I hear my aunt scream ‘she didn’t make it’. My uncle comes down to my room and tells me what really happened. I then knew what really happened. Time of death, the same time my card got declined.
Out of anger, I punched a hole through my bedroom door. I wasn’t angry because I didn’t find out right away. I was angry because of the last thing I said to her. The day before the accident, she wanted to play. I was running late for work at the time. I told her I couldn't play right now, maybe later. She was persistent and wouldn’t let me leave. I pushed her to the ground and said ‘get the hell away from me, I have to go to work’. It was the last thing I said to her. It was the last time I saw her. Out of all the things I’ve said in my life time, this is the only statement I regret… ten years later…
Moral of the Post: There are times when the pain is so overwhelming, it hurts more than the wound you suffered. There is no peace without forgiveness. It takes courage to take the next step. Today, I feel strong enough to face my mistake. I know she knows I didn’t mean it. I know she knows I love her. We all make mistakes and have struggles. We all regret things in our past but we are not our mistakes; we are not our struggles. We are here NOW with the ability to shape our future. Today, I finally found the courage to forgive myself.
Perspective
“We become what we think about" – Earl Nightingale
We as humans always try to make life easier. We have a tendency to over analyze the little things to come up with ways to prevent complications in the future. After several hours of deep thought, your brain over analyzes life. It grabs a bowl of Over Thinkos with extra What-Ifs. The minor inconvenience becomes an overwhelming situation that you can’t stop thinking about.
The past can definitely hurt. You can run from it or learn from it. Everybody wants to be happy and nobody wants to feel heartache. However, you have to remember you can’t have a rainbow without a little rain. We build on failure. We have to use it as a stepping stone. You can close the door on the past but don't try to forget the experience. Don't let the past have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space. Don’t disappear or dwell on the areas that are not in focus. Stop getting distracted by things that have nothing to do with your goals. Trade nights out for knowledge seeking. Trade parties for intimate gatherings. Trade chasing money for chasing purpose. Trade meaningless work for your passion. Trade being busy for protecting your time. Trade soul extortion for soul searching. Trade living for others for living your own life.
Let’s take this image and view it as something more. The light colors signify the times where we are at our best, and the dark colors signify the times where we are at our worst. Now look closely at the edges of the image; they are out of focus. Those edges are the times where we feel lost because the path isn’t clear. The center of the image is clear as day, showing every imperfection of the concrete. Each groove found its way to the other side regardless of the obstacle. I honestly don’t know if this makes sense to anyone other than myself but every picture you take tells a story. To me, this image is a reflection of the life we live. Without the brights, darks, out of focused edges, in focused center and bumps along the way, life means nothing.
I want to look back at an insert from a previous post.
When you wake up every morning, you have two choices: Sleep with your dreams or wake up and chase them. Sometimes it feels that life is working against your favor. If you think about it, will always win after death. Unfortunately, that is the way of the world. However, no matter how hard it gets, you must always tell yourself that making it is inevitable. You become stronger because you have to be. You become smarter because you make mistakes. You become happier because of the sadness you encounter. In the end, you become wiser because of what you learned. You don’t always need advice. Sometimes you really need a hand to hold, an ear to listen, and a heart to understand. You have a solid support system. Your support system is there. Use it!
In this world, there is always going to be some type of fire under your ass. Whether it is a fire that is going to motivate or a fire that is going to burn, never forget that life goes on. You either chose to move on and risk it all or live in the past… thinking what could have been. Don’t waste time looking back at what was lost! It was lost for a reason! Life is not meant to be traveled backwards. Dori keeps swimming. Dori is smart. Be like Dori.
Let me give you a different perspective. Now read the quote again before you continue. However, replace the word ‘you’ with ‘I’ and the word ‘your’ with ‘my’ in every instance.
I’ve read this insert almost every day for the last two months and it seems to keep my mind and body in check. If you’re struggling, I hope it can do the same for you. If it doesn’t or you have a different perspective, send me a message. Let’s connect.
Time + Experience = Life
"Pain will come with time, but time will heal the pain" - Anthony Liccione
There is no specific reason why I took a picture of this clock at this specific time. I just felt that I needed a picture of a clock to remind us to keep moving forward, like time. There is nothing wrong with living in the moment but always remember that your present situation is not your final destination. Today’s topic is going to be about self-care.
If you’re struggling, you deserve to make self-care a priority. Whether that means lying in bed all day, eating comfort food, crying, sleeping, rescheduling plans, finding an escape through a good book, watching your favorite television show, or doing nothing at all - give yourself permission to put your healing first. Quiet the voice telling you to do more and be more, and today, what ever you do, let it be enough.
- Daniell Koepek
Self-care is giving the world the best of you instead of what's left of you. This is important because the most powerful relationship you will ever have is the relationship with yourself. You should never feel guilty for doing what’s best for you. You’re not weak for needing time to sort through things.
Redirect Your Focus
“Only those who care about you can hear you when you’re quiet” - Unknown
I want to thank those that have respected my privacy and choice to be silent on all platforms these last few weeks. Life is still a work in progress but all the wheels are turning in the right direction again. There are still some things I need to figure out but it wouldn’t be life without these challenges. With the weather improving, my goal is to capture more content for the website. Photography is my passion and I don’t want it to stray away from it like I did in the past. Quick flashback to something I wrote in my last blog post:
When you wake up every morning, you have two choices: Sleep with your dreams or wake up and chase them. Sometimes it feels that life is working against your favor. If you think about it, will always win after death. Unfortunately, that is the way of the world. However, no matter how hard it gets, you must always tell yourself that making it is inevitable. You become stronger because you have to be. You become smarter because you make mistakes. You become happier because of the sadness you encounter. In the end, you become wiser because of what you learned. You don’t always need advice. Sometimes you really need a hand to hold, an ear to listen, and a heart to understand. You have a solid support system. Your support system is there. Use it!
In this world, there is always going to be some type of fire under your ass. Whether it is a fire that is going to motivate or a fire that is going to burn, never forget that life goes on. You either chose to move on and risk it all or live in the past… thinking what could have been. Don’t waste time looking back at what was lost! It was lost for a reason! Life is not meant to be traveled backwards. Dori keeps swimming. Dori is smart. Be like Dori.
Let me give you a different perspective. Now read the quote again before you continue. However, replace the word ‘you’ with ‘I’ and the word ‘your’ with ‘my’ in every instance.
I recently started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Corral’s Martial Arts and it has been an awesome experience so far! It is a great way to mentally and physically get stronger. Going to the gym is cool and all but I lost satisfaction in that years ago so I stopped going. I always blamed it on being too tired after work. This time last year, I weighed in at 193-lbs, which is the most ove ever weighed. This last month I started watching my diet and weighed in at 171-lbs today. I am finally taking control and holding myself accountable. It is time to get serious about being healthy. It is time to learn something new. It is my responsibility to control the outcome.
Ring of Fire
“I survived because the fire inside me burned brighter than the fire around me” - Joshua Graham
When you wake up every morning, you have two choices: Sleep with your dreams or wake up and chase them. Sometimes it feels that life is working against your favor. If you think about it, will always win after death. Unfortunately, that is the way of the world. However, no matter how hard it gets, you must always tell yourself that making it is inevitable. You become stronger because you have to be. You become smarter because you make mistakes. You become happier because of the sadness you encounter. In the end, you become wiser because of what you learned. You don’t always need advice. Sometimes you really need a hand to hold, an ear to listen, and a heart to understand. You have a solid support system. Your support system is there. Use it!
In this world, there is always going to be some type of fire under your ass. Whether it is a fire that is going to motivate or a fire that is going to burn, never forget that life goes on. You either chose to move on and risk it all or live in the past… thinking what could have been. Don’t waste time looking back at what was lost! It was lost for a reason! Life is not meant to be traveled backwards. Dori keeps swimming. Dori is smart. Be like Dori.
Now let me give you a different perspective. If you got this far, I am assuming you read everything I had to say. Now read the first two paragraphs again before reading the last paragraph. However, replace the word ‘you’ with ‘I’ and the word ‘your’ with ‘my’ in every instance.
This is a picture of a hot plate at its highest temperature. This picture was taken with no external light or flash. Have you ever looked stared at something and you started to day dream? Even though we need to focus on the light during our darkest moments, the light can hurt. Never stare at or hover over a hot plate because it hurts… Literally felt like my hand and face was going to burn off. Remember, a small light paves the way through the dark shadows of your brain. Suddenly, you’ll know what you have to do. Just keep your mouth shut and eyes open. The path isn’t always a straight line. It is a spiral. You may be hurting but you will come back to things you thought you understood and see the deeper truth.
Light Bulb
“The happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror, that is, he would look into it and see himself exactly as he is” - Albus Dumbledore
I was playing pool at the bowling alley and looked up. I saw these lights reflecting off the mirrors on the ceiling. Ironically I was watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone last night and that is what inspired this picture. I love using quotes from this franchise because of how relatable they can be. There is an inscription on the Mirror of Erised that says I show not your face but your heart's desire.
The lights were only a quarter of a circle and with the reflections off of the mirrors, these lights appeared to be full circles on the ceiling. It got me thinking about recent events. I initially looked at these lights the way that I wanted to see them, not as they were. If only this type of mirror existed. It will make a lot of things in life clear. However, It doesn’t and we have to figure things out for ourselves. In life, humans have a tendency to look at things the way they want them to be rather than looking at the situation as it is. If you just focus on the smallest details, you never get the big picture right.
(P.S.) I am still taking a break from all accounts. This was an eye opening moment that I needed to share with everyone.
Stepping Away
“Chocolate milk fixes everything, until there is none left” - Rob Nammari
I have decided that I need to step away from the lens and all social accounts for the time being. There are some personal things I need to attend to that require my full attention. I will become active as soon as possible. Once again, I would like to thank everyone for the unconditional support.
The Rose
“Life has many ways of testing a person's will. Either by having nothing happen at all or by having everything happen at once” - Unknown
Life can raise your spirits and make you the happiest person in the world. On the other hand, life can bring you down and make you feel like you don’t exist. There is always a time when you have to step back, breath, and look back at recent events. Do I wish anything that was said could be taken back? Not a chance. Would I do it all over again? Absolutely! No regrets! Moral of the story, stay positive. Do not watch the petals fall from the rose with sadness. Know that, like life, things sometimes must fade before they can bloom again.
Ice, Ice, Baby!
"In this universe, there's only one absolute... everything freezes” - Mr. Freeze
Sorry I am a little behind this month! It has been a rough few weeks. Let me take you back to when my front lawn and driveway was an ice rink. -60° windchills are no joke! Even though we are back to normal temperatures, life has definitely been giving me the cold shoulder. HOWEVER! I had a really good FaceTime call tonight. High hopes and big things are potentially coming!
Let it Snow!
“Let’s get this bread” - Rob Nammari
Bring on the snow mother nature! I want three feet so I can push this truck to the limits. Im just kidding… I don’t want three feet of snow… or do i? This truck is a blessing and I don’t regret pushing the build for the house back to get it. I would have gotten stuck at least a dozen times if I had the Impala still.
On another note, I fully integrated my availability into a schedule planner! It is currently going through testing to make sure my life calendar updates the way I want it to. I also integrated a payment system as well. The only downside is ApplePay can’t be integrated with scheduling… Only products that are sold on the website. Regardless, it is very clean and simple for users! If you have any suggestions, feel free to send me an email!
Ashley Victoria
“Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent” - Victor Hugo
Some people say music is something you listen to when you drive to work or clean the house. Others say music is more than that. Meet Ashley Victoria! She is a country singer with aspirations on making it big in Nashville. The team at Dreamt Realities and I will be covering her show on February 8th at The Original Sundance Saloon in Mundelein! Click here to see some pictures from her photo shoot today!
Starting this Spring, I will be accepting new clients! The website will be updated with more information and a dedicated modeling page in the up coming months. All photo shoots will be scenic and shot on iPhone. If you are interested in studio and/or DSLR photography, you may contact Danny at Dreamt Realities by clicking here!
Support the Locals
“Supporting another's success won't ever dampen yours” - Unknown
This week’s post is about supporting your friends and family. Go to their events. Share their posts. Celebrate in their victories and remind them of their importannce after their failures. A little support can go a very long way in someone's life. If you have a page, share it in the comment section below! I will subscribe and give you a shout out! Listen to their ideas.
Dreamt Realities and I will be filming Ashley Victoria’s show this February. We went to The Original Sundance Saloon in Mundelein to check out the venue. Keep an eye out for content from the event! This week, I created a Twitch account so I can support Kevin (Mojox57x) and Randy (RevRandyBoBandy). I will not be streaming but I will definitely be watching their streams! You should give them a follow and check them out. It is a pretty good time. While doing all that, be sure to get a sandwich from Penn Station East Coast Subs - Schererville and support Ryan’s business!
Contest Winner Announcement
“Marketing is a contest for people's attention" - Seth Godin
I am going to make this blog post short and sweet. I used a Random Selector designed by Mini WebTool for this contest. Watch the video below to see the results!
Happy Holidays!
“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier” - Mother Theresa
This is Sticky! Our Repair Room Mascot. Courtesy of Randy-Bo-Bandy! He reminds us not to stress out during the busy holiday season. Be like Sticky and enjoy life.
Last Call: I want to thank the people that constantly open my emails and read my posts. To show my appreciation, I am giving away a free 30-minute Shot on iPhone Photoshoot. I will be using a random selector to pick the winner on New Years Day and I will share the results in my next blog post. If you win, I will also contact you directly. Like! Share! Subscribe!
General Rules for Entry:
One entry per person; Must be subscribed to my mailing list.
Must agree to the Terms & Conditions.
Submission deadline: December 31st at 11:59PM Central Time.
Photoshoot may not be gifted.
You can’t order more food than I do at Portillo’s.
To Another Year
“Welcome to 28: Where all your friends have babies, 10pm is your bed time, and going out on a weeknight is NOT going to happen” - Unknown
Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. That being said, 27 was an amazing year!
I bought a new truck.
I got 2 promotions at work.
I took 3 vacations.
I finally started my website!
I want to thank everyone for the birthday wishes! In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. Here is to year 28! Don’t Forget: I want to thank the people that constantly open my emails and read my posts. To show my appreciation, I am giving away a free 30-minute Shot on iPhone Photoshoot.
General Rules for Entry:
One entry per person; Must be subscribed to my mailing list.
Must agree to the Terms & Conditions.
Submission deadline: December 31st at 11:59PM Central Time.
Photoshoot may not be gifted.
You can’t order more food than I do at Portillo’s.
Your Chance to Win!
'“The best things in life are free” - Luther Vandross
Don’t Forget: I want to thank the people that constantly open my emails and read my posts. To show my appreciation, I am giving away a free 30-minute Shot on iPhone Photoshoot.
General Rules for Entry:
One entry per person; Must be subscribed to my mailing list.
Must agree to the Terms & Conditions.
Submission deadline: December 31st at 11:59PM Central Time.
Photoshoot may not be gifted.
You can’t order more food than I do at Portillo’s.
Progress for the Sake of Progress
"If there is no struggle, there is no progress" - Fredrick Douglass
So I decided to take a different approach with this blog post. Most of you, if not all, haven’t had the opportunity to see what the pictures looked like before being posted to my website. The changes to this picture were so drastic, I had to give it a share. This was all done on my iPhone XS Max using Lightroom for iOS.
On another note, I finally got the pictures from the Road Trip done. I didn’t get as many as I wanted because we were on a time crunch and couldn’t stop. I hope you enjoy the content and next time I will be sure to give myself more time for pitstops.
Side Track Personal Life Update: Always working, got a new iPad for editing, and still single. For the most part, nothing has changed. I want to thank the people that constantly open my emails and read my posts. To show my appreciation, I am giving away a free 30-minute Shot on iPhone Photoshoot.
General Rules for Entry:
One entry per person; Must be subscribed to my mailing list.
Must agree to the Terms & Conditions.
Submission deadline: December 31st at 11:59PM Central Time.
Photoshoot may not be gifted.
You can’t order more food than I do at Portillo’s.