Keepsakes from the bad old days

Not all keepsakes are created equal.

But they all have a purpose, indeed.

How many of you have mementos and keepsakes that remind you of amazing experiences and moments in your life?

I know many do as I’ve photographed a wide assortment of jewelry, photos, toys, figurines, and other assorted chachkies during various client’s branded lifestyle portrait sessions.

But what about a memento from an experience that wasn’t so amazing, uplifting and joyous? 

I have one of those.

Prior to building a photography business, I spent years working in the TV world on the talk show, Maury - 9 long, long, long years. 

While the experience I gained working behind a video camera shooting some of the most outlandish stories one could conceive has deeply influenced my photography work, it took an emotional toll on me.

Long story short, by the end of my run, I got burned out, became resentful of everyone and everything, and generally acted like a grumpy asshole on even the best of days.

Fun guy - GREAT at parties, lol

Before I left the show, I snagged that microphone in the photo above, threw it in my pocket, and it has lived in the same spot on my desk for 6 years. It’s right underneath my monitor so it’s always in my eyesight.

Why bother keeping such a thing?

It serves as a constant reminder of what I don’t want in my life. 

More specifically, it serves as motivation to never put myself in a position where I do something with my life that doesn’t light me up inside. 

When I look at that microphone, I’m sucked into a time warp where I remember waking up every morning angry that I have to commute almost two hours each way to a place that fostered aggravation and creative stagnation. You know the Sunday scaries? Well, I had a consistent case of the SATURDAY scaries.

I’m also reminded that life is a choice - you can either wake up and do the same shit over and over again, and bitch about it every step of the way, or you can put your life in your own hands and carve your own path.

Now, I’m not trying to push any fortune cookie wisdom on you here - but for me, those words and feelings are tangible and real when I get a glimpse of that piece of equipment. 

Despite the fact that my entire time working in that world wasn’t all bad - I made some amazing friends, had some unbelievable experiences and really honed my craft when searching for the emotion in everyone’s stories - I really didn’t like how I was showing up in the world.

In fact, I hated it.

And I never want to forget where I came from that led me to where I am today. Without that experience, I’d have no idea where I would be right now…

...perhaps producing some shitty reality show that I would never watch if I didn’t work on it, who knows.

But when I look at that mic, I’m inspired to know how far I’ve come, not just as a business owner, but also as a human being. An intense amount of gratitude washes over me in those moments.

Yeah, I still trot out the grumpy, pain in the ass side, but those moments are fewer and far between than ever.

Why?

It’s because I work with awesome people and do awesome things.

I work with people who create transformation for those they serve. 

I no longer feel like I work in a television factory cranking out video widgets based on the specs set forth by an unending hierarchy of supervisors and executives for the masses to consume and immediately discard. 

This photography business is my baby, for better and worse, and I have absolutely no one to answer to but those who stand and sit in front of my camera. 

In times where the business gets a little rocky and unstable, looking at that microphone calms me down because I know I’ve placed myself in much more precarious and unsatisfying positions in the past. 

And that’s why that thing hasn’t moved since I brought it home, and it will live in every office I ever have moving forward.

How about you?

Do you have a memento or keepsake from a rough experience in life that you keep around to keep you focused, grounded and grateful for where you are right now with your business and life? 

Share your story about it in the comment section below.

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