When I’m in the garden, photographing all my little critter friends, I do what I call my “photographer yoga.” I hold still, steady, poised, and ready. The camera is set, my finger is on the shutter, ready to hold and fire a slew of fast-action photos to capture the minute magnificence of a little bee paused in its buzzing motion.
There is a sense of toned stillness, not inert, where your body-mind connection often lags between thought and action.
Instead, like a runner waiting for the starting gun to fire, I’m in an active state of relaxed and ready energy.
My eyes watch over the viewfinder, darting to catch the movement, even as my ears listen for the buzz of the honeybee I’m photographing. It is one of those times when I feel completely at peace, at harmony with my surroundings, immersed in the present moment experience.
This state of being is one I have been consciously cultivating.
Now the trick, is can I do it during high-intensity times? Like when I’m in a meeting, fielding sales calls, or best of all – when I’m trading?
When listening to Reminiscences of a Stock Operator, the tip “You have to Sit Tight and See Right” stood out to me.
This is exactly it, intuition has to merge with decision making. Meditation has to be made active. Belief and trust in yourself, your instinct, and your tools must be fully integrated.
When I was first starting out as a nature photographer, I was often in a high-stress state. What if I spent all that time getting up for the Magic Hour, traveling to locations, setting up shots, only to Miss It by making some type of mistake. Cards that get corrupted, photos out of focus, fumbling with settings as the sun rises.
As I got more familiar with my tools, more photo shoots under my belt, my confidence grew.
This state of being has enabled me to find great joy in the photo taking experience.
Now, I’m working to expand it to other activities.
Is it possible to feel this way each and every day?
During my trades this week, I tapped into this previous experience. From photography to playing polocrosse internationally, I have plenty of experience of being in this state of flow, of getting into the zone. I’m learning what it means to ride the waves of Trades, to sit tight and see right, and to act with decisive intuition and experience based decision-making.
Love as always,
~Mackenzie
