Have you ever felt as though you’ve missed your calling? Maybe it hits you each time you read a certain type of book and wish your name was on the cover. Or maybe it’s when you catch a glimpse of a vibrant painting and wonder why the brushes you bought are still in their original packaging. You were once passionate about your craft, but somewhere along the line you drifted. Montreal-based photo & video artist Alana Riley (yes, there are two!) did a fantastic photo shoot called, “I am still what I am meant to be”. Are you?

On the flip side, maybe you did write the book and did paint the picture, but feel the world somehow failed to direct you down Success St. Or did it? It’s easy to ask the question, “If this is the life I want, then why aren’t I living it?” but it’s the hardest to answer.

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Life is all about choices, and making the wrong ones can lead you down some pretty rough paths. But is it fair to call any less than desirable choice “wrong”? Should we describe it instead as a decision that took us on a learning curve, where we listened patiently, nodded our heads, and ultimately acknowledged, “Okay. Lesson learned — Won’t do that again.”

Perhaps.

You may find changing your mentality on how you view things enables the positive to come out more freely. After all, life is quite a bit about mental perception. Remind yourself that you’re on an ever-changing journey, and though that journey, things certainly can become tangled-up rather well. But those same things will always find a way to become untangled, placing you gently back on-track.

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As you go through life there will surely be times when the path is unclear. You’ll become overwhelmed and confused, and go on what feels like a manhunt for answers. And when on that hunt it’s always nice to find what you’re looking for quickly — But what happens when you don’t? What do you do when you’re left waiting in life, all by yourself, with no estimated departure time, in what feels like an empty space?

If you find yourself there (and really I should say ‘when you find yourself there’, because ultimately we’ll all pay that scenario a visit once or twice) don’t give up hope. The neatly wrapped package you had once had, or that you’re looking for, will find it’s way to you. The trick is to be patient and positive, as tough as both those can be. Sometimes it’s helpful to remind yourself that we’re all in the same boat — This journey we’re on doesn’t come with a guidebook, and we will get lost from time to time. That’s an absolute — We can only do our best. Continue reading →