NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY | CAPTURING THE NIGHT | WEEK 9 | Light At The End Of The Tunnel

Life has put me in front of a familiar problem more than once or twice, and when it happens, it brings discomfort and a sense of imbalance. My mind starts revisiting the details over and over, and I literally end up spiraling into a loop of thoughts that lead nowhere, only making the problem more obvious. I want to find some kind of satisfying path to a solution, but so far, it's been in vain. One time, I asked myself what to do. I decided it was better to calm down a little, to find a way to distract myself, instead of struggling in discomfort while searching for a solution that was still out of reach.

So, I headed for a park walk. Each time my mind wandered back to the issue, I made a conscious effort to focus elsewhere, reminding myself that relaxation was my only priority. I focused on the fresh air, the beautiful sky, the flowers, the children around me. I began to breathe slowly and deeply on purpose. After about an hour, I could feel a noticeable sense of calm, a harmony with the peaceful natural world around me. I realized that the question that had been bothering me was no longer as active in my mind. My goal was to feel good, and once I was filled with a more positive mood, to return to my problem with a clearer mind and, hopefully, a solution.

In this way, the first thing I noticed was that the problem no longer seemed like a problem, but more of an opportunity, because my mindset now cast a new light on it, revealing things that had previously been hidden from my view. I started seeing opportunities for growth that I could easily make use of. I told myself: Okay, the priority now is to feel better, but how? In that moment, I remembered a simple practice, which is to mentally give thanks for all the good things in my life. So, I made a decision to mentally list all the things I was grateful for as I walked home.

I thanked for having food on my table and clothes on my back, for my healthy body, for the air I breathe, for all the opportunities... until I reached my front door. At that moment, the thought of the problem flashed through my mind again, but along with it came a more balanced way of perceiving it. Yes, it wasn’t an easy problem, but with my new attitude, possible solutions for overcoming it came to mind.

And that's it – finding a way to transform the negative thoughts and full-length "movies" we play in our heads into something that makes us feel good, and through gratitude for everything we have, reaching a key to solutions and a light at the end of the tunnel.

There are countless methods for this kind of transformation, and this is just one of them. Gratitude. 💡🌱