The Fear Isn't There Yet.

Do you ever wonder why you don't take chances?

One word...failure.  As adults most of us know what failure brings...pain, surgery, financial loss, embarrassment, etc.  Stepping out of our comfort zone gets harder the older we get.  Every day I try to push myself to new things, taking chances on opening a photography business 5 year ago was one of them.  We were nervous earlier this year when we took the steps toward opening the studio in town.

Would it work, would people continue to come to us.  Well, so far we have been blessed, BEYOND MEASURE!  Yes, we have made mistakes, screwed up orders, angered customers and each other, but the bottom line is we took the chance and have had a successful family business that has given my wife full time employment, and our parents full time custody of our children! (I joke, but they are a HUGE part of what we do at LakeHaus.)

Every time I get a person in front of the camera that isn't sure of what I am wanting them to do...I ask, "Do you trust me?"  The answer is usually "yes", and then I try to make the image work the way I envision it.  Don't tell them, but for the most part I don't know if the look I am going for is going to turn out or not, but 9 times out of 10 it works, really well.

Last night I was reminded of "taking chances" when Brecken was on his dirt bike.  The first 3 times he hit the big jump, he had the throttle pinned and he sailed, I MEAN LAUNCHED...I would guess his head was 10 feet off the ground a couple times.  People were stopping on the road to watch him jump his motorcycle...which added to his desire to fly.

Brecken has no idea what a crash at that height or speed would feel like...but I am sure it would stick with him.  He really has "No Fear".  YET.  I am sure at some point he will come crashing back to earth, in life and on a motorcycle, and I want that to happen.  I want my children to have to pick themselves back up of the ground, out of the water, out of a bad grade at school, or a bad job and put the pieces back together again to start over.  It makes us stronger.

So whatever fear is keeping you from taking chances don't be afraid to grow some "wings" and give it a shot...at some point you will succeed and it will look at beautiful as the picture below!