“A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.” ~ Bruce Lee
Ode to Ansel – Half Dome Highlights selected to be Exhibited in Athens, Greece
Originally posted on the Shots By Dubbs Blog on 12/09/2019
Shots By Dubbs Photography is please to share that our photo, “Yosemite No. 002 – Ode to Ansel – Half Dome Highlights” was selected to be exhibited at the Blank Wall Gallery in Athens, Greece February 28 through March 1, 2020.
I have been playing the game GuruShots for a few months now and have been hesitant to enter any of the exhibition contests. When playing the game each contest is run by someone who has achieved the rank of Guru in the game. The contest I entered was called, the beauty of the earth and ended on December 5, 2019. The way the game works the Guru gets to make a limited number of “Guru Picks” and those photos that get picked are automatically selected to be included in the upcoming exhibit. There were 33,760 photographers competing in this contest. That means that there were a little over 135k photos entered into the contest since each photographer was required to enter four images.
Quite unexpectedly, on Sunday, December 1st I received several exciting yesterday saying my photo “Half Dome Highlights” was selected as a Guru Pick and as such was automatically qualified to be exhibited in Athens, Greece. ✈️
I received another email informing me that as a result of having a photo selected as a “Guru’s Pick” I also advanced in the game from the Expert Level to the Champion level. I have two more levels to achieve before I too can be a Guru and start running my own contests in the game. The next level for me is “Master” and then “Guru” level photographer.
This #photography journey was especially encouraged by scores of friends and family and I must thank Wendy Cabil💚 and Lexi KP 💚 for being extra enthusiastic 🎉 in their support and Elias Benudiz for being a great patron 💪🏽 of our #fineartcollection! A special nod to Amber Porter Telfer for being the first person to ever to make a query about the availability of one of my images, “Simon Says” over a decade ago and planting a seed of possibility, (you never forget your first time. 🤗🤭)
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step👣, this year we took that first solid step on the photography path… Be encouraged, onward and upward with an attitude of #gratitude.
Technology Advances: A New Algorithm Called Sea-Thru Allows for Clear and Sharp Underwater Photography
Originally posted on Shots By Dubbs Blog 12/14/2019
I cannot tell you for certain where I first saw this video featuring the revolutionary new algorithm, called Sea-Thru, that removes the distortion caused by the way light travels through water. But what I can tell you is that when I saw the video I immediately thought of my Instagram friend and underwater dancer @underwaterlinnea and how it would dramatically impact the ability of her art’s beauty to be captured and shared with the world. Before I could get around to sharing this video with Linnea, (and probably because she is the Underwater Dance Queen), I scroll past a post of hers featuring this dope technology and it was exactly what I thought, absolutely stunning! Check it out:
See @underwaterlinnea’s Post on Instagram
The proof is in the picture and you can clearly see this technology will have far-reaching impacts in the world of underwater images.
The algorithm was developed by an oceanographer and engineer named is Derya Akkaynak who works at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (Florida Atlantic University).
In the video, Akkaynak explains, [u]nderwater images typically have an overwhelming color cast, green or blue, depending on where you took them.
Objects in far distances are occluded by a layer of what we call backscatter, but think of it as a layer of haze.
So, the further you are from the objects in the scene the more haze you get in the scene.
Because light as it travels through the water, gets absorbed and scattered, colors fade away. That’s where underwater images look so dull and distorted all the time.
I personally love to be near and shoot images of the water, any type of water, but because of the blurry and hazy effects in my attempts at underwater photography I have never been overly enthusiastic. Well, times have changed and I am dusting off the plans to learn to scuba dive and adding an underwater rig for my camera to my holiday wish list. Oh, and of course I am subscribing to the email list in order to be notified when this breakthrough tech becomes available to the marketplace.
I would love to hear your reactions and thoughts on this new underwater photography tech. Let me know what you think? Do you see uses for it in your work? Any creative ideas of how you would use it?
What Is Your Spirit Animal?
In certain spiritual traditions or cultures, spirit animal refers to a spirit which helps guide or protect a person on a journey and whose characteristics that person shares or embodies. It is also metaphor, often humorous, for someone or something a person relates to or admires. (from Dictionary.com)
There is a quiz you can take, (that I have no affiliation with), that can help you if you don’t already know what your spirit animal is, find it here.
My spirit animal is an imaginary hybrid of my own creation, a la, Napoleon Dynamite’s “Lyger”. The “American Long-Crested Eagle” is a majestic and noble bird enriched with heritage and tradition. Unlike the birds it is modeled on, the American Long-Crested Eagle can hunt from both the perch AND from the wing making it one of the world’s most versatile and deadly aerial hunters. It is a medium-sized eagle 🦅 and of unusual intelligence and curiosity.
Mythically, the American Long-Crested Eagle is also a shape-shifter, and is known to take the form of a lion 🦁, and rarely that of an elephant, when it chooses to roam the earth from the land. So, inquiring minds want to know, what’s your spirit animal?
Learn more about the Eagle as a spirit animal.
#FF: Change Your Relationship With Failure
Here, is a video I did back in 2018. #LegacyLesson 005 – “Change Your Relationship With Failure” inspired by the @willsmith video from 1/11/2018 discussing your relationship with #failure. #WillSmith
SBD – “Standing Watch”
Standing Watch © 2016
—
Sometimes,
I dream that I am a tree.
Big and tall for all to see.
Day by day I stand and stand.
Birds’ nests I could hold in my hand.
All whilst I just stand.
Watching the world go by with a bird in my hand.
There is beauty in a tree.
Can you see?
~dlw, jr.
—
Image: This photograph was captured back in 2016 during my first drive along Hawaii’s Hana Highway which curves along the coast of the island of Maui. We took the time to stop and wander the trails in search of nature’s beauty and waterfalls. We found both in droves. (Bonus – on this trip to Maui we bumped into @lawschoolexpert and managed to coordinate a dinner together on the island.) How did I get so lucky?
—
#shotsbydubbs #photography #fineartphotography #hanahighway #roadtohana #dubbswanders #trees #forrest #oldtree #poetry #photophilisopher #photographerpoet #poem #emeraldgreen #lawschoolbuddies #lawschoolclassmate #lifelongfriends
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Camera settings: 4.13mm | f2.2 | ISO: 50 | Shutter: 1/30 sec
Fitness Journal: Kickboxing 45 @ Title Boxing Club Costa Mesa
I am smiling because I hit it 5 days this week, 4 #bangemup sessions @tbccostamesa and 1 workout at #planetfitness. Working to bring everything into balance and #thefuturelooksbright!
Today, I had my first class with Doc, the new GM at Title Boxing Club Costa Mesa. The workout 💪 leaves you dripping in sweat! After 45 minutes I was completely wiped out and fully refreshed at the same time. Doc throws in a few unique twist by having us switch to our non-dominant stance and repeat the combinations, in my case as a south-paw.
Our 45 minute workout breaks down like this:
1 – 7:00 Movement warm-up Round
8 – 3:00 Rounds of Kickboxing
1 – 7:00 Core Routine Round
Special shout out to the gents who have been the guides on my new boxing journey. I have had three great instructors in my first month with the gloves on:
1. Jack Good;
2. Demarcus “Bang ‘Em Up” Brown; and,
Have you ever utilized boxing as a workout? I would love to share in your experiences and maybe pick-up a few useful tips and pointers along the way. Leave me a comment below.
#boxingnovice #comingfor50withgloveson #beinginbalance #yogawarrior #executivefitness #titleboxing #boxing #boxingworkout
The Eight Dimensions of Holistic Wellbeing
Article originally published February 13, 2018, on The Legacy Insitute’s blog.
(This article was updated on 3/10/2018 to add an eighth dimension to the pyramid, the financial wellbeing dimension was added as level four.)
We recognize that our purpose here on earth is greater than doing things or collecting things. Here at the Legacy Institute, we seek to provide our practitioners a holistic set of tools and information to empower them in increasing their clients’ happiness and satisfaction with their life’s journeys. The search for balance in life leads one to examine their holistic wellbeing. Holistic Wellbeing is the pursuit of continued growth and balance in the eight dimensions of wellbeing. A lot of people think about “wellbeing” in terms of physical health only. The word invokes thoughts of nutrition, exercise, weight management, blood pressure, etc. Wellbeing, however, is much more than physical health. Holistc wellbeing is a full integration of all six dimensions of our physical reality, as well as our mental and spiritual wellbeing. It is a complex set of interactions that when balanced together leads to quality of life.
Holistic Wellbeing is commonly viewed as having eight dimensions. Each dimension contributes to our own sense of wellbeing or quality of life, and each affects and overlaps the others. At times one may be more prominent than others, but the neglect of any one dimension for any extended length of time may have adverse effects on overall health and often is the cause of “dis-ease.”
Exploring The Eight Dimensions of Holistic Wellbeing
Level 1 – Environmental Wellbeing Dimension
Many people focus on the grander scale of the environment when discussing this particular dimension focusing on cleaner air, oceans and conservation efforts. We like to think of it in a much more personal sense. We define our environment as the places where we spend our time. This does include the oceans and the great outdoors, but more directly we see it as our bedrooms, homes, offices, cars, etc. These are our personal environments. Environmental wellness is an awareness of the unstable state of balance in our homes and communities as well as across the entire earth and the effects of our daily habits on the physical environment. It consists of maintaining a way of life that maximizes harmony within our homes and throughout the earth and minimizes harm to the environment. It includes being involved in socially responsible activities to protect the environment. It starts will cleaning and organizing our personal quarters.
Tips and suggestions for optimal environmental wellness:
- Explore the Chinese principles of Fung Shui for your home and/or office
- Deep clean and organize the place you spend most of your time
- Stop your junk mail
- Conserve water and other resources
- Minimize chemical use
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
- Renew your relationship with the earth
Level 2 – Physical Wellbeing Dimension
Physical wellness encompasses a variety of healthy behaviors including adequate exercise, proper nutrition and abstaining from harmful habits such as drug use and alcohol abuse. It means learning about and identifying symptoms of disease, getting regular medical checkups, and protecting yourself from injuries and harm. Developing such healthy habits today will not only add years to your life but will enhance the enjoyment and quality of those years.
Tips for optimal physical wellness:
- Exercise daily
- Get adequate rest
- Use seat belts, helmets, and other protective equipment
- Learn to recognize early signs of illness
- Eat a variety of healthy foods
- Control your meal portions
- Stop smoking and protect yourself against second-hand smoke
- Use alcohol in moderation, if at all
Level 3 – Emotional Wellbeing Dimension
Emotional wellbeing is a dynamic state that fluctuates frequently with your other six dimensions of wellbeing. Being emotionally well is typically defined as possessing the ability to feel and express human emotions such as happiness, sadness, and anger. Our clients have found wellness in this dimension more attainable when once they recognize they are the Observer of their own thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Having an awareness that you are not these things and separate seems to promote wellness. It means having the ability to love and be loved and achieving a sense of fulfillment in life. Emotional wellness encompasses optimism, self-esteem, self-acceptance and the ability to share feelings.
Tips for optimal emotional wellbeing:
- Tune-in to your thoughts and feelings
- Cultivate an optimistic attitude
- Seek and provide support
- Learn time management skills
- Practice stress management techniques
- Accept and forgive yourself
Level 4 – Financial Wellbeing Dimension
The financial dimension challenges us to master our economic landscape. In this dimension we seek to develop satisfaction with both our current and our future financial situations. Financial Wellbeing includes our relationship with money, skills to manage resources to live within our means, making informed financial decisions and investments, setting realistic goals, and learning to prepare for short-term and long-term needs or emergencies. Part of this dimension includes an awareness that everyone’s financial values, needs, and circumstances are unique. Most express a need to expand their knowledge of financial matters and understanding of the tools available to find mastery in this dimension.
Tips and suggestions for optimal Financial Wellbeing include:
- Develop and stick-to a balanced and written budget
- Learn to understand and apply the Rich Dad Poor Dad Cash Flow Quadrants
- Make and execute a plan to eliminate your debt
- Consult a financial professional for advice and guidance
- Continue your financial education through live seminars, webinars, YouTube videos, books, magazines, etc.
Suggested Resources/Reading for Financial Wellbeing:
1. Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!
Personal finance author and lecturer Robert T. Kiyosaki developed his unique economic perspective from two very different influences – his two fathers. One father (Robert’s real father) was a highly educated man but fiscally poor. The other father was the father of Robert’s best friend – that Dad was an eighth-grade drop-out who became a self-made multi-millionaire. The lifelong monetary problems experienced by his poor dad pounded home the counterpoint communicated by his rich dad. Taking that message to heart, Kiyosaki was able to retire at 47.
Beloved by millions, this timeless classic holds the key to all you desire and everything you wish to accomplish. This is the book that reveals the secret to personal wealth.
The Success Secrets of the Ancients—
An Assured Road to Happiness and Prosperity
Countless readers have been helped by the famous “Babylonian parables,” hailed as the greatest of all inspirational works on the subject of thrift, financial planning, and personal wealth. In language as simple as that found in the Bible, these fascinating and informative stories set you on a sure path to prosperity and its accompanying joys. Acclaimed as a modern-day classic, this celebrated bestseller offers an understanding of—and a solution to—your personal financial problems that will guide you through a lifetime. This is the book that holds the secrets to keeping your money—and making more.
Level 5 – Intellectual Wellbeing Dimension
The intellectual dimension encourages creative, stimulating mental activities. Our minds need to be continually inspired and exercised just as our bodies do. People who possess a high level of intellectual wellness have an active mind and continue to learn. An intellectually well person uses the resources available to expand one’s knowledge and improve skills. Keeping up-to-date on current events and participating in activities that arouse our minds are also important.
Tips and suggestions for optimal intellectual wellness include:
- Take a continuing education course or workshop
- Learn (or perfect) a foreign language
- Seek out people who challenge you intellectually
- Read, Read, Read
- Learn to appreciate art in all its forms
Level 6 – Social Wellbeing Dimension
Social wellness refers to our ability to interact successfully with our global community and to live up to the expectations and demands of our personal roles. This means learning good communication skills, developing intimacy with others, and creating a support network of friends and family members.
Social wellness includes showing respect for others and yourself. When we see those we interact with as mirrors of ourselves, we have opportunities to grow and develop a deeper understanding through what we see. Contributing to your community and to the world builds a sense of belonging.
Tips and suggestions for optimal social wellness include:
- Cultivate healthy relationships
- Get involved
- Contribute to your community
- Share your talents and skills
- Communicate your thoughts, feelings and ideas
Level 7 – Spiritual Wellbeing Dimension
Spiritual wellness involves possessing a set of guiding beliefs, principles, or values that help give direction to one’s life. It encompasses a high level of faith, hope and commitment to your individual beliefs that provide a sense of meaning and purpose. It is willingness to seek meaning and purpose in human existence, to question everything and to appreciate the things which cannot be readily explained or understood.
A spiritually well person seeks harmony between what lies within as well as the forces outside.
Tips and suggestions for optimal spiritual wellness:
- Explore your spiritual core
- Spend time alone/meditate regularly
- Be inquisitive and curious
- Be fully present in everything you do
- Listen with your heart and live by your principles
- Allow yourself and those around you the freedom to be who they are
- See opportunities for growth in the challenges life brings you
Level 8 – Occupational Wellbeing Dimension
Occupational/Vocational wellness involves preparing and making use of your gifts, skills, and talents in order to gain purpose, happiness, and enrichment in your life. Oprah instructs us to seek to find our bliss, the thing that brings us joy, and then seek to find a way to make money or monetize whatever it is that brings you such joy. The development of occupational satisfaction and wellness is related to your attitude about your work. Achieving optimal occupational wellness allows you to maintain a positive attitude and experience satisfaction/pleasure in your employment. Occupational wellness means successfully integrating a commitment to your occupation into a total lifestyle that is satisfying and rewarding.
Tips and suggestions for optimal occupational wellbeing include:
-
- Ask yourself if you would do anything at all with no limitations
- Consider what your life’s journey has prepared you for that is unique
- Create a vision for your future
- Choose a career that aligns with your personality, interests, and talents
- Be open to change and learn new skills
Now that you have reviewed all eight dimensions of holistic wellbeing what are the first things that come to mind? What are you going to do differently in your life to achieve more balance and wellbeing? Do you have a better understanding of how everything in our entire world impacts our holistic wellbeing?
Excellence by: Aristotle
“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.”
~ Aristotle
#quote #aristotle #excellence #training #habit #habituation #virtue #habits #actingrightly #amazingthoughtz #amazingpath #highperformancehabits #brendonburchard
Our Deepest Fear
Last week Marilyn shared with our Life Coaching group a wonderful piece by Marianne Williamson from her 1992 book, “Return To Love.” Many people inaccurately attribute this passage to former South African President Nelson Mandela due to his inclusion of its wisdom in his Presidential Inauguration Address.
Our Deepest Fear
It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other
people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of
God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.
—Marianne Williamson
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