Trust in The Universe

trust in the power of the universe

One of the biggest foundational elements in any relationship is trust.  Are you willing to trust someone (or something) you've never met? 

Are you willing to throw your fate to the wind and chase something that burns within your soul, because you feel like it's the right thing to do? 

Are you willing to trust that everything will be okay? 

The mysteries of the unknown can not only be confusing, they can be scary.  It is often easier to stay in a situation that is comfortable, because more often than not, there are no surprises. 

But aren't surprises what keeps life interesting, and keeps us yearning for more?  

In order to grow as individuals, we need to make strides in our personal pursuits and trust that what is meant to be, will be. 

We need to put efforts into chasing our dreams, putting ourselves out there and working towards our ultimate goals.

We need to trust that the universe will be there to guide us and catch us if we fall. 

One of the biggest life adventures and leaps of faith I have taken thus far was moving to Oregon.  It was a place I had never been, but as a nature photographer the image searches alone were enough to sell me on it. 

At the time, I was managing a photo lab/store and was working on getting a job transfer.  Shortly before we had finalized the details, the company went through bankruptcy and many stores immediately closed for business.  This included the one I was currently working at, as well as the one I had intended to transfer to. 

I was in a predicament - stay working in Colorado or go anyway and hope for the best. 

I decided to go for it. 

I packed my life into a Honda Prelude and hit the road.  I had no job lined up, nor a place to live.  Heck, I didn't even have a mattress. 

I had somewhere between $500-1,000 in my bank account, with my final paycheck scheduled to deposit mid-trip. 

I wasn't sure what was going to happen, or how I was going to make it work, but I trusted that I would be taken care of.

As it turns out, my final paycheck ended up getting deposited twice.  No clue how or why that happened, but it was my first wink from the universe saying, "I got you." 

Originally I had intended to reside in Portland, but with lack of housing and no job secured, I decided to stay with a friend who was living in Veneta. 

I expected to be there a few days at most, but the arrangement worked out surprisingly well as I continued to search for jobs.  I began applying everywhere that I felt qualified to work, yet rarely heard back from anyone. 

It was really starting to baffle me, and I began to worry.  I believe I fell into more of a "panic mode" and began applying to places that I knew I wouldn't enjoy, but needed to take something. 

I finally heard back from an outsourced call center, offering me a position with troubleshooting Apple computers.  As much as I despised the idea of going back to another call center, I figured I could get some useful skills, meet some new people and use the training period to continue searching for what I really wanted to do. 

I moved up to Portland and was lucky enough to find a room available for rent, that even had a mattress! 

I started my new job, inevitably taking phone calls again and coaching people through common sense and how to use their resources. 

This monotony and frustration alone kept me motivated to pursue my true callings and through the course of constantly searching "photography jobs," I stumbled across a post that was looking for on-board cruise ship photographers. 

Could this be real?  A job where I actually get paid to travel the world AND take pictures?  I did a lot of research, and decided to apply.  I couldn't even begin to imagine how incredible this adventure would be, and I am happy to report that it became one I was lucky enough to experience. 

I began my journey of sailing the world on May 1, 2013 and it ended up being not only the best experience of my life, but the most transformational. 

I learned so much more about photography and I was introduced to people and cultures that really gave me a new appreciation and insight to what defines life as a human. 

It was shortly after embarking on this journey that I had my first awakening and realized that not all beauty lies in nature.