At some point in everyone’s life, finding purpose will take center stage. There will be a strong desire to live a life that matters and makes you happy. Oftentimes, people struggle with discovering what their purpose is and then accepting the charge of carrying it to its fullest capacity.
Fear and Insecurity live right next door to each other. They’ve been best friends since the beginning of time and can’t be separated. Their job is to conspire to keep us from our purpose.
There will come a time in your life when a huge opportunity will present itself and you will have a decision to make – allow fear and insecurity to take the lead or step out on faith.
A self-taught, Los Angeles based photographer shares his story of how overcoming self-doubt led to living his best life.
“Being from a small town in Kentucky, I knew that I did not want to stay there for the rest of my life. I’ve always been a creative person; adventurous with a never-ending imagination. I had a great childhood and love my family, but I just knew there was always something more out there for me.
After high school, I attended college for a short time in Louisville but eventually made my way to Kansas City, Missouri. At 20 years old, I was having the time of my life. I worked for a well-known company, while attending school for fashion design and merchandising. I owned my own home and drove my dream car.
I eventually married and had two beautiful kids. By this time, I wasn’t using my background in fashion design but I managed a successful pest control business, for a short period of time. Something was missing though. After several years, my marriage ended and I moved to the San Francisco bay area.
In no time, I was doing mortgage loans and managing my own office. But after the real estate market crashed, I had to shift gears. I left the bay area and spent a year in Las Vegas where things went well. I missed my son and daughter terribly and made the decision to go back to Kansas City.
I’ve always been able to find a job, so I didn’t have any worries. Things had always come easy for me, but I quickly realized that the job market was different. I managed to find work but there was still that nagging feeling that something was missing.
I met my now fiance shortly after moving back to Kansas City. After we had been together for a few years, I became frustrated with not being able to find consistent work. I was also wrestling with finding my purpose in life.
We decided to move to Houston in 2015 for a fresh start but it seemed as if it was just the same song in a different city. After my frustrations were still there, my fiancé asked me a question: “What is your passion?” I wasn’t quite sure how to answer that. She told me that I needed to determine what my passion in life was and that would lead me to my purpose. Her question really allowed me to search myself and I found photography.
After meeting a fashion show director and stylist at an upscale event, he presented me with an opportunity to take photos for a major fashion show and charity event. There would be high-profile guests in attendance. The event was in two days and I didn’t even have a camera! But I said yes.
My nephew, who also did photography, happened to be living in Houston at the time, so I gave him a call. I was hoping that I could borrow his camera for a couple of days. As I thought more about it, insecurity started to take over. What was I doing? I had never used a professional camera before. I was afraid that I wasn’t ready. I didn’t want to mess this up.
I called my nephew and began to pawn the opportunity off to him, saying this was a great opportunity and something he couldn’t miss out on. I couldn’t understand why he wasn’t excited. And he never gave me answer.
The reason is because the opportunity was not for him to take. I realized this was my blessing, so I asked to use his camera. The next day, he showed me how to use it in less than two hours. Off to the event I went. Yes, I was nervous. But I pushed through and did it. Overcoming that fear confirmed that I was in the right space.
After that event, I studied photography every single day. I attended several meetings, events, and shows in Houston. Everything I know about photography and filmmaking, I learned on my own through YouTube, the Internet, and the bookstore.
I live in Los Angeles now; still doing photography, a member of a few Hollywood film groups, and working towards my first film. There’s nothing that can stop me.
Challenges have and will continue to come. But what I know is when God brings you to your purpose, He will put the right people, resources, and opportunities in place at the perfect time. All you have to do is your part – always be ready.
We all doubt ourselves sometimes. The key is pressing forward anyway. I remind myself that I am greater than any doubt or fear. God will not allow me to fail.”