I came across the above quote by Ziad K. Abdelnour at a coffee shop and literally stopped in my tracks. I had so many thoughts racing around my head.

As I stood there pondering this, others began to do the same.

I finally spoke up and said, “what a brilliant reframe from the way so many of us live our day-to-day.”

The woman standing on my left said “I can’t even get past the first line. Too frequently I tolerate my job, family, and friends pulling me away from all that is important to me.”

The young man to my right said, “I haven’t figured that out yet. I am at the age (I would say mid-twenties) where people, society, family…are telling me what ‘should’ be important to me. It’s frustrating.” He continued, “however, I really appreciate the part that speaks to ‘developing from the negative’ because it doesn’t seem like there is any room for judgment or making yourself wrong.” (I’d say he is wise beyond his years)

Before you knew it more and more people joined our conversation, each speaking to a different line of the quote. There were moments of laughter, poignant self-discoveries and commitments made to one another.

One woman of the group said that when she found herself in the negative, she would pull out her phone and take a picture of something around her. Then I would play around with it to evolve the photo to represent a positive for her. As a reminder that she can “develop from the negative.”

Others in the group liked that idea and said they would do the same. Committed to change their relationship with the negative.

One woman noted that we had spent a lot of our time focused on the negative and thought it important that we all celebrate our good times. To which we all did, sharing a “good times” experience with the group.

Then the young man that was standing by me said – “yes, AND not only of the negative to improve things but also the good times to help us remember them. How cool is that!?!

I am happy to say I have honored my commitment to the group and have found that when I stopped, took a photo, and then enhanced it in some way, I would laugh and celebrate that I followed through. Which shifted my energy, so when I went back to deal with the negative, I had a different relationship with it. I would look for the learning and incorporate it into my next steps helping me make my way to a positive outcome from what I was experiencing.

How might your life be different if you lived it more like a Camera? I would love to hear what came to you after reading the quote.