Story behind the image: acceptance in Hawaii

Self portrait on North Shore

Philosopher Rene Descartes once said "cogito, ergo sum," which translates to "I think, therefore I am." There is a lot of power in ones thoughts. Thoughts shape the reality of the world that surrounds us and the perception of everyday experiences. One's thought can make or break a day, see someone as a friend or enemy, or find beauty or flaws in every little thing.

As you already know from my photography philosophy, I tend to favor the former of each of those options, but it is not always easy. I, like so many others, face challenges in life that I must determine what they will mean in my life. This week I started to repeat a mantra "I feel, therefore I am alive."

I repeated this phrase to make sense of feelings I was having and trying to accept. I wanted to accept love. I wanted to accept and transform pain. I wanted to seize fear to use to my advantage. I wanted to appreciate grace and gratitude that were granted to me. The more I repeated my phrase in my head the less overwhelming each of those feelings became.

However as I repeated the phrase "I feel, therefore I am alive" the more familiar it sounded to something I had heard before.

"I feel, therefore I am." No that is not quite it.

"I think, therefore I am alive." That's not it either.

"I think, therefore I am." There it is! That is it! Somewhere deep in my memory was this phrase from an undergraduate philosophy class waiting to remind me of its significance.

Traveling is a great way to appreciate the world and life and accept whatever may come your way. The dream-like landscapes of the North Shore of Oahu are vibrant and alive while the sound of waves crashing on the lava rock beaches are calming and isolating. In the final minutes of daylight, the best thing to do is breath deeply, thanking the adventures the light brought and anticipating the excitement of mystery that will come with the darkness.

Photo taken March 2017

Camera: Nikon D3200

F stop: 3.5

Aperture: 1/100

Focal length: 18mm

ISO 800

Location: Turtle Bay, Oahu, Hawaii, USA