*Sigh*

I've been sighing a lot lately.

Huge sighs of relief that seem to be dispelling about twenty plus years of stress, anger, and despair. From the pit of my stomach, these welcomed sighs have been escaping my lungs on almost a continuous basis this past new year. It's a heady thing when your life starts flowing in the direction of your dreams. When all the pieces of the puzzle start falling into place and forming a picture better than you could've ever imagined...

Every time I book a new shoot - sigh. When I climb into our Jeep after a long day at work - sigh. Each night that Chris, Dehlia, and I spend curled up in our cozy living room together watching TV, reading, or just talking about our future - sigh. Studying photography - sigh. Standing in the shower after a grueling workout - sigh. Re-reading the Twilight books and realizing that I have my own Edward and am lucky enough to live in beautiful Western Washington - sigh.

I could go on, but I'm sure you get the picture. Yes, I've been sighing a lot lately.

And I'm not saying that my life is a bed of roses. But luckily, fortunately, I've been too preoccupied with the "good" to notice the "not-so-good." In fact, right now, if you asked me, I wouldn't be able to come up with any negative aspects - although I'm sure there are some things about my life that would have other people cringing.

I guess I've put my blinders on, so to speak. Now that comment may invite some people to say that I'm not focusing on reality, that I'm living with my head in the clouds or stuck in the sand. And be that as it may. Maybe I am living that way. But I choose to think of it instead as just simply focusing. Training my mind to see only the things I want to see, and to totally disregard those things I don't.

Ordering new photography gear - sigh. Indulging in a deliciously warm cup of vanilla flavored coffee - sigh. Receiving an e-mail from a new friend - sigh. Listening to the winter rain slap against the living room windows - sigh. Breathing in the fresh, crisp air of the Pacific Northwest- sigh.

Waking up in the morning... Sigh. :)

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"The sun's energy warms the world. But when you focus it through a magnifying glass it can start a fire. Focus is so powerful!"
-- Alan Pariser