Michael Lopez Photography

Jumpin’ Out the Window…

Kanye West has a song called “Power” that I like. Towards the end of the song the lyrics go as such:

Now this would be a beautiful death
Jumpin’ out the window
Lettin’ everything go
Lettin’ everything go

I wondered what was he thinking when he wrote this song. Was he talking about really killing himself? or was it something else. The conclusion that I came too was letting go of FEAR!

FEAR has a way of keeping us in a place that we don’t want to be in life. It can make the best of us stop and never get going again. FEAR will cause us to have regret and second guessing every decision we make.

What I love about sports is that athlete’s have to face their FEAR at each competition. The other team or player walks on the field and immediately the athlete has to decide mentally if they can beat them or not. The FEAR of losing, even before they play the game, is made up in their minds as soon as they see that other athlete. They say things like, “their huge!”, “they jump higher than us!”, or “look at their uniforms!” FEAR has set in before the game has even started.

But great athlete’s do something different when they see the other team. They decide to “Jump out the window!”, and meet the challenge head on. And you know what happens when they do that? They compete and they fight to the finish. Even when they lose, they win! They win because they choose to meet that fear head on and not let it control them. They compete, fight, run, dive, hold, grab, or do whatever it takes to beat it.

I even have my own fear’s in life. I never thought that I was going to be a photographer. I remember thinking, was I ever going to be good enough to get someone to pay me to photograph their project. Or, would anyone like my style of photography.

Instead, I chose to “Jump out the window!” What did I have to lose? Nothing. It was time for me to let it all go. I had to let the inner athlete come out and compete. If I got knocked down, I would get back up. But I was not going to let FEAR control my life. I am a winner no matter what anyone else thinks. FEAR is a word that is now on the bottom of my foot. I just step on it.

So please, “Jump out the window!” Do not be afraid! Be everything that you want to be and more. Be compassionate, loving, caring, giving, and have passion for everything that you do. Put it out on the line and have faith that you can overcome all of your fears. I know you can. Believe it. Know it. Don’t let FEAR stop you. Don’t let it stop you!!!

Each of these athlete’s that I photographed are The Bakersfield Californian’s All-Area Players. Each of these athletes have have overcome their fears and continue to push themselves to new heights. I hope and pray that you do the same.

Peace…

How much I have changed…

I use to let my past hold me back. I was often taking my mind to a place that was in my childhood. A place where I was was scared, confused, and had a scarcity of money.

When I was younger, my mom did the best that she could with what she had. We had no financial support from my father, so we depended a lot on my grandmother and sometimes my aunt.

But there was always a price we had to pay when we turned to help from them. That made it even tougher for me growing up. I could see where my mom was having to deal with issues that she probably would have never dealt with before. I just always remember us struggling to get through the month.

As an adult, I would constantly go back to that place in my mind. It always kept me in fear of moving and growing. I had to learn how to change that thinking. Notice I say “learn” to change that thinking. It does not happen over night.

I had to rethink my feelings and retrain myself to let go of that part of my life. It was an experience that I had to go through in order to prepare myself for where I am today.

It is never easy to change your thinking or the feelings you might get when a situation arrises in your life. It is something that you have to be willing to hit head on and challenge yourself to be open to new ideas and looking at the situation with a new point of view.

I am writing this because I think most of us experience feelings that keep us stuck in rutt. Feelings that will not allow us to grow as people because they are so far rooted in our minds that we can’t let go.

But guess what, we can.

We can move forward.

We can change.

We can accomplish the dream.

We can reach the top of the mountain.

We can be everything that we want to be.

We can help others in need.

We can be everything that God wants us to be.

I hope that you let go of whatever is holding you back. Release it like a balloon that will blow in the wind. Then watch your life change.

Peace.