Spirit and Energy

Greetings All,

I hope you all had a great weekend. This weekend was an interesting positive life experience. I will say that it did start out bad, however, after a talk with someone, it turned out good in the end. I will share my experience about it, however, I will not say names. This is not a bashing blog. The most important lessons to take from all of this are to understand spirit, energy, and learn when to cut people off when they show you through their actions they're not interested in you.

It started 9 days ago when I inbox someone about a photo project I am working on. The person didn't respond back until 3 days later. The person was interested. After our conversation, I checked in with the individual the day before the shoot and nothing was exchanged. Then Friday the day of the shoot, I checked in to see if we were still on schedule to shoot and nothing was said or even read, however, the individual made a status update on FB. By that time, I was a bit annoyed because of the fact it only takes a second to reply to a message. By the evening, the individual blocked me. I was quite pissed at that point.

It was at that point, I spoke to a close friend about the situation and when I showed them the inbox, my friend concluded that based on the inbox, the person said they were interested but they really were not interested based on their one-sentence statement. Not to mention, we both concluded that even though its social media, a lot of people paint a picture of who they really are on social media and in real life. I am not saying that is the case for everyone because some can be whoever they want to be until you meet them, some will tell you who they are based on what they say, post, and some don't have time to devote to putting everything about them on social media. We concluded that based on the person, profile, they probably have been hurt a lot by people and may not know how to confidently say they are not interested in something. It takes courage to confront someone about something. the individual chose to run and not say they were not interested in participating in my project from the jump. The individual probably didn't understand that my proposal was for a photo shoot not trying to get with them by no means. Nothing in my conversation with the individual suggested that I was trying to hook up with the individual. For the record, if I want to get to know or date an individual, I will let it be known up front what I am looking for. I have no time for hidden agendas or use my work as a crutch to get with women.

At first, I was mad at the individual. But after my conversation with my friend about the situation, I felt bad for the individual for being put through so much in with men in her life and not having the courage to say up front, Thanks but I am not interested in the project. Sometimes we have the eye to see right through a person from the start. The answer is right in front of us, however, sometimes we try to force the door to open when clearly The Most High and Son wants the door closed.

This experience brings me to energy and spirit. I believe that it takes spirit and energy to make a connection. If the chemistry and vibe are positive, the connection will feel natural. It will not feel awkward or be forced. This does not mean everyone will be open at first. Some people take time for them to open because they are protecting their inner soul and everyone isn't worthy of seeing their most inner core. We should not chase after people or something who do not feel the same way.

Some people will say yes, just not hurt our feelings, however, actions speak louder than words. If their actions or putting you off all the time say otherwise, then it’s time to cut bait on them and move on. It makes no sense to lead someone on or give them false hope if you are not truly interested in something or someone. I do understand when someone says, "They need time to think about it or We'll see," that's totally okay. When someone makes those statements, it means they need to have a better understanding of what it is or the person before they make their final decision. Those statements can also mean in a nice way, "Not right now or I am not interested at this time." They can change their mind later though.

Timing also plays a critical role too. Based on where the individual is at this point in their life, the person or opportunity may be right, but the timing is wrong. If a person has their mind made up, they have courage and confidence enough to tell you yes or no. If they say no, thank them for their time and depart. No need to force it, if they are not willing to open for you. We should stop allowing our minds to go into a negative place if a person is not interested in you. We delay our opportunities when we stay upset at someone whose indifferent about us from the start.

Why continue to chase something or someone who does not share the same interest or lifestyles we have or want? Love and hate are strong emotions with similar behaviors. If you love something you will fight for it. If you hate something you will fight against it. If they have no love or interest for you, then why waste the time and energy fighting for them? We chase people who are indifferent about us sometimes. There is no love or hate there, however, they have no interest and do not want you to be a part of their life.

Life is like the stock market in a sense. When you make an investment, it’s a 50% chance of a return on the investment and a 50% chance you lose it. There is no need to get upset with someone if they are not interested. We made the initial investment not them. We must look at ourselves and say okay that's the way life goes. Life does not always go according to plan. We continue to strive forward. If someone wants you in their life, they will not hesitate to put you there. Don't worry about them not wanting you or to be a part of what you are doing, when there are plenty of people who will fight with you and be a part of you. Those people who are indifferent about you are not losing any sleep over their decision and neither should you. At the end of the day, we cannot make or force anyone to do anything. They have to make the decision through themselves and actions to commit to something.

Aside from that experience, I was booked to photograph a 70th Birthday party for a client on Saturday night which is also a fun, positive, and enjoyable experience. It was a good opportunity to network and be around people that were willing to allow me to capture her milestone. The experience felt natural, fun, and positive. As always, I appreciate anyone who allows me the opportunity to capture their inner soul, family, events or gatherings.

In closing, I will say put yourself first. Love yourself first. Choose your own path, journey, and happiness. Try to understand your spirit and energy. Once you do, it will become easier to figure out who's interested and not. The signs are always there, however, we sometimes ignore them and when we do, we only have ourselves to blame. That is okay too because we’re not bulletproof. We are supposed to go through the trials and tribulations daily. Just know and understand when it’s time to cut bait. Know how to connect with your spirit and energy, then it will be a little easier to see who’s for you and who’s not.

I wish you all safe journeys and a great week ahead.

London Mahogany will help and encourage anyone.

Your heart will desire what it wants, however, If we are spirit first, then we must walk in Spirit.

Kenneth B. Walker Residential Home for Boys

Greetings All,

I hope all is well and you all are enjoying a good week so far. It's been a while since I did a blog due to school and work. Today I will discuss a recent project and I hope that the video will be an uplifting and positive story for someone out there.

A few weeks ago, A friend of mine who I've known for a few years, ask me to do a project for her place of employment. I was honored that she recommended me to capture a brief day in the life of The Kenneth B. Walker Residental Home Inc. in Columbus GA.

Kenneth B. Walker Residential Home, Inc. is a nonprofit, 501(c) 3 organization based in the heart of Columbus, Georgia. Since 2003, KBW Residential Home has been serving the youth of Columbus and surrounding areas, servicing males 6-18 years old who have suffered abuse, neglect or been incarcerated. To date, KBW has served over 500 males in the state of Georgia. KBW is CARF accredited in both group home care and counseling.

It was an awesome and positive experience to be welcomed with open arms, meet and work with the staff of The KBW Residental Inc.

I would like to thank the staff of The KBW Residental Inc. for allowing me the honor to cover their project.

Please check out the video and I hope you enjoy. Also Please feel free to subscribe to my blog for new blog entries.

Feel Free to check out their link for more info.
https://www.kbwhome.com/

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The Man Behind the Camera-Raw Form

Greetings All,

I hope all is well. I hope that this blog may inspire confidence, positivity, and courage for someone today to make moves. A part of life is about changes. You must be willing to change or life will pass you by. I was speaking with a friend about myself, I decided to write this blog and open up a little. I hope that you don't allow life or even one day to pass you by because you were afraid to open up to the environment and those around you.

I am in a better place now so I can allow myself to open up to you. Now I don't normally open up to any and every one, however, for once I believe I can give some a glimpse into my window.

I am sure a lot of you may not know me so let me tell you who I am. My name is Jeff D Stewart. Mostly everyone calls me DStewy DSoul or Stewy. Some of the people close to me would describe me as a goofy, yet mature guy with some wisdom and knowledge. I am a 28 yr old negro man that was making a decent living for the last 6 years until I decided that something was missing and at times, feeling empty.

I decided back in January 2016 that I need changed my path in life and started over because the military became part of the reason I had a hard time opening up to other outside sources and being a lone wolf growing up added to the stress of opening up. It felt forced at times to be a family in the military because in my opinion some of the people in the military are not genuinely all too concerned about you or your welfare and there were some people I was around that I felt wasn't sincere about you until you got in trouble.

Then and only then they cared because it took away from their time. I need a breath of fresh air desperately by that point because I wanted to be free and not feel like I belong to someone else and have to do things 24-7 whenever they needed it. People have said, "Man how could you leave the military right now?" I said, "simply because money isn't everything and I was tired of the particular lifestyle at that point." I knew that the military wasn't the end all be all.

There was more to life and a career than the military. The feeling of being free was sort of non-existent while I was in. It wasn't like I could just go any and everywhere without having to tell a superior. I felt like it was time to move on because I was no longer satisfied with just making a decent living and not happy with what I was doing.

I felt like the military by that point was a safety net from taking a leap of faith and get out to pursue what I really want to do. Now I am glad that I left because it's possible now that I would still be stuck in the rut had I stayed in any longer. I can do whatever and go wherever I want without having to tell a superior or the idea that the military is all up in my personal and private life. For the record, I did my time honorably so no I did not do anything stupid to get kicked out.

Being a lone wolf, I walk alone and mark to the beat of my own drum going back to my childhood. I am an only child on my father's side. I have one brother left and I am the youngest. It's not that I didn't have a family, I have both of my parents. They did the best they could to take care of me and that usually was a lot of time at home by myself. My brother is 8 years older than me so a lot of my time as childhood was spent with grandparents and aunts when my parents were working.

I blame nobody for my upbringing because in a way it allowed me to analyze the world at the time without too many distractions from others at times. A lone wolf also has flaws too. Over the years, I haven't been good at communication and I understand that it's created some distant feelings from others. Fortunately today, It's a slow process to work on communication with others on a consistent basis.

I do apologize to everyone that I may have pushed away from inconsistent communication on my end. It was never intentional. It has always been apart of my makeup due to walking alone. Hopefully today, I put an end to this type of behavior. It's one reason why I do photography.

It has allowed me to open up socially to others over time that I may not have had the courage to before I picked up a camera. It has been a crutch of some sorts but I will be able to walk away without always having a camera in my hand as far as social interactions go.

I understand that I must build personal, professional relationships with people, and be consistent with communication without always having a camera in my hand because if I don't then nobody will really know the real me without the camera. The bottom line is if you're interested in someone or something, no matter how busy you are, you must be willing to make time for someone or something.

If you choose not to, then the opportunity, the person may not present itself again especially if the person has moved on to someone else or if the opportunity has run through your hands like sand.

I am single. I have no kids. I have never been married and of course, I am not rushing marriage or kids because there will be a time and place for that but it will not be anytime soon. One Day, I will have that all together, however, I am not in a proper mind frame at this time to even consider those major life-changing events. When the time comes, of course, I will be in a better place to take care of another time and marriage.

My first introduction to the art world was in the form of poetry as a teenager. That would last until I pick up the camera in 2007. I didn't necessarily transition into photography right away. It would take another 4 years before photography became a full-time hobby. I write poetry every blue moon not as I used to when I was a teen.

I do at this point along with my poetry have a ton of work that hasn't seen the light of day yet on my end. I've been reminded a time or two that it's selfish to have a talent and not share it with the world. It's a waste to have a talent and not show it. It's taking the time to slowly but surely post more and share my work. It's not easy quite yet but I am getting a little better than showing my work.

Whatever you do, please do not have a talent and not show it because at any given moment you can go from a talented living individual to a dead talented individual who people find out about you long after you're gone. It's okay to be a starving artist, entrepreneur, or whatever is your nichè but you do not want time going by not sharing it because you never know what you do could be therapy, inspiring, or make a positive impact on someone else's life. As adults, it's two of our responsibilities to be role models, mentor the community, teens, and kids coming up. Don't Be selfish and not show what you can do.

A random fact about me is I happen to have an appreciation for women with pretty feet. I happen to express that with my foot photography that a few of you may have seen. No, I am not ashamed to admit one of my loves for women's feet. Everyone has something that they like about the opposite sex. I love everything about a lady's body, of course, however, I just happen to like her feet just as much as I like her mind, body, and soul. Never be afraid to let someone you may be into know what you like.

I am not saying tell them everything in one sitting, however, let things organically play out. It will save you a lot of time and headaches later on and even if it doesn't work out, the individual will respect your honesty at least.

Part of my mission in life is to be able to teach, mentor, & lecture those whose willing to listen and it's up to you to do whatever you feel is best with the knowledge. Aside from being an artist, it's also my responsibility to express and share my work hoping that it will invoke some type of feeling within you. It's a duty of mine to the best of my ability to uplift someone's spirituality and positivity. It's a goal of mine to capture and record life's moments, cherish them, hopefully, it will inspire someone, give them the extra push to get out there and live life.

It's never too late to start or learn something new. We are here to learn, grow, adjust to the changes in life to the best of our abilities. I am a late bloomer as far as getting out more, going to more social gatherings, putting myself out there more so people can gravitate towards me, learning to do more, talk more without always having a camera on my hip, and beginning to enjoy life. I just learned after all of these years to tie a tie this past Thursday. So It's only too late when you passed on from this place.

Also if you tired of being stuck at a dead-end job, then it's never too late to start something new and venture into a new path in life. We all have talents and maybe you haven't tapped into all of your talents yet, however, with that talent you're capable of at least being able to survive.

It won't happen overnight, however, if your willing to make sacrifices, effort and dedicate them over time it will come to fruition. Also, don't quit your day job cold turkey until you at least have something going for yourself that is making the same amount of money at your main job if not more.

Today I embrace my soul, my name, my work, my brand because they're gifts The Most High and Son gave me and I can't allow these gifts to turn into a curse for not expressing or showing them.

I believe that this will be a good stopping point for the moment to give you a glimpse into my thoughts. I hope that you take this part of me and use it to the best of your ability. Enjoy your day and week ahead.

Peace & Blessings.

-DStewy DSoul

Source: The-Man-Behind-The-Camera

Positive Vibes for the Week

In order to start the day, one must feel good from the soul. One must feel positive and confident in themselves in order for the day to end on a fruitful journey.

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Love Thy Neighbor

Coming together as One to paint Art in Seoul Korea. ©DSoul Fotography

Good Day to Everyone,

I hope that everyone is doing well. Today I will discuss something that is on my mind. I hope that his blog will inspire someone today. This will be a long read and I know some of you can take a few minutes out of your busy day to read what I have to say, you spend hours a day on your phone so you can least spend a few mins to read this post. It may help or save you some day.

In this journey call “Life”, we are responsible for our own actions. We come from all walks of life and take different paths in our lives. We come to and fro. We come into someone’s life for a season, while we spend a lifetime with another. Life would be next to impossible if we don’t have someone to give us a helping hand. I can only answer for me and say that I cannot do everything on my own nor I am capable of getting through life without help from someone. We are supposed to take care of our communities and neighborhoods. The environment we live in ultimately plays an influence on our lives. We should not treat our neighbors like strangers.

I do understand that all neighborhoods are not safe and bad, If you don’t like the neighbor you’re in, then find a better community to move too. Nothing is keeping you in that situation/environment or stopping you except YOU. If you want a better neighborhood to find a way to get out of that neighborhood.

I remember when I had to share a room with someone, I was always cordial and usually talk to them for a few minutes before we went into our own respective spaces. The last roommate I had was pretty quiet and in his own world. He did his thing and I did mine. I concluded that he’s not much of a talker. I only spoke to him when I saw him but rarely had a conversation with him. I didn’t feel uncomfortable or awkward around him however I realized that I had a roommate that wasn’t really social with me as my past roommates so that was a first. I am equally responsible for not communicating or extending an olive branch out to him more despite that he was quiet. I just didn’t get the outgoing or sociable vibe from him as I previously did with other roommates. Maybe that was just his nature I don’t know. I just felt like those 7 months, it seems like we were total strangers beside saying what’s up to each other. I never felt so cold or reserved towards a neighbor before. I did say that from here on out, I can not let this happen without putting effort to talk and get to know my neighbor.

Recently when I transition into a new phase in my life, I decided that no matter what, to the best of my ability, I will be cordial, speak and chat with my neighbors whenever I see them at least a few times a week. When I moved into my new place, I was totally free of a roommate, I have my own place and space. I also have neighbors. They’re up in age however they’re very friendly people and I’ve gotten to know them.

A few weeks ago when I was coming back one night to get something to eat which I waited later than usual which was good timing as well, when I pulled up into the driveway at my apartment complex, I saw my downstairs neighbor on the ground. It was wet from the rain earlier and she slips and fell down. She was conscious but was in pain. Her caregiver also arrived in time to help me help her get up on her feet. The weird thing was she has a little dog which she was letting out to take care of her business, however, the dog didn’t bark or alert others to come see what was going on. We helped her back in her place. She had a bit of a bump on her head however she was okay. Once I and her caregiver helped her back into her place and her caregiver would help her from there, I went back upstairs to my place for the night. The next day, when I was going to do some errands, she was outdoors walking her dog. I asked chatted with her for a few mins and she was doing better. She thanked me for last night and I went on my day after checking up on her.

Today I didn’t expect this. Her caregiver came to my door and thank me for helping my neighbor that night and she gave me some chicken and chocolate as gratitude.

Now when I help people I don’t expect anything in return. I began to realize how important it is to take care of your village, be kind and cordial to your neighbors. We were who we are based on our community and environment. We are who we are based on the take in and give out.

To be best of my ability, I strive to be cordial, humble, and kind to people daily. They’re a part of my traits. These are not acts I put on during November & December then go back into regular programming of coldness and Me, Me, Me from January-Mid November. I am not a jolly holiday person. It’s not my style nor do I celebrate them. People should be able to speak and spread some love, charity, kindness, meekness, and support to our neighbors, brothers or sisters regardless of their color or ethnicity daily not just during the holidays. Most people will go back to their usual me, me, me, I, I, I and its a never ending cycle. If you’re going to be a caring and kind individual then strive to those traits daily. Don’t wait until Mid-November to December to put on kind acts. Some of us see through the phony acts. I challenge some of you to break the cycle and change your ways. Become more open and warm to your neighbors. Speak to your neighbors take a few mins out of your busy day to check and talk to your neighbors. If you can spend hours at a time on a phone then you should be able to speak to your neighbors for a few mins. You never know who they could be or how much of an influence/help they can be in your journey in life.

In closing, we are not only responsible for our own actions we are also responsible for taking care our community and look after our neighbors because we always need one another at some point and no way we can go through life alone. We must Learn to love, help, show meekness to thy neighbors.