I had a hard time getting out of bed this morning. Not because I did anything particularly exhausting the day before, I just found it hard to get out of bed. I had planned to visit a new spot for some bird photography but when the alarm went off, I found myself fighting a monster urge to throw the covers over my head until the sun came up. I wrestled with that urge for about 5 minutes and then realized that I simply can't call myself a bird photographer if I'm not willing to get out of bed before sunrise to ultimately get those "golden hour" images. Ultimately, I'm glad I got out of bed.
I'm glad I got out of bed because I was able to locate the spot I wanted to capture these Wood Ducks coming in and out of the duck box. I also got there before other photographers and had a prime spot vs. having to elbow other seniors out of the way for just the right. spot. I'm kiding of course...but had I stayed in bed, I'd likely have missed the opportunity to position myself to see these beautiful creatures in the golden glow of the morning light.
Carl Jung was the one who said "You are what you do, no what you say you'll do". And he couldn't have been more right (I know, I'm sure he would have been thrilled to have my endorsement). The fact of the matter is, we are defined by the actions we take, not by the ones we say we're going to take. The steps we actually take help us transform our dreams and choices into reality. If we reduce the time we spend "talking about doing things" and instead spend more time "doing things", we'll find ouselves engaged in a much fuller and rewarding life.
For me, it was ultimately rewarding to get out of bed this morning, before sunrise, to get to the local park and capture the images I wanted. And, I had plenty of time left over to do other things today. So far, I've had a great day of "doing" and the day is not over. What will I do next? I'm not gonna say. I'm just gonna go do!