Kinetic Bear

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You can't change the way you were made. But you can change the way you live today. While you can try to blame where you came from, the opportunities you weren't given, the mistakes you made, the things that happened... Your past should not be the mast to tomorrow. Reclamation should be. Choosing to claim goodness. Choosing selflessness. Choosing to do the right thing should be the mast. Not a past filled with excuses. A past filled with laziness. Or a past soaked in guilt. Renew and claim the good that is tomorrow. Start free. Choose the better perspective. Be brave. (at De Pere, Wisconsin)

The most interesting part about performance is that everything else you did before that moment allows you to actual perform. Those hours of practice are not about flawless or your best work. Performance is an accumulation of putting in the time. Showing up and actually trying something you're not quite sure you can do yet. Focusing on how you can actually succeed. Even if that success ends up being different than the fantasy you created in your head. Whether it's music, your day job, or being a dad, you have to perform. You have to show up, do the work and get better. There's really no way around it. And once in a while, all the lights are on you and suddenly everyone is watching. Until that does happen, what are you doing to prepare? . Be brave friends. (at Appleton, Wisconsin)

Mile of Music. Miles of Lyrics. (at Appleton Downtown)

The moment before the lake hits the sand. A hush of sound. A breath of water upon the land. (at Red Arrow Park)

Because sometimes you just have to stop thinking about it and jump in. Be brave my friends. (at Presque Isle Park)

Never get bored with the world around you. We live in such a beautiful place. This earth provides so many wonderful sights. Nothing insignificant. Everything meaningful. Discover the purpose in the little things around you and you just might find your own. . Be brave friends. (at Lake Michigamme)

"Be who you were created to be and you will set the world on fire." - St. Catherine of Siena (at Lake Michigamme)

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." - Marcel Proust (at Lake Michigamme)

Life can make you feel small from time to time. It's true that we are physically small in comparison to the earth and the universe, but it doesn't make you insignificant. Your role in this place is bigger than you will ever understand. And oddly through that role, the world owes you nothing. That's because you don't need the world to thrive. You can't rely on everyone around you to grow. That's between you and yourself. That's because God has already given you everything you need. And when you discover that, you'll know why you're called to give relentlessly back to a world that may not deserve your love all the time. Love is where all good things begin. Be brave my friends. (at Presque Isle Park)

"If my ship sails from sight, it doesn't mean my journey ends, it simply means the river bends." -Enoch Powell (at Porcupine Mountains)

Thanks for the wonderful day of driving very short walks and soaking up the views of Lake Superior and Lake Michigan @anakin1814! Couldn't ask for a more beautiful day of friendship in my birthday yesterday. I'll always call these waters my home. I was raised on these waters and I can't wait to keep growing through them with all the amazing people in my life. (at Presque Isle Park)

There is something magical about keeping your head down and doing the work. Talking about all the reasons why you haven't pursued something is easy. Always feeling like you're not ready. Not only that, everyone else looks like they have it figured out. Guess what they don't. People that appear to be successful put in the work. You don't see the countless hours they spend stressed and making things happen. They also know that change is constant and they constantly have to adapt. Stating who you are right now won't get you where you want to be. And the only way to become who you want to be is to keep your head down and do the work. Let the work make you better, smarter, kinder, a better listener, a better husband, a better coworker... a person with a sense of purpose. Don't worry. I don't have it all figured out either. We just have to keep trying. Keep working and keep loving each other. (at Kavarna Coffeehouse)

In a world where it can feel weird if you don't tell the Internet what you're up to... When suddenly... living a simple life with less people in it feels so much better. When the people you keep in it are people that actually not just care about you, but truly love you. Their gratitude is extremely apparent when you're around you. That is what life ends up being like. Strength in numbers is not true when it comes to relationships. That's a fools game. Strength in patience. Strength in selflessness. Strength in honesty. The older I get... and I've got so much more to learn... the more I know what I don't need in my life. There is always time for reflection. And there is always room to grow. Always. Be brave friends. (at UWGB)

When you think about all the people within one city, it's hard to imagine a daily routine outside of yours or the ones you're aware of. While it may seem like the life of a bus driver is not the greatest, their personal life might be beautiful and flourishing with happiness. The CEO of a financial firm might have the car of your dreams, but his family life is falling apart. A young woman working at the burger joint might be finishing up her college education or saving up for a year to help build a school in South America. On the outside looking in, we always create our own stories of people. We don't know what we don't know. So don't be afraid to ask questions. To get to know people. Or to be more optimistic about them. Be forgiving if they are a little rough to you. Because you don't know what they are going through. Everyone is fighting for something. Whether it's family, their job, or even their own life. Life is never simple. It's not supposed to be. If it was, than what's the point? Some thoughts to ponder today. Be brave friends. (at New Orleans, Louisiana)

Do you ever feel like some of the time you can feel so content with what you have and then the other half you struggle because you wish you had more resources available to you? For example if your a photographer you wish you had more lenses or a better camera. But then you realize that forcing yourself to shoot with a single prime lens can actually teach you to stop thinking technically and start thinking abstractly. How can you compose this better? Maybe I'll shoot against the sunlight? I shot this photo of my sister, Elizabeth, in New Orleans. Right by the big Louis Armstrong statue. I decided to rent thee Fuji X100s for the trip. You can't change the lens or the focal length on that thing. And honestly I love it for that. I get so caught up in changing lenses that sometimes I forget to move my feet. Get on the ground. Change my angle. Underexpose. Over expose. When you have less options in front of you, your brain creates new ones in those limits. Finding and embracing limits in your life is really hard. Especially when everyone around you seems to be winning at life and has all the cool stuff. Sometimes you just gotta keep looking for opportunities and make due with what you have rather than looking for excuses with what you have. Sometimes you just gotta be a little more brave. (at Louis Armstrong Park)