The comfort zone is a beautiful place that allows you to exist without complaining. And then there are those who disrupt this balance by pushing you out of this zone. Sucks, doesn’t it? You now stand a 50% chance of winning by taking up the challenge, or a 100 % chance of losing by continuing as is. What do you do?
I love people who love challenges. I admire those who work hard towards their dream. I find inspiration in those who kick themselves out of their comfort zones every now and then.There is a raw passion in hard workers that is probably one of the most beautiful emotions in a person.
What saddens me today is to see the state of carelessness with which we operate. As if things weren’t temporary enough, we are here to make them disappear sooner.
What’s got me so emotional? A little bit of everything. Everything that made me realise that it’s been a hard journey so far. From anonymously publishing blogs in 2009 to a Dumbbells and Drama in 2015, I have come a long way. And it feels good to know that.
We come across people who have fought their way through. Those who have stood their ground when everyone around them gave up. Those who have always pushed themselves out of their comfort zones. These are the people I surround myself with, because these are the people who make me understand the true meaning of good vibes.
This weekend I had the extremely good fortune of meeting someone I would literally describe as ME. Sheetal Petkar and I got together to shoot a dream. Literally. I will be blogging about her work soon, do stay tuned. As of now, I want this to be a special dedication to her passion and hard work.
12 hours before the shoot I had a terrible allergic reaction that had me reaching out for my medicines and inhalers. 10 hours before the shoot people started backing out. 5 hours before the shoot timelines started changing. Even after all of this, the thought of re-scheduling never crossed our minds.
I had initially booked myself a weekend stay at Courtyard by Marriott Pune Chakan when Sheetal & I got in touch. The weather was lovely, the place looked gorgeous (credits to @NeerajT4 for tweeting a breathtakingly beautiful picture), I was tired, exhausted, and needed some time alone. There was something about Sheetal that made me cancel my plans & go ahead with this shoot instead. A special shoutout to Courtyard Chakan for allowing us to shoot at their uber gorgeous pool.
For 3 hours we shivered and shot in the water. The cold air and slight drizzle made the water ice cold, but we continued shooting. I had cramps all over my body, but I refused to give up (sometimes being stubborn is a good thing) It was only when my neck muscles started hurting that I decided to get out of the pool.
But that’s not the point of this. The excitement and nervousness with which Sheetal shot the entire weekend was what moved me beyond words. It made me realise how complacent I had got with everything. It shook me up and made me examine my life. It showed me how I was going with the flow, complaining about being lost in the clutter and doing nothing to change that. I thought I was working hard just because I was working 15 hours a day. When was the last time a project made me feel liberated? This question had me thinking…and I realised it was time to spruce things up a little bit and break free from being average. Being mediocre scares me.
An underwater shoot is something I had seen in magazines and as desktop wallpapers, I never thought I’d be a part of it one day. Overcoming all challenges and helping Sheetal shoot her dream had me feeling extremely empowered. And it made me realise that I MUST go after what I want. Those who get you will stick with you, those who understand the beauty of your struggle will support you at every step. Enjoy their good vibes.
This weekend changed a lot of things for me. More than anything else, it made me realise how important it is to shake yourself up once in a while. And it only reinforced the fact that magic lies outside of the comfort zone.
We don’t know what to expect once we see the pictures, but we know that it’s been an emotional journey for the both of us. It’s not necessary for you to get this, and it’s perfectly fine if you don’t. As I said, not everyone is meant to get you. To each his own 🙂
Sheetal Petkar has dreams, and I have no doubt that one day I’m going to be waiting in line to get a picture clicked with her 🙂 Full power to this tiny bundle of passion! :* Stay tuned guys, I have a story to share!
Behind The Scenes Image Credits- Ankeyt Malviya