The 'Wants'

The 'Wants'

During my recent road trip, because I had never visited most of the places on the itinerary—and had no idea whether I’d ever visit them again—I naturally fell into this “now or never” mindset. I felt that, since I'd driven all this way, I should photograph as many things as possible.

So I stopped a lot.

But before long it became blatantly clear that, with the amount of miles I had left to cover, and the limited amount of energy I had in me, it was unrealistic to stop and photograph everything—I’d have to be more intentional. 

So I started using a 'should' vs. 'want' filter to help decide where to stop.

For example, if I came upon a place that I felt like I 'should' stop to take photos—I’d keep driving. But if I came upon a place that I felt pulled to—where I 'wanted' to stop without hesitation—I’d stop.

And even though I passed up some beautiful spots, and undoubtedly missed out on some nice photos, following this filter made the trip feel less frantic and more peaceful.

Unsurprisingly, looking back at all the photos I took on that trip, none of my favorites were from the “should” stops, they were all from the “wants".

“Follow the tugs that come from the heart. I think that everyone gets these gentle urges and should listen to them. Even if they sound absolutely insane, they may be worth going with.” –Victoria Moran