Sleepwalking through Life

I have just read an article on the landscape photography site 'On Landscape' which completely resonated with me and made me reflect on my own life to date, and in particular on some of the choices I have made and some that I perhaps should have done. The article is called "Discovery and Rediscovery" and was written by Guy Tal, a professional photographic artist from Western USA.

Guy describes his life from an early age and in particular his growing struggle with dysthymia, a persistent and unrelenting depression. He describes how he became overwhelmed by a realisation that his life was wasting away and that he had allowed himself to believe that a career-driven life, removed for most of his days and waking hours from the places and things that made him feel alive, was just part of being an adult. He lived with those thoughts for over twenty years whilst trying to follow his true passions of photography and nature whenever he got the chance. His depression deepened as he continued to believe that his life was set out for him and he became aware that it was fear that was holding him back from making the significant decision to give up his corporate life with the security and financial trappings that came with it, for a more personally rewarding life as a professional photographic artist.

Fortunately for Guy, he was able to make the decision and ultimately followed his dreams to become a successful professional photographer. In his article one short sentence describes the position I think many people find themselves in....."Someday is today". He is reflecting the fact that for over twenty years he always dreamed that someday he would make the change he so wanted to make. In essence he suggests that those years were wasted because someday was always a time in the future.

My observation is that many people, myself included, get unconsciously trapped in a certain way of life and continue to follow the same path despite never being truly settled. We all have dreams, and quite likely we all believe they will come true someday. The danger is that we sleepwalk through life and don't realise our dreams because we subconsciously believe our lives are set out for us or possibly that we are fearful of making changes and doing what we really want to do. At some point that realisation dawns on us, as does the fact that many years have passed following a path that is not aligned with our dreams.