“A psychological phenomenon in which people are unable to internalize their accomplishments.”

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It feels like you have your eyes on something, but there is an inner voice telling you: You are not there yet. This thought keeps us from going after our dreams.

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The opportunity is always there

I enjoy taking photos.

I didn't think of myself as a photographer because this is not what I do for a living. I have always had a desire to be a photographer and sell my prints, but I was into video and graphics, didn't think that would happen until another 30 years into my life.

One day I was going through my files on the old hard drives. These are archives since 2004. At one point, I couldn’t find the power cable. I panicked. The first thing that popped into my head "The Photos!" It’s the only thing that matters in the harddrive. Photos are memories. Memories are irreplaceable. There is no way to recreate them.

I found the photos that I sent to some local magazine photo contest in 2009. There is another folder labeled 2012 -Photos I took for my friends’ pre-wedding. At the time, I thought they just wanted to save a couple of bucks. I have completely overlooked the fact that I had what it takes. I didn't realize until after 4 or 5 people said, "I would pay you for it."

I didn't understand the signs for me to start a business.

In 2016, I saw another photo contest held by Beautiful Destinations. They were global recruiting over IG. I got to say it’s a very successful social media campaign. They asked candidates to send them 1 photo only on their Instagram account. I don’t even have a public Instagram account for photography! I struggled to pick 1 for the entry. I began to criticize every single photo and never get things done. It’s a vicious cycle.

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All it takes is the first step

I talked myself in. It’s a low-risk high reward investment. All I need to do is to set up an account and start posting. So I did. This is where the magic happens. Nope I did not get the job. I continued to post every week and build a pool of followers. It became a channel for me to share my photos with my community. At the end of the day, what is the point of taking thousands of travel photos and let them sit on the disk? It’s less about my ego. It’s more about the community. Later on, I got asked questions on how to take good pictures.

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Trust the process

I wrote 5 articles when I first started my photography blog and never published. I have my reasons (excuses) .

"Maybe I am not qualified"

"I am just a hobbyist."

"I am not good with words."

"English is not my first language."

Don’t worry! Your first post is going to be suck. Your first article will be messy. We have all been there. When I looked back on my first 10 IG posts, I was like “OMG! What was I thinking?” It will get better and easier as you do it repeatedly. Don't let the great be the enemy of the good.

Find your voice

If you were a singer, which type are you? Beyonce? Adele? or Billie Eilish? They are so different. Simply can’t compare to each other. Who says you have to sing like Adele to be a singer? If that’s true, millions of people will be out of job.

This realization is a weight off my shoulders! I don’t have to be Ansel Adams or Steve McCurry. I just need to be me. I like travel photography and street photography. I have my own perspective. No one asked me to mold myself into the shape of a “photographer”. I was setting the bar too high in my mind. It’s totally unnecessary.

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Feed your strength. Starve your limitations.

Fast forward to 2020, we all stuck at home. I revisit my idea of starting a photography blog and possibly build an online business around it. The desire is stronger than ever.

It took me 10 years to find out my true calling is in Photography. There is nothing more that I enjoy to do. To this day, I still have self-doubt but the voice isn’t as loud as it used to be. I hope my story can inspire you to make the leap in everything you do.

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