I went out to shoot lightning the other night. I’d been chasing dry storm after dry storm, desperate for any kind of shot. I wasn’t going to go out on this particular evening, but decided I needed to at least get out and give it a try. On my way out, I said a quick prayer that was basically, “Look, this has been a rough summer, so anything you can do to help out would be great.” I drove out, set up, and Mother Nature put on a 2-hour lightning show – I just needed to show up.

When I saw this  bolt strike, I hoped that the camera had captured it. When I got home and went through my photos, I was thrilled with this shot! I was remembering how I wasn’t going to go out at all that evening, and thought occurred to me that this shot wouldn’t have happened if I had given into resistance that evening.

Sometimes half of the battle is just getting ourselves out to shoot, sitting down to write, or picking up the paintbrush. Sometimes we just need to show up. It’s only after we show up that the muse can go to work, that the universe can help us out, or that pure luck can favor a hopeful soul.

A thought that has been occurring to me more often lately is that if I want a meaningful life, then I need to make each of my days mean something, and then just do that over and over again every day. I learned a valuable lesson this evening, and I’ve committed to just showing up more often, and allowing things happen, instead of staying home and wishing they would.