Defined By Moments - Captured Moments

Captured Moments

These "captured moments" are some of my best photographs as a amateur photographer. Each of them spoke to me, created a memory, and taught a lesson. In sharing them, I hope you benefit from the lessons learned.

1/12/2021

Campfire Clarity (Home, NC)

So many great lessons can be discovered just sitting around a campfire and thinking about life and leadership. "Captured Moments" is too short of a section to deal with them all, but here is one from tonight - to keep the fire burning (your passion), sometimes the fuel needs to be moved. Tis easy to leave everything as it is; however, even the biggest fire will burn out. That shift breathes oxygen into the fuel and a reigniting occurs. The same is true of your passion - changing your position, sometimes, promotes your purpose. You are the one that has to decide if a change is necessary.

12/29/2020

Metaphor (Everywhere, USA)

Bird poop. Yes, you did read that right - the reflection upon this image is all caused by bird poop on the "power towers." See the darker line near the top of the tower? That coloration is not due to sunset but comes from the inclusion of more metal acting as a shield (technical term is "anti-avian security") over the power lines. What would these lines need to be shielded from? Yep, you got it - bird poop. I had no idea until my friend, who owns this property, explained all of this to me. While you may call me crazy, just like I called him crazy, read this article for more information.

It is not just the presence of any bird droppings that causes the issue; however, a large accumulation of "streamers" (a nice way of saying bird poop) on the power lines creates the problem. The severity can go from the minor (decreasing operational efficiency) to the major (causing a reactor shutdown described in the article above).

Stop and think about how that relates to life. Allowing people to constantly dump their negativity onto you can and will reduce your life's operational efficiency. Some "negativity" is needed (e.g. constructive criticism) but an overabundance of the unnecessary kind is counterproductive. What are you going to do, right now, to insulate yourself from the constant negativity that could be coming your way? If you do not act to control that negativity flow, then a shutdown - whether emotional or physical or social - is on the horizon.

11/22/2020

Paths (Burlington, NC)

This path did not always exist. I got tired of walking through the high grass on the way to my special spot of reflection and prayer, so I decided to make the path. In slowing my walk to that place, you can see many different animal tracks revealing that others have taken it too.

In life, just like in leadership, you either choose to follow the path created by others (learning) OR you create a path that others will follow (legacy). It takes wisdom to decide correctly depending on your current circumstance. You cannot always be a "trailblazer" because there is much for each of us to learn. It is only after you have learned and experienced something special that you can begin leaving a legacy that others will follow.

Find your place of reflection and prayer. Once you find it, the learning and legacy will naturally come together. Commit to doing that today!

11/2/2020

Success (Myrtle Beach, SC)

By far, this is the best no filter picture I have ever taken with any camera (and this was taken by a cheap cell phone). What did it take?
Purpose or desire of wanting to get this picture instead of extra sleep.
Planning to get up at the right time and be in the exact location necessary.
Patience to wait in the dark and slowly watch the sun rise on the horizon.
Persistence to take photo after photo without stopping to check the quality of each photo taken.
Presence to be right there focused on the task at hand (and nowhere else).

For successful life and leadership, they require the same "Ps."

9/27/2020

Commitment (Snow Camp, NC)

Captured Moments

I took this photo after a miss with my bow. The deer was well within my range, and my technique was just fine. So, what exactly happened? Commitment. Truthfully, a lack of commitment. This buck was a little one that I normally let walk, but he was "gimpy" and would not survive much longer. One side of my brain said to let the arrow fly thereby saving him what the coyotes will do BUT the other side was arguing that the effort (dragging and cleaning) was not worth the reward. Which argument won? You could say both did - an arrow flew and I did not have to invest time and effort afterwards - but the clear winner was lack of commitment. What a lesson as I paused to reflect and captured the moment of that amazing sunset. If you are not fully committed to a course of action, don't try to fake it. The resulting lack of success will tell everyone that your commitment was missing. Simply put, be all in or don't go in an all.

9/12/2020

Fatigue (Athens, OH)

Captured Moments

Have you ever noticed an increase in mental negativity when you get tired? It happens all the time with me. This picture challenged because I discovered this flower at the end of a long day. You see, I spent a couple days working for a men's ministry to prepare for our fall retreats. We got started early, faced poison ivy and mosquitoes, had a sandwich for lunch, and had not yet eaten although after sunset. Mentally and physically, I was tired and grumpy leading to silent complaining as I was hoping to leave and get something to eat. As an introvert, I separated from the group and took a walk to be alone with my thoughts when I saw this flower. It's color stood out brilliantly as the light faded. That forced a question - why was I not just as brilliant, although tired, as the light faded? It was my choice and I had chosen poorly. Learn from my mistake!

8/15/2020

Artistic Memory (Helena, MT)

Captured Moments By Joel Medley

The peace and stillness at this spot along the Missouri River produces tranquility for a modern-day journeyman. Nearly 110 years ago, however, this same spot was the scene of tragedy and turmoil. The Hauser Dam collapsed sending floodwaters downstream causing much damage but, in good news, limited loss of life. What happened? Pressure undermined the dam's foundation leading to the structural failure. Interestingly, metal shards from that first dam can still be seen in the river today as a memory of that awful day.

Fast forward to my 2016 visit, I fished this spot but caught nothing. Honestly, I was enjoying the scenery more than fishing and relished the opportunity to watch a master craftsman at work. My friend knew this river and the fish within it. His expert knowledge and deliberate action was art in motion.

Think about that - same location but different experiences.

Leaders would do well to learn from this spot. Yes, failure is costly but does not have to be the end. Scars of that mistake remain - to be learned from - but have become a simple brush stroke of beauty within the frame. Embrace mistakes. Learn from them. Take the time to heal. Then step back and look at the masterpiece those mistakes helped forge.

8/14/2020

Bloom (Burlington, NC)

The color of this no filter photo captured my attention. The purple just pops, and the details within the bloom are mesmerizing. The captured moment caused me to wonder what it took for the bloom to emerge - someone had to get dirty to plant the seed with a vision of what it would become. The plant needed to be strong enough to endure the quick storms, spring breezes, and drenching rain. Just like this plant, leaders need to see the vision, care for the plant, and help others endure the storms. The successful result is an amazing showcase the color.

8/13/2020

Over (Cedarock Park Burlington, NC)

Captured Moments By Dr. Joel Medley

Why is this place such a favorite for me? You may think it has to do with the picturesque nature or simply being outdoors, but that's not it. The soothing sounds of the water flowing over the dam relax me and have taught me much. Let me show you with a question: does it do any good to scoop up water at the dam's bottom to run back to the top side and pour it out again? You are laughing because you realize the answer is no. Why is it, however, that we do not do that with people and issues? When "settled," we keep bring them back later just to watch them flow over the dam one more time. The effort is futile and meaningless. Freedom and relaxation comes through the defining moment of letting those negative instances go over the dam and continue away from you down river. My advice is simple -- let it flow so that, in life, you can grow!

8/12/2020

Reflection (Jekyll Island, GA)

Captured Moments By Dr. Joel Medley

Barely visible at the top of the picture is the ocean as the tide is rising. The increasing volume of water creates turmoil, conflict, and noise. Despite the churn, notice the calm and stillness of this reflecting pool. We must build reflection time into our daily lives so that learning, growth, and development can occur. That commitment to reflect is never as important as when the stress of life increases leading to hard knocks along the rocks.