Weekly Photo Challenge: Hope
“Know where to find the sunrise and sunset times and note how the sky looks at those times, at least once.”~ Marilyn vos Savant
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“Always the Sky“
All photos © Copyright Sophie L. Meunier Photography 2012.
Determined
Here is another “teaching” that has inspired me from Paulo Coelho’s Masterpiece, Warrior of the Light: A Manual.
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Every warrior of the light has been afraid to enter a combat.
Every warrior of the light has betrayed and lied in the past.
Every warrior of the light has lost faith in the future.
Every warrior of the light has trodden a path which was not his own.
Every warrior of the light has suffered because of unimportant things.
Every warrior of the light has doubted that he is a warrior of the light.
Every warrior of the light has failed in his spiritual obligations.
Every warrior of the light has said yes when he meant no.
Every warrior of the light has hurt someone he loved.
That is why he and she are warriors of the light:
They had endured all this without losing the hope to improve.
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“Determined“
All photos © Copyright Sophie L. Meunier Photography 2012.
The Invitation.
“It doesn’t interest me
what you do for a living.
I want to know
what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart’s longing.
It doesn’t interest me
how old you are.
I want to know
if you will risk
looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn’t interest me
what planets are
squaring your moon…
I want to know
if you have touched
the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened
by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.
I want to know
if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.
I want to know
if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you
to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations
of being human.
It doesn’t interest me
if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear
the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.
I want to know
if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”
It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live
or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.
It doesn’t interest me
who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.
It doesn’t interest me
where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know
what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.
I want to know
if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like
the company you keep.”
~ The Invitation by Oriah
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“With Yourself“
All photos © Copyright Sophie L. Meunier Photography 2012.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Possibility
All photos © Copyright Sophie L. Meunier Photography 2011.
Lovers
If You Forget Me
I want you to know
one thing.
You know how this is:
if I look
at the crystal moon, at the red branch
of the slow autumn at my window,
if I touch
near the fire
the impalpable ash
or the wrinkled body of the log,
everything carries me to you,
as if everything that exists,
aromas, light, metals,
were little boats
that sail
toward those isles of yours that wait for me.
Well, now,
if little by little you stop loving me
I shall stop loving you little by little.
If suddenly
you forget me
do not look for me,
for I shall already have forgotten you.
If you think it long and mad,
the wind of banners
that passes through my life,
and you decide
to leave me at the shore
of the heart where I have roots,
remember
that on that day,
at that hour,
I shall lift my arms
and my roots will set off
to seek another land.
But
if each day,
each hour,
you feel that you are destined for me
with implacable sweetness,
if each day a flower
climbs up to your lips to seek me,
ah my love, ah my own,
in me all that fire is repeated,
in me nothing is extinguished or forgotten,
my love feeds on your love, beloved,
and as long as you live it will be in your arms
without leaving mine.
~ Pablo Neruda
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“Lovers“
All photos © Copyright Sophie L. Meunier Photography 2011.
Painted Sunset
“Know what you want to do, hold the thought firmly, and do every day what should be done, and every sunset will see you that much nearer to your goal.”
~ Elbert Hubbard
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Sometimes, i wish i could paint, but i really can’t; so sometimes, i just imagine my camera being a brush…and pretend…
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“Painted Sunset“
All photos © Copyright Sophie L. Meunier Photography 2011.
Meeting Linda Taylor – International Model, Humanitarian, Activist, Environmentalist.
“For i know that everything happens for a GOOD reason, always!” ~ Linda Taylor
Inspiration can be found where you least expect it, inlcuding in a stranger sitting next to you in an airplane… Some people walk into our lives - to stay- and this i knew, only a few hours after meeting Linda Taylor.
Linda Croitoru a.k.a. Linda Taylor was born in the city of Campina, Romania. In 1999, while waiting for a train that would take her back to the University of Bucharest where she is studying Physics, she is “discovered” by two scout girls and soon appears on her first magazine cover. Success is immediate and within a few months, Linda becomes one of the Best Top Models of Romania. After hosting shows on Romanian TV, she starts receiving contracts from all over Europe and Asia and finally decides, in 2006, to move to Los Angeles, California.
In 2009, after numerous worldwide modeling campaigns and several roles in Hollywood films, Linda’s dedication to philanthropic issues grows and she becomes a constant advocate for UNICEF USA, for which she receives the same year, the President’s Volunteer Service Award.
In addition to UNICEF USA, Linda gets involved in numerous non-profit organizations such as NRDC, United Nations Foundation, Consumers Union, Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Feeding America, Bill Clinton Foundation, The Wilderness Society, International Rescue Committee (IRC), Union of Concerned Scientists, Red Cross, Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), Sierra Club California, ONE, American Diabetes Association, Freedom from Hunger, Center for Environmental Health, Cure Advocacy Alliance, American Human Association, ASPCA, Save Darfur, International Relief & Development (IRD), The Alliance for Climate Protection, Salvation Army, Oceana, Elton John Aids Foundation, World Vision, Amnesty International, UCSF, Playing For Change, Blue Heron Foundation, Save the Children, Creative Visions, VIP, RSRT, The Light School Kenya.
Her goal always being to make a difference in the lives of others, dedicating her time to helping and raising awareness on issues such as human and children’s rights across the globe. Linda is currently holding a position as a Professional Advisory Council Member both for The Light School in Kenya, and Rett Syndrome Reasearch Trust, where she is leveraging her global resources to build a community of concerned advocates in helping raise funds to find a cure and reverse Rett Syndrome.
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” ~ William A. Ward
To discover more about Linda Taylor:
From the Room in the Dark to the Light of the Day
As a “modern” photographer, i mostly use digital cameras… Yet, when i have the chance, i love shooting films and processing them myself in the darkroom for the magic that happens in there has no equivalent in the digital world. These are a few shots i took and developed a while back.
“The Keys“
For i know that someday, somehow, true love will come along with locks that fit my imperfect keys and keys able to open my solid locks.
“The Alley“
Alleys scare me. During the day, some of them seem ‘okay’ to be cut through, but at night, they turn out to be the most frightening places ever created for you never know who or what is going to come your way.
“Taking-Off“
I know there’s nothing more common than seeing a plane in the sky… Yet, i often think of the people who are up there. I wonder where they’re going, and why. Maybe it’s because i am an immigrant but when i see landings at LAX, i imagine that many of these passengers are coming here to realize their American Dreams and i can’t help but to identify with them and feel empathy.
“Unlocked Dreams“
Keep your spirit high and fight those who try to imprison your dreams – always.
“At Opposite Ends“
They say opposites attract but sometimes when i think about what we’re doing to our planet i wonder.
“The Ceremony“
The place is silent – for now. In a few hours, happiness and excitement will fill the atmosphere; and proud and moved parents will watch their children receive their so long-awaited and hoped for diplomas.
“Passing of the Seasons“
Even though the passing of the seasons is scarcely noticeable in Southern California, time flies and our only option is to keep on dreaming and trying because one thing is sure: it won’t wait for us. And before we know it, winter is here.
Infrared photograph taken in the LA area during Spring time.
All photos & texts © Copyright Sophie L. Meunier Photography 2011.
