"I want to empower you!"
I used to say that when I talked to people about being photographed.
Then I realized that isn't something I can do no matter how much I want to.
No one can.
No one can empower you.
Read that again, please.
There is no makeup, no coch, no therapist, no ecclesiastical leader, no lover, mother, father, best friend, car, paycheck, employer, stranger, award, promotion, influencer, dress, or artist that can empower you.
If someone were to be able to empower you that also means they could take that power away. I just don't believe that anymore. I can't look at the people around me, the people I photograph, my family, . . . myself and believe we are weak enough to have our power taken from us.
I can't empower you when I photograph you. I'll treat you with dignity, love, admiration, respect, and compassion. I can tell you all day how incredible you are, there is no one else like you, how you are this divine being blessed by Celestial glory and Godly Light to make a mark in this world. I can tell you that I know you are special and beautiful. But it's you that chooses to believe it. And what a gift to know you don't have to rely on me or anyone else to give you that strength. That power comes from you. Only you can empower you. Only you have the gift of looking at yourself, seeing your value, believing it, and moving forward with courage, determination, and understanding. You know who you are. Your soul burns for the rest of you to wake up and realize who you were meant to become. That power, it's there. Right there, alive in your soul, a small flame waiting for you to fule it and rise. It's all you, my friend. It always has been.
Love,
Melinda
Photography Studio in Athens PA. Serving Athens, Sayre Pennsylvania, Towanda Pennsylvania, Elmira New York, Corning New York, and Twin Tiers area.
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