AT THE TOP WITH THE EMPIRE STATE

Some people do things for recognition. Some do it for personal fulfilment. Some do it for money. Some do it to pursue passions. Some do it for all of the above. Whatever you do it for, do it well and whole-heartedly. Understand that sometimes the recognition you are looking for will not come from someone else but from yourself. It doesn’t make it less sweeter or less valid. Don’t be too hard on yourself, either. Acknowledge your achievements, no matter how small they are – no matter how far you still have left to go. Always be open to feedback, good and bad. But do sift through it and take everything with a grain of salt. It’s good getting compensated for your hard work, but if that’s mainly your motivation, it’d be easier to burn out as compared to when you’re actually enjoying – or at least trying to enjoy – what you’re doing. But! There are moments in life when you can’t afford to choose art over survival. It’s normal. Do not fall victim to the glamorizing cloud of social media. Push through, work hard, and don’t give up. Find value in your hard work and the results you produce in the meantime. And if somewhere along the way, you start to enjoy it, don’t fret and don’t fight it. You’re on the right, sometimes difficult, sometimes stressful, and often fulfilling, right track. That for me is my current empire state of mind.

Photos from my May 2015 NYC trip where I may have been *too* trigger-happy as I spent more than an hour at the Top of the Rock just taking in the whole of Manhattan – Central Park, Empire State Building, dreams and prospects and all. ♥︎