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April 3

Genuine participation

Tucked away in every pocket is a high quality camera that can spew images across the globe in milliseconds. So everyone has become skilled at posing.

But if you look back at all those poses, you cannot help but see a little emptiness and a lot of pretense. It’s as if the point of living, of doing, is merely to make a statement.

The next time you’re tempted to set up a pose, whether there’s a camera present or not, reconsider. What, after all, will it really accomplish?

There’s a much better alternative to striking one pose after another. It is genuine participation.

Put away the camera, put away even the thought of a camera. Focus yourself on the moment, on the experience, on the very real people who are sharing it with you.

Carry away more than just pixels from where you go and what you do and who you’re with. Your future self will thank you for living with a depth of richness, embodiment, and participation far beyond anything that can be funneled through a lens.

— Ralph Marston