Hello

The start of my journey began on the East Coast of Canada. I grew up in a small town named Bridgewater on the South Shore of Nova Scotia. Though at the time I was unaware of the charm that comes from that part of Canada, I am very proud to have grown up on the South Shore. I grew up being fortunate enough to build life long friendships that I am still in touch with today. I appreciate all of the memories from each of them. Growing up in a small town didn't provide the same kind of distractions that you find in cities. Most of the time outside of school was spent exploring the river, going to one of the various nearby coastal sandy beaches, going fishing or practicing for whichever sport that I played at the time. Childhood was the start of much more than my appreciation for getting outside. Its also the start of building character and exploring how to approach competition in a healthy manner. 

Small town experiences can be very challenging in understanding our values and priorities. Everybody is involved with each other's business. In that environment, it becomes so easy to compare ourselves to others and seek external validation to prove what we're doing is worth it. In craving that attention and value the validation of others, we become distracted from learning who we truly are. We can discover ourselves once we are able to quiet the mind, becoming more aware of and grateful for moments happening around us. There were certain activities that brought me back to a present mindset. Sports certainly helped to become more mindful but most of the sports that I played were team oriented. One activity that helped quiet the mind without the distraction of interacting with others was taking photos while exploring the woods and coastline of  Atlantic Canada. 

After navigating and graduating from High School, I attended university in Fredericton, New Brunswick. With a lot of pressure and stress to get the work done for classes while working, volunteering, and playing on the Basketball team, the natural beauty of the outdoors provided an outlet to decompress and re-center from all of the noise, distractions and pressure of school. I bought my first digital camera in my last year at St. Thomas University before graduation. Though I spent much of my time running away from what needed to be explored, photography has been a hobby that brings me back to present moment. To focus on and appreciate the value and beauty of life through the lens in moment. Many of the memories After years of distracting myself from discovering what I desire out of life, I became a father. Fatherhood inspired me to spend time getting to know what kind of example to set for my child. That meant spending a lot of time exploring my own childhood inwardly to revisit the lessons I had been running away from for so long. In an assertive approach to a growth mindset, I've learned that the habits required to set a good example for my child are to keep an open mind, be disciplined and consistent in providing a safe and healthy space for them to grow. In living my best life, I enjoy paying gratitude and respect to the power of raw nature and the communities built around it.

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