Another year has passed, and here again I sit reflecting on where I’ve been and where I’m going. However this is not going to be another “#YearofTheHustle” song and dance. I’ve come to realize how much I’ve grown as an individual and the simple fact is that my time is my most valuable resource. There has been times where I have forgotten to enjoy life and wound up in the every day rat race. I now have come to the realization it is time to stop the hustle and focus on what is truly important and what ignites my passions.

I know in the past that I have been trying to follow a life of living without premonition or more simply, being passive. This was a good practice for me however to learn how to relinquish total control over every aspect of my life. When I was following the waves that life brings, I was re-introduced a forgotten passion, one in which I nearly went to the ends of the world to follow, only to fall right back into the revolving door. When I attempted to live a more passive life, it actually moved me to being more assertive and active. To me 2024 will be the start to my renaissance period and the rebirth of my creative spirit.

So what has changed? Well me to be frank (wait who is Frank, I’m Tony).

I am still the same being known as Tony, but I’ve had a bit of a spiritual awakening. More than ever, I know what it is I’ve been searching for within myself. And to add on to this new found sense of vision, I am more equipped with the needed tools to work towards fulfilling this discovery. I have accepted the fact that this will not be an overnight success and may take some time to come to fruition but my resolve has never been stronger.

In short I had forgotten what it meant to live. Like most of us, I fell once again into the trap that we all find ourselves in, working a dead end career in order to live. However, I do not fault us for continually falling for this trap. We all need a roof over our heads, food on our tables, and our own mental/medical health needs (now personally these needs (mental and medical health) shouldn’t be job dependent, but that’s a topic for a different space). I know that I am extremely privileged to be able to consider a potential career change, without a major hit to my living situation. My biggest realization over the past year has been the relationship between my job and my mental health. I know full well that I’m extremely proficient at my current 9-5 corporate bank job, but I’m start to see the same signs from previous jobs I’ve worked. At the end of each week I find my self burnt out from the amount of tasks and ever growing responsibilities that continually get added to my daily checklist. I also see the path towards promotions continue to dwindle and only point towards a path I’d rather not follow. So maybe it is time for me to look towards a more fitting opportunity, the path less traveled.

Right before the dark ages of COVID-19, I was preparing to become a full-time freelance sports photographer, but due to a global pandemic I back tracked on the path I was following. Fast forward to the fall of 2024, I found myself at a familiar trailhead, the path less traveled. This time I’m prepared for the journey and the challenges it will present to me along the way. Here is where I realized that I have been unconsciously been more active in my decision making. During this time I made contacts within the local newspaper for freelance opportunities in the coming year. I have since been added as a freelance photographer if the need arrises, but I have also since learned that there is potentially a staff job opening up. Quite literally my dream job may or may not have just landed in my lap because I put in the effort to make the connection and stuck my foot in the door.

We all forget how to live, because many of us see no other way to exist as we all are forced to be the exact same cog in the machine. There is a reality in which we all cannot escape the machine, but there are ways in which we can attempt to claw ourselves from its death grip. I had forgotten how to crave out time for myself to be me and indulge in my favorite hobbies or simply just be present in the moment of that day. Now here is the biggest caveat to this mantra, is keeping myself focused on the path ahead. I know I can do it, but I mustn’t forget why I am taking the path less traveled.

In order for us to reach mountain peaks, we must take the first step along the journey.