That's what a mum probably thought when she saw me taking pictures of the kids at a public fountain.
A car with two police men came and they started questening me.
I have been nice to them and explained everything and showed them the pictures.
Which I don't have to do!
I told them, that I have been there taking pictures over 10 years almost every summer.
Sitting, standing next to the fountains with my camera more than 250 hours in total.
My project has been in newspapers, I had exhibitions and won a photo competition.
The police knows that I can take legally photos there and also publish them.
They were nice to me. I could see that they felt a bit bad.
But if somebody calls the police, they have to check on it.
I understand.
What I don't understand: Why didn't the mum talk to me?
I would have showed her the pictures, explained the project and would have given her one of my prints (which I had with me).
Now I have a new story to tell!
I will never know who the person was who called the police - or maybe? If you read this article, write me & we get together for ice cream and good conversations.
We will laugh together about this situation!

Kids have to learn from adults.
And adults have to learn from kids!
Kids can have joy in simple things.
They jump and scream. We don't.
Kids don't have inhibitions and connect easily. We don't.
Why do you think adults have depression?
Ok, there could be many reasons.
But couldn't one reason be:
That we don't move so much, don't play, are serious and don't express our emotions?
If a kid is sad or happy, it expresses the emotion. Do we?
Next time you are in your car, turn up the music and scream!
Play, be silly, find joy in simple things and express your emotions.
If you don't know how, then go and observe kids.
Maybe they can teach you something as well.​

A movie has a STORY.

A book has a STORY.
A song has a STORY.
People around you have a STORY.
A photo has .....

NO STORY!

It has a story, but it is your story.
In a movie or book you have more details and background.
A photo only has less than a second information.
Most of the time it does not tell a clear story.
The STORY you have is what your imagination sees.

Look at the pictures! Do you know what is going on?
No! You have a story in your mind, but you will never know what happened.
Maybe your story in your mind is the exact the same what happened. Maybe.
But you will never know for sure.

That's one of the reasons photography is so amazing!
It fires up your imagination. It lets you decide what to see.

"Some people complain that roses have thorns. I am grateful that thorns have roses."

WHY?
Why in general do people pay more attention to little negative parts of something, than rather put the focus on the big positve parts?
WHY?
"Don't be ignorant. Be a realist" would someone say.
YES?
Ok, let's not be ignorant and be realist and see the positive as well. Let's put at least or even more attention on the positve.
I don't understand why people leave out the good and blow up the negative.

WHY?
Is it useful?
Absolutly not!
So WHY?
It really doesn't matter WHY.

What matters is NOW!
NOW let's focus more on the positive and less on the negative!
For sure, we have to see the negative, but even so we have to see the positive.

"What we put on our attention, grows!"
"Ignore bad behavior and reward good behavior" - It's psychology! It works (also with animals).
What do we do?
Pay attention to the negative behavior and ignore the good behavior.

WRONG!

So instead of criticizing, we should be complimenting.
Let's pay attention to the good parts of a human being.
Let's compliment, so there will be even more of the good and less of the bad.

Of course roses have thorns - But there is more rose than thorns!

We all do it! But more in a negative way.

Someone told me:
"Just go to the newspaper office and tell them about your project - and expect that they might say NO"
Go somewhere and expect a negative outcome?
Why?
If I expect the rejection, it will make it less painful?
NO WAY!
I'm going there expecting, that they say YES!
Maybe they won't. Maybe not that day. But I will expecting a YES and come again and again until they say YES.
It's also a technique used by salesmen - "ASSUME the sale".
They see a customer and assume he wants to buy the product.
That way of thinking influences the behavior of the salesmen and customer.
I assume a YES and if it is not a YES now, it will be a YES later.

It's like with the sun, I 100% assume it will rise again tomorrow.

You can see in everything only the bad.

OR.

You can see in everything only the good.

After a looooong journey from Mexico to Germany, I was very tired and hungry.
My parents and I went to a restaurant to eat something quick and go home.
We ordered and waited. And waited.
It took forever!
We started making jokes about it. We laughed a lot!
My dad said that his face hurts from laughing.
We took that bad situation and instead of getting upset we had fun.

In the end I told my parents:
"I am glad the food came very late - we had an awesome time because of that."

It's your decision how you see a certain situation.

You can see the picture and think:

"It's rude!"
or
"What a beautiful ring!".

Your decision.

"Good morning"

Why don't people wish "Awesome morning!" ?
Why be average?
I love the morning. It's like a new chapter in a book.
Everything is possible!
You have energy and many blank pages to fill. You have the power to write an awesome story!
How you feel and think in the morning influences your day.
When we wake up we start in our mind to think in images what we have to do this day.
But that's it.
Why don't we use our imagination to think: what we would like to experience?
For example:
You wake up and think:
After work I will go the grocery store and have to buy bananas and eggs.
Why don't we think:
After a successful day of work (where the boss gave me a compliment) I'm going to buy what I need and a beautiful woman will smile at me, I will talk to her and we will exchange numbers.
Our imagination has no limits!
What we think influences our actions.
We have to challenge this muscle (imagination) so it grows!
So when we wake up, let's try to imagine how we would like to have this new day!
It's an experiment.
I will try it!

The whole life we spend waiting.

Waiting to be happy.
Waiting to try something new.
Waiting to achieve our dreams.
Waiting to face our fears.
Waiting to " ".

No! The "tomorrow" is TODAY.

I don't want to waste my precious gift (time) for waiting.

WAITING is WASTING.

NOW is the time!

..says Salvador Dali, a surreal painter.
"By no means will I return to Mexico, I cannot stand being in a country more surrealistic than my paintings." - Salvador Dali likes surreal art. She currently is working on drawing a portrait of Salvador Dali.
Diana likes surreal art. She currently is working on drawing a portrait of Salvador Dali.
We were talking about why we like surrealism.
Because it is not ordinary! It's stimulating for the brain.
Also surreal artist don't make art with the thought in mind "how can I sell it to the masses"?
They don't care. They love what they do and do not follow rules!
Mexico is the place to be if you like surrealism. I love Mexico, a country full of creativity, surrealism, crazy and people with big hearts.​

All the girls at pole dancing class were amazing.
They are getting closer to be as great like their teacher Cinthya.
The students know many moves and difficult ones - Wow!
What makes the teacher stand out is:
She makes it look appear so easy, like it is not exhausting or hard.
Then I was thinking, she started like everyone: at zero.
She has been struggling, too. Maybe she had points in her journey, where she wanted to stop or didn't believe she can't be on the top.
But you can see: she believed in herself and never stopped practicing and believing!
And her students are on their way to be on the top, too!
We have to remember, we all start at zero.
It's great to be with people who are persistent and have strong faith. Inspiring!
And if we are aware that they were where we are today, we know we can achieve the same:
By being persistent and believing that we can go from ZERO to HERO!​

It has been a dream of mine to shoot sensual photos.

Recently I asked myself: "What did you do to achieve your dream?" - Nothing.
And why call it a dream? Dreams are not real, they are dreams.
"Let's not dream anymore! - Let's plan!"
I started asking! And I got a YES!
That's just the beginning. I will ask more.
And I already have plans for more sensual shootings!

NO MORE DREAMS!

We are programming ourselves wrong by saying "my dream is.."
Dreams are not real.
From now on I will say: "my plan is.."
Dreams are for the night. Plans are for the day.
Enough of the dreaming!
Let's start planning & doing!

Just ask. The chance to get a yes are much higher if you ask.
If you don't ask then it is a NO by default.

ASK!

Big applause for the girls! They did their thing for 2 hours! I tried it and it was too much already after a few minutes.

What do you do if you travel to another continent and you wake up at 4am?

DANCE!

One of the many reasons I love Mexico is:

You can make jokes about other people and they love it!
Also they make jokes about themselves and you!
In Mexico people have a good sense of humor. Not at all sensitve!
So, if you visit Mexico - don't be offended if people make jokes on your account.
They don't have bad intentions. That's just the culture!

With Raul (the security guard) you can make all kinds of jokes!

Me: Look, you have a twin!
Raul: Oh, I never saw him.
Me: More security! They should pay you double!
Raul: Yes! Double food & double vacation!
David: He is more black than you!
Raul: Yes, they let my brother longer in the sun!

A friend of mine is interested in photography.

I offered to give her some advice. She understood very quickly and could apply the new knowledge immediately!
It was a lot of information! And this is only a tiny part.
But she has potential and with regular practise she will be very fast amazing!

To summarize the most important:

- Be always attentive (even without the camera). You have to train your eye like a muscle.
- Be patient. If you find something interesting, stay with it longer.
- Observe it from different angles.
- Get closer to your subject.
- Don't hurry - Take your time! Slow down, stand still - pay attention to the details.

Photography has a lot of benefits! It teaches you:

- to be more attentive.
- to be more present (and get out of your head)
- to see regular things with different eyes
- to see more much more!
- to connect with other people.

And much more things!

The most interesting for me is:
You start to see people, situations, moments and the past - with different eyes (even without the camera)!

The weekend trip I planned did not work out as I wanted.

I wanted something and I did not get it.
Later I realized that I really did not want it.
I asked myself "Why did I want it? - What's behind the WANT?"
Then I realized what I desire. But the means to get it I don't want.
Complicated, right?
An unrelated example:
You want a cigarette. Then you smoke it and find it disgusting. Why did you want it?
To change your state and to get a dopamine rush. But there are better ways to fulfil that need.
You can go for a walk to change your thoughts or do intense exercise to get the same effect (even better).
You want something but the method to get it you don't really want.
Maybe you think that's the only or best option. No, it isn't!
Or you want 1 Million Dollars. Why do you want it?
Security, less worries, status, living your dreams, a new car, creating a company, etc.....
Why?
And can't you achieve the same without the Million Dollars? YES!
Imagine you have all those things! What's next?
Behind all the desires there is something behind it.
Maybe it is significance? But that you can achieve without the Million.
Like with the cigarette. There is a reason behind it. Do you know it?
What is the desire? And how can we achieve it?
To feel significant in life - you can that, even without the Million!
From now on I will ask myself: "What is behind the desire? And what are my options? There is not only ONE way to fulfil that desire!

Music makes happy! You, scientists - we all know that!

But did you know it helps to ease pain and depression?
Very powerful!
When you listen to music the brain releases dopamine.
Music also helps to perform better at the gym and sports. Legal, natural doping!
It has the power to release in us different kind of emotions and even goose bumps!

Other benefits:

- Reduce anxiety as much as a massage
- Improves visual & verbal skills
- Keeps an aging brain healthy
- Improves sleep quality
- Boosts your immune system
- Music helps Alzheimer's patients remember
- Music raises IQ and academic performance

WOW - Thank you for the music!

Leon, Mexico is either full of red or I am a red magnet.

When I went through my pictures I took in Leon, I noticed that almost all my favorites have something major red in it.
So either this city has a lot of red or I am attracted to red. I like red, but it is not my favorite color - Turquoise is.
Or maybe red is my favorite and I don't know?

Whatever.

Anger and sadness go hand in hand. Being angry is a sign that someone is not happy.

Imagine the situation: You drive home to work and somebody cuts you off in traffic: you take it personal and you get angry.
Next morning you wake up and realize you won the lottery. Now you drive to the bank to get the money.
On the way to the bank, again somebody cuts you off. Do you feel angry? Do you think how unfair the world is and how people are ignorant?
Do you take it personal?

No way! You don't care! You are happy! You see! People and circumstances are not causing your anger - You are!

If someone is angry, they are not happy. Make them happy! Say a compliment or show them understanding.
Don't let the anger go over to you. Stop it immediately by showing compassion.

And if you are angry? What causes you unhappiness right now in your life? How can you fix it?

Be happy!

Don't argue with your critical voice in your head. Don't tell it "shut up".

That doesn't help. It makes it worse.
Not giving attention is the best to shut up that voice.

Psychology:
Like with kids, workers, partners and dogs:
"Ignore bad behavior and reward good behavior."
Don't give attention to bad thoughts or bad behavior.
Reinforce the good thoughts and good behavior.

For example:
You have a girlfriend who causes drama.
Don't get emotional. She will know that she can get your attention and a reaction out of you.
Bad. You will reinforce bad behavior. The drama will increase.
Better ask: "Do you want to fight or resolve this like adults?".
If she doesn't cooperate, walk away - every time.
When there is a fight and you apologize, give more attention, more affection and good make up sex -
you just reinforced her bad behavior and she will repeat it even more. And soon you will live in a soap opera.
No, better give a lot of attention and affection when she is doing good things for you.
What ever you reward (and put attention to) good or bad - it will grow.

Ignore bad behavior and only reward good behavior.

That applies to any aspect of human (or animal) connections.
And also to thoughts. Ignore the critical voice, don't argue and don't get emotional about it.