We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Aimee Santana a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Aimee, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
What is funny is that I’ve always been an optimistic. For me, I’m an over thinker. I’m constantly trying to plan out things or problem-solving in my mind. And coming up with random scenarios for each situation. Because of that, sometimes I have to remind myself dark rain clouds get heavy. That is why they rain. The rain is only temporary. The pain, the struggle is only for right now. You have to move forward. Because what comes after the rain ? A rainbow.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m an artist. I love the world of art in every shape and form. I’ve come to a realization if I’m not creative I have no method of expressing myself. I’ve been working hard on, “what sparks my joy” -Marie Kondo, in everyday life . And doing so, makes me fall in love with art all over again. So my photography and Art have been reflecting that.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
3 qualities I’ve learned can be broken down to 3 words. “Believe in yourself.” The most Corny saying in your life time. But the older you get the more you understand. The less you try to impress people the longer quality life you’ll have. Not saying to not listen to advice because good advice can get you far. But never let anyone belittle you. Second, everything takes time and practice. And number one thing is be patient with yourself. You won’t get to where you want to go rushing the process. Have supportive people around you, not “yes men”, but people that will keep you in check that you trust.
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
Believing in myself. I had let other people determine how I needed to feel, that I became numb to not feeling or expressing my emotions. I slowly realized when I’m so focused on what people say I loose my own voice. So in the past 12 months I’ve been more open to my own thoughts and feelings then I ever thought before. Understanding that not everyone thinks or feels like me. They won’t know until you say something. And it’s ok to speak up. Or even remove what is taking away your peace. Because of that I found my voice again.
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Image Credits
My profile: blessed photography Other images Aimee Santana’s photography
