We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Juan Jose Almenara a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Juan Jose, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
This question makes me think about the process of my actions. I normally do not question my thoughts or decisions. So, I think my confidence and self-esteem are a reflection of how I process my thoughts. Many of my actions are analyzed in my head before taking action where the pros and cons are cross-checked with the different outcomes. As I did not grow up with my parents making my decisions, I believe this analytical mindset arose from the survival skills I had to develop. Because of this I process my thoughts for the best outcome and move to action without questioning the many negative What If’s questions many people include as part of their analysis.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Today my job is being an Operations Manager in a service-type company but my passion is on being in the outdoors. For several years now I have been dedicating hours of my life to enjoying nature and capturing those special moments from others or mine. I try to keep a balanced life between work, my passions, and family. See, I was born in Lima, Peru, and moved to America in 1989. Growing up I had been exposed to nature and photography by my father. On several occasions, I remember accompanying him to his photo shoots. I was very young but the feeling and experience stuck.
Today I have started a photography business where I get to share my art with those who enjoy having a piece in their homes. My photography is focused on different types of landscapes from Night Sky to sea animals or night scenes to mountains. I also like to capture human interactions in party scenarios. Capturing these special moments is the basis of life.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The three most important qualities, skills, and knowledge are:
– Always have a plan. Do not just flow through life without direction. Even if your plan is not accurate, you need direction to allow yourself to grow.
– Always be open to Opportunities. Opportunities come only a few times in a lifetime. Not allowing yourself to follow them will reduce your chances of success.
– Persistency is essential. Without persistence, nothing will happen. Growth takes work, much effort, and dedication focused on following your plan.
Your skills and necessary knowledge will arise as you focus on the direction you will follow. Your knowledgebase will continue growing as you continue your path.
Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?
Time is a challenge for me. I need more time to do what I need to and allow myself to follow my plan. This limitation is a personal problem as I have a full plate of responsibilities at work and home. I tend to fight to go to sleep as I continue working on completing my list of things to do toward my goals.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.serencapturesphotography.com
- Instagram: @serenecapturesphotography.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/serenecapturesphotography
Image Credits
All the photographs have been taken by me. They represent my efforts to capture those special moments in nature.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
