Every Victory Counts

Being the first month of the year, January can’t be all that bad; after all the year is still young and promising no matter how strange the results of parliamentarian elections turned out to be, or how deranged the bosses in my company became trying to hold on to their jobs. This month has dealt me some crazy cards and after throwing madly the first deck into a wall causing almost a terrible smash I did what had to be done…. I finished my part of the job before anyone else on the team and before the deadline which is not surprising knowing that I had to put my blog on hold for two weeks to be able to endure a daily (weekends included) 12 hour work schedule with a sore arm.

This month I sold the one-off rights for the use of one of my photographs. I never meant to sell any of my photographic works, but how could have I refused a luxury international clothing brand that offered a generous and flattering amount to be able to print my photo in 100 copies as invites for an exclusive fashion show in London. This has finally made me change the copyright notice on my blog in which I used to allow people to share freely the contents I publish here. This will no longer be possible without discussing licensing.

This month has also given me a better vision and I think I can finally see some people for who they really are: this goes for (some of) my family, (a few) co-workers, but certain bloggers too. It was about time I stopped giving some people too much (or too little) credit. The most valuable lessons in life are painful and January has been very educational in that respect.

From the New Year’s celebration through some rough times, dealing with health issues and an impossible workload I still managed to live to see the end of the month still not crippled from all the translating and running to meetings, and now I am away in another country celebrating my birthday weekend.

This may very well be the longest piece of read from me for a while; you know that I usually confine myself to a single photo and paragraph, but it is my birthday and you are supposed to humour me 😉

kuglice_plave_nove-1_potpis

Celebrate every victory you have fought for and pat yourself on the back even if everyone else fails to do it.
– my quote

 

This is my entry for Cardinal Guzman’s clever new challenge the details of which you can find here.

Only this once your comments are not subject to moderation, so go on and write to your heart’s desire and I will read you on Monday.

 

P.S. NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN:

 

 

One of the saddest news this month was the passing of David Bowie. More than any of the greats that I listened to, Bowie seemed out of this world. Wherever he might have come from, I hope he is now where he truly belongs. May God’s love be with you, Duke!

 Category: Close-up/Macro, Personal, Photography, Writing      Tagged: , , ,

56 Comments on “Every Victory Counts”

  1. First of all, Happy Birthday. Us Januarians are special you know!
    I’m glad you survived a crazy month and huge congratulations on the photo success – I am massively jealous!! Have a great weekend.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • I hope you are right – about us being special, better special than “special-needs” :D. Still, they say Capricorns and Aquarius are very different.

      Like

      Reply

  2. Joyeux anniversaire! Tous mes voeux. Enjoy your birthday weekend wherever your steps have taken you. If it still is a winter country (like Mexico…) I wish you a nice and warm log-fire in a stone chimney with a wooden top.
    (And congrats on selling the rights. Money, money)
    Bjo.
    B.

    Like

    Reply

          • Ravi que tu ne le sois pas. J’ai souvent un “weird sense of humour”. 😉 a bit dry. Je suis Sagittaire. Et toi? Bélier? Taureau?

            Like

            Reply

            • Focus B please. How can I be a belier (mon moins prefere de tous) ou taureau si j’avais mon anniversaire le samedi dernier. Je suis le meilleur signe qu’il ya Versau 🙂 et tant mieux que tu ne sois pas belier. Mon meilleur ami qui est mort jeune a ete Sagittaire- it’s a good combo.

              Liked by 1 person

              Reply

              • I think I myself got lost in translation. 🙂 I did realize this morning that your birthday did not “fit”. Désolé pour ton ami. C’est toujours triste quand des jeunes gens meurent. On a un sentiment d’injustice. Trop tôt. Allez, buen fin, “Aquarius”. 🙂

                Like

                Reply

  4. Happybirthdayandcongratulations on selling yourphoto – what a terrific achievement.

    Like

    Reply

  7. Pingback: The Changing Seasons: January 2016 | Cardinal Guzman

  8. Happy Birthday – all the best for you, Paula. May your dreams come true, may 2016 continue way better than it started, and may your pictures make additional money flowing your way! Cheers.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  10. Happy Birthday, Paula! Congrats on selling your image, and glad to hear you are having a much needed break….hope 2016 is a good year for you

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  12. Happy Birthday Paula! Sincere congratulations on the sale!! Wishing you a good year ahead and may the trials of January lead to better months ahead.

    Like

    Reply

  13. upravo dizem casu u tvoje zdravlje. this was the first thing I read this morning and it made my day. I am so happy about your achievements and rewards. You deserve it.

    Like

    Reply

  14. Not all bad news then, sweetheart 🙂 Truly amazing about the photo, but so well deserved. Hope it’s the first of many successes. I love this photo for Cardinal too. Happy birthday weekend, Paula! Hope it revitalises you a little.

    Like

    Reply

  15. Very reflective words Paula….and very honest. I truly hope you have a wonderful birthday. If you don’t see me around as much it’s because of a very hectic work life…my blog too is suffering. My posts were always infrequent, now more so. Again, happy birthday 🙂

    Like

    Reply

  16. My year also started out pretty crazy at work and it continues… Too bad I can’t retire yet… Hope thing quiet down for both of us… Congrats on the photo… It’s a good thing to get recognition and better when it is paid… Good luck and hope you continue soon with the challenges… 🙂

    Like

    Reply

    • Thank you very much, Lor. It means a lot to read you especially when I know how busy you are. I don’t know if you had your birthday already or if it is some time in February. It must get better for both of us. xx

      Like

      Reply

  17. Sounds like you’ve had quite the month. Every time I read a blog like this or talk to someone about their job, I realize that being poor is not so bad … at least not compared to working 😉 I think you probably deserve congratulations on selling those photo rights. Sounds like a big deal to me and I hope you made some serious money. Hang on in there. January is just about finished. All you gotta do is navigate February and then … almost … nearly … spring! Flowers!

    Like

    Reply

  18. Happy birthday! Congratulations on selling a photo (and for surviving a brutal month). That is so exciting:) Your feature picture is wonderful too!!

    Like

    Reply

  19. Congratulations on the photo sale, and hope your birthday weekend is helping to revive you and that February is going to be a much better month.

    Like

    Reply

  22. Forgot to say – a zillion shiny congrats on the photo sale. Opening up new possibilities perhaps? Also wishing you high octaine recharge of your over-challenged batteries.

    Like

    Reply

    • Thanks a bunch, Tish. I would not mind if a recognition like this happens again with a similar sum, but the idea of taking photos commercially, to earn a living would spoil it for me. I just want to be able to work pain-free and to have the minimum human respect at work till the day I retire i.e. to avoid getting sacked or to live in constant fear of getting sacked. As for photography, I had to write this bragging article cause I still can’t believe my effing luck :D. Hugs to you, Tish.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  24. Happy birthday and congratulations on the photo news. As someone said, (I don’t know who) “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.” Personally, I think I am pretty strong as it is and don’t need anything happening to prove it. How ’bout you?

    Like

    Reply

    • Thanks for the good wishes, Patricia. If I had any say in that, I would say: “no, I don’t need to proof my own strength, but it is not up to me, and I have good 20 years to go before I retire, though frankly what I lived through as a child and later as a 20 year old couldn’t compare with what I deal.with now. What I am happy/proud about is that tough life did not turn me into some heartless, cold person. Thank you again.

      Like

      Reply

  25. Paula, congratulations on landing that image licensing deal. Very well done. Very proud to see a fellow artist budding professionally.

    Like

    Reply

    • Thanks a lot, Allan 🙂 I think it was just one-off miraculous happening that will never come again. I just need to keep my health and my job for some twenty more years, and I will consider myself lucky.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  26. Wishing you a very happy birthday, Paula, and congratulations on selling your photo. What a coup! Sounds like you’ve been working extra hard.I’m surprised that you find the time to blog at all. Special Birthday hugs. xx

    Like

    Reply

  27. It’s always a lovely post when I find out more about you. What a fantastic photograph. So creative. Congrats on the selling of your photo. And I really miss Bowie too.

    Like

    Reply

  28. Love the macro! I like the clarity of the beads (?) in the foreground and the bokeh! Great image for your January. Also good news on the photo rights sale. I find I am really chuffed when someone requests a photo from me for their personal use. A warm feeling that somewhere in this world one of MY photos is on their wall. So well done you 🙂 My images are still free to use, though they are not big enough to print, so if anyone wants to do that they have to contact me. And again, happy belated birthday greetings to you – last Saturday then?

    Like

    Reply

  29. I am so far behind, that’s it’s a bit late for happy birthday, so I’ll wish you a whole happy year. Congrats on selling the photo-rights, may there be many more such breaks.

    Like

    Reply

This box is reserved for sharing positive vibes.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.