Morning Mantra
“I AM like water – I flow around any challenge and with persistence (one drop at a time) I accomplish my goal.” – David A. Moya
Be Like Water. Water is one badass organic chemical formula. It is both gentle and powerful at the same time. It can sustain and nourish man, yet it can also kill him. It can guide you around the world on a sail boat and also drown you under its weight.
Personally, I love being in or around water. It has a way of calming, healing and rejuvenating me. Maybe that’s why I’ve always wanted to live close to the beach. We’re 3/4 water right so it makes sense that we as humans gravitate towards water. It provides us with life!
Water is also one of my teachers. If you observe water, you can learn quite a bit. For example, you can watch how effortlessly water makes it way down a river or stream. Water doesn’t force its will through any specific means, instead it allows whatever is in front of its path to remain there (if it is strong enough), and simply moves up, under and around whatever is in its way. Similarly, a single drop of water, when focused and persistently applied to one specific area, is equally as powerful. Be Like Water.
In a Day of the Life
“The skill of being able to stay calm, confident and assertive under any situation is invaluable! “ – David A. Moya
Ever lose track of what day it is? With the holidays around the corner and work being busy as ever, I seem to be even more lost when it comes to remembering what day of the week it is. This isn’t a bad thing for me as it tends to blend all my days together…meaning weekends and weekdays all feel like the same. Separating work and play seems to be even more of a challenge these days. But, I like that I can’t tell if I’m working or playing. Wouldn’t you?
Recently, our team set out to film a property in San Diego when we came across a series of challenges that would eventually requires us to work together in order to overcome.
The first sign that the day was a “day of growth,” was when the listing agent notified us that a neighbor already expressed concerns about a video being made and specifically didn’t like the idea of a drone, AND didn’t want his house filmed. Granted this is a valid concern, it left us with our hands tied when it comes to optimizing some angles both on the ground and in the air. Freedom to be creative is instrumental when producing a piece of art such as our videos. Luckily, concerned neighbors is usually something that can be remedied with a brief conversation letting them know what the day entailed for them. We let them know that when we fly, we always obey the rules and regulations set out by the FAA, and really try and go above & beyond that by having some come sense too (i.e. not filming into a neighbors home like a creeper). We let them know that it makes no financial sense for us to film something we’re not interested in filming. Anyway I digress.
So we started our routine of finding a home base (generally the laundry room because there’s lots of space and electrical outlets). Then we moved through the house like the pros that we are, and then based on the sunlight, start filming our complimentary aerial shots. I sent one of my pilots to do the job and a few mins later I see him walking through the door with a face of disbelieve and despair. “You won’t believe what just happened,” he said. I respond with “what happened?” Long story short, the drone had gotten stuck in a tree (the tallest tree for miles). Luckily, it wasn’t on the worried neighbor’s property, and even luckier was the fact that there was a professional tree trimming company literally working just one block over. We notified the agents and neighbors of the situation, and went to see if the tree trimming company would be able to help us. Lo and behold, they said they could definitely help us but it would have to be during their lunch break. Phew! A potentially challenging situation averted.
The most valuable aspect of the day came from learning to stand back, observe the situation, then take assertive action to remedy any problems. We were able to think clearly and navigate all the involved parties through the problem as smoothly and painless as possible. I’m happy to report that with the help of the entire team, we left that day proud knowing we overcame challenges and were able to further connect with the neighbors, the tree trimming workers, the listing agents, and of course, each other. I strongly feel that even if the outcome wasn’t as favorable, acting cool, calm and collected always pays off far more than stressing and
worrying. Enjoying the ride is always more fun than stressing about the outcome….
Gratitude
“I Am thankful for the holidays & for the opportunities we have to slow down and reflect on all the good we ALREADY have.” – David A. Moya
I have to say that this year more than ever I fee like I have so many wonderful people, experiences and things to be grateful for. More than anything I feel like it has been a year of solid growth in so many areas in my life but especially in my personal and spiritual growth – AND you can’t put a price tag on that!!!
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