Love and respect

These days most of the time is spent giving consults.
Meeting photographers one by one in the gallery where currently is the sequence exhibition.

They come with a portfolio under their arms.
Always in time and always in a good mood.

For them it is important to show their work and to talk about their situation.
They expect it may bring them something positive.

The consultation is for one hour and most of that time the visiting photographer is talking.
Once in a while a strategic question is asked, but the floor is for the person completely.

What is most amazing is that these persons that have booked a consultation have questions.
Questions about their work, about their career and about their lives.
And the stunning thing is that they also know the answers to those vital questions.
The questions are connected to the answers but somehow only the questions are in their consciousness.
The answers are refusing to be accessible.
But they do enter the consciousness if another person is simple prepared to listen.
Prepared to be like a mirror.
To guide with very few but essential suggestions the person from the question to the answer.

It is a simple truth that if a person has an important existential question, an answer offered by somebody else, is ineffective.
It will not easily satisfy and end the question.
But the answer that is found within oneself, will make a person feel like having found the answer and therefore become able to proceed in life.

One of the important things, when giving consultations, is to learn that when a person comes and has all these questions, not to give any answers.
Very often the questions are well known and the answers easy and immediately available.
But giving these answers is damaging the one asking the questions.
With this approach the opportunity to find the truth oneself is sabotaged.

Even during a consultation questions may arise of which, in spite of assistance and guiding, the answers, often very obvious, are not found.
Even then it is better not to present the answers.
Because a truth can only become effective and complete when the person is ready to face and accept it.

It is in fact an extraordinary situation.
People come with their portfolio to look for expertise.
And this they find: within themselves.



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