So I’ve been putting off writing this post for a while- because well, I kept telling myself to “man up” and “it’s not so bad” and “sleeping is for the birds”, and “I’m actually fine, I’ve had worse before”.
But after looking at the amount of doctors bills, and pharmacy receipts I have collected in these last few weeks just trying to stay semi healthy and alive- I think my body is telling me to slow it down a bit!

Many of you might not see it, but there is a lot of hard work, heart and sleepless nights that gets poured into the work and images you see on here (and all the photographers in the world say “Amen- we understand”) I am probably my own worst enemy when it comes to this as I constantly push myself further and harder- sometimes not noticing that the clock has already moved into the early hours of the morning. I come from a family that has always worked hard and given their utmost best in everything that they do. And to my best of my ability I have taken on the same work ethic. Running your own business requires that, heck no, demands that to a certain extent.

But to run a sustainable business that will actually last longer than it takes for two minute noodles to be cooked, requires it’s owner/s to look after it’s assets. If I go throwing around my camera equipment with no regard- my gear will not  last long, and replacing it will be costly- having said that, replacing it would be unnecessary if I had just looked after it in the first place. So- what is my point exactly? Well, in these last few weeks I have come to the stark realisation that one of my business assets is my health. As silly as that sounds- its true. If I am man down then that means I can’t take pictures which means I don’t have an income. Which in my little business model is a bad thing! ;)

This is not a plea for pity, please don’t get me wrong. I don’t feel sorry for myself and I’m not looking for a pat on the back either. We are all grown ups here.

The message I’m trying to get across is: Please understand. :)

In a microwave society where everything has to happen instantly and the “we want it now’ culture dictates the pace of human living- and I am as guilty of this as everyone else- we have learnt to despise having to wait. We have lost our ability to have grace on someone or something because we, “want it now”.

When my internet is 2 seconds slower on any particular day, it feels as if in an instant those 2 seconds have turned into an eternity, and in an impatient fury- I click the mouse an estimated 25 times, hoping it will make things go faster, but in actual fact I’m probably just confusing the machine more which makes it take longer. And I get frustrated so quickly- forgetting to think that maybe the internet is slow today because there is a massive storm and some poor guy from Telkom is working on the line trying to fix a fault. A stupid example maybe- but I’m hoping to get across that I suck at being patient, and I all too often forget the reasons why something may take a while. As I am sure a lot of us are.

So that is why I am writing this post. You see I have learnt in the last few weeks that as much as I would like to push myself to the point where I can produce fantastic work in a jiffy, it just doesn’t work like that- not without a cost at least. The cost being my rest, and ultimately my health. Perhaps it took a scare of an appendectomy to make me realise what a privilege it is to be healthy and not lying in a hospital bed! To make me realise, that there is only one  Lindy Truter and I better start looking after her. That maybe its about time I pay attention to the fact that my immune system is down, and I feel pap and I’m fighting constant fever blisters. Because popping vitamins and minerals, and going for “quick fix” vitamin B12 injections won’t keep working for long term. Something’s got to change. The most obvious choice is my routine and lifestyle. As my good ol’ friend Albert Einstein said; “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

Now before you hit a panic station and think I am chronically  ill and bailing out on you and on your shoot, breathe and relax…I’m not :) I will continue to edit, and do shoots as planned in my calendar, and I will do so with 100% of me, as  I always have. But I am going to be taking it a lil slower. Which means that you might have to wait that teeny tiny bit longer for you shoot to be edited, or blogged. Because I am going to take Sunday’s off. And I am going to go to bed a little earlier. And I am going to take one weekend in a month off- No work allowed! And I am going to take time to have quiet time with the Lord. And I am going to take my vitamins, and eat healthier- and go for a run, or play a game of tennis once in a while. Gosh I might even take the time to read a book.

Because up until now I have not been living a balanced life.The scale has been tipped to the work end 80% of the time. Leaving little time for everything else such as eating, sleeping, exercising, doing fun spontaneous things and just connecting with people again.

And so I am asking for your patience. I am asking that instead of cooking 2 minute noodles for supper in the microwave, cook the real deal pasta in a pot. Allow me the time and space to look after me, so that I can give you the best of me- and not some drained ghost of a person I become when I am run down. It might be a bit frustrating to wait an extra while for your pictures, but I’m trusting that you will understand. And I am hoping that you too will take the time to rest. That you will pause your busy life and say, today I am going to do something that my soul needs. That you will thrive and not just survive, living your life to the full and not just complacently letting things go by.

Thank you for your understanding and your support. There are no words to say how much I appreciate it- and you.

“Jesus said, “Come off by yourselves; let’s take a break and get a little rest.” For there was constant coming and going. They didn’t even have time to eat.”  Mark 6:31

“It’s useless to rise early and go to bed late, and work your worried fingers to the bone. Don’t you know he enjoys giving rest to those he loves?” Psalm 127:2