Hi!, I’m Agatha Nolen from Nashville, TN and this Lent I’m sharing some TURNING POINTS in my life where I was at a crossroads and my life changed forever.

This story is from 2011 when I was enjoying a beer with my friend Matthew at the Yazoo Brewery here in Nashville. I was showing him a few enlargements of photos I’d just shot and telling him about my re-kindled passion for photography.

Click here to watch the video.

Turning Point #4- Pleasing Others from Agatha Nolen on Vimeo.

The transcript is below:

I’d asked him to be honest, “Is my photography good enough to put on the internet?” “What if people don’t like it and quit following my blog?” was my follow-up question.

He didn’t answer immediately and I thought, “Here it comes; the brutal honesty that is bred in close friendships.” I just knew he would say that my photos were “good”, but not “good enough” for public consumption.

He still hadn’t answered and instead asked, “Why are you taking these photographs?”

“I just told you why. I’m overjoyed to see God’s handiwork; it’s a beautiful world that our Creator has made. Ansel Adams has a great quote: "Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter." That’s me! I feel closer to God through my photography.”

Matthew’s answer came sharply: “Then quit trying to please others in your life. Concentrate on your relationship with God and getting closer to Him. If others like the results that’s fine, but don’t worry about what they think, instead care what God thinks. Put your photos on your blog because making them brings you closer to God.”

This simple conversation has changed my life forever. It’s not just about my photography, it’s about my whole life. I’ve quit trying to please others, always looking for affirmation and attention. Now I’m putting God first and doing the things that He asks me to do. Pleasing others is no longer the focus of my life; pleasing God is.

Thanks, Matthew for a few simple words that turned me completely around and headed me in a new direction!

Blessings,

Agatha

Turning Point #4- Pleasing Others