Intent on buying a camera during a recent trip to a local electronics store, I was approached by a photography counselor working for a leading camera manufacturer. My interest was simply to buy an entry-level reflex camera allowing me to exercise some creativity during occasional picture taking.

Regardless, when compared to a professional photographer browsing through the high-end cameras on display and the intimidating amount of knowledge he or she would need to possess to make the right choice, you may say that I was simply out on a weekend shopping errand in the nearby grocery store looking for potatoes.

There are people and companies who are ready to pay lots of money for a great shot. There are dedicated websites on which one can post their precious photographic creations in the hope (for many) or in the certainty (for some) that a few of them will be auctioned off for a good price.

While talking to the photography counselor, who was extremely valuable in helping me clarify my priorities concerning a potential new purchase (in the end, potatoes are easy to sort out!), I became curious about his own pursuit of creative photography beyond the requirements of his job. Needless to say, the counselor possessed vast knowledge about photographic equipment and techniques and in my mind he could have easily taken and sold off many great shots via dedicated photographic websites.

To my surprise he said: “Well, there is no point, there are so many professional photographers out there who are surely better than me.”

It was difficult to believe what I heard! How could somebody whose job is to know everything about photography resign himself so fatalistically? How could one lack motivation to succeed in his chosen field, especially given that it was a field in which the counselor clearly excelled in?

Imagine Einstein giving up on physics, Picasso throwing away his brushes and Bill Gates deciding that there was no future for him in software programming.

And so it is with many of us. Easily discouraged and prone to intimidation, fearful of failure or simply lacking confidence in our own character and capacities, we may readily drift away from our own calling in life. Worryingly, there are budding Einsteins, Picassos and Gateses among us who will unfortunately remain unknown to the world.

But truly, we’ll never know unless we try. We’ll never know unless we try many times, over and over. We’ll never know unless we ask others for help. We’ll never know until we believe deeply and act unflinchingly on this belief. We’ll never know until we succeed – or don’t, before we start all over again.

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Aim higher, because this gives the real spice to life.

Aim higher, because this makes you a hero, at least in your own eyes.

Aim higher, because this gives real satisfaction. To you, because you’ve gone farther than ever before. To others, because they see that more is not only possible, but also inevitable and desirable.

Aim higher, because this is what you deserve. Not because others so observe, but because this is how you can better serve, others included.

Aim higher to solidify your progress of the past, lest you feel it may not last.

Aim higher to open new opportunities and expand the horizons of your dreams.

Aim higher. Your new achievement will become the launching pad for a higher aim.

Aim higher, and higher, and higher.

For more articles on integrating meditation into the present-day lifestyle and for more information on starting a meditation practice of your own, visit www.GenevaMeditation.ch.