Are You a Blessing or a Burden?
Why I gave a door-to-door salesperson a $2500 gift
Dear Artist,
Something really interesting happened yesterday.
I was out for my daily walk, moving at my usual quick pace. I had my noise-cancelling headphones on and my Apple Watch was tracking each step. I was in the zone. These walks are sacred to me, my time to recharge and refresh my energy.
About 10 minutes in, I saw two young guys wearing vests that screamed “door to door sales.” They were standing on a porch, and as I walked passed, the older of the two (maybe early 20s) made eye contact with me and waved. I quickly pointed to my headphones indicating I can’t talk, hoping to dodge whatever sales pitch was coming.
But this guy wasn’t having it. He gave me this huge smile, locked eyes with me, and I knew I was in for it. I pulled off one earbud as I kept walking and said, “I’ve got to keep up my pace.” I had no clue how determined this kid was.
Without missing a beat, he said, “Great, I’ll walk with you.”
Before I knew it, he literally jumped off the porch and started backwards power-walking in front of me, launching into a full pitch about the charity he worked for—as his younger colleague power-walked a few paces behind us. He was disarmingly cheerful, greeting everyone we passed—he literally said “nice hat” to a stranger.
When he asked if his trainee could explain the charity to me, I smiled and said sure. Imagine a brand new trainee on his very first day with a paper script in his hand, trying to say all the lines as we’re all power-walking together.
The first young guy took over the conversation again, and for a split second, I considered donating (but then remembered I contribute to three other charities and I’m currently at my limit).
Then something really cool happened.
For the first time, I really looked at this guy.
Up until that point, I’d avoided making full eye contact, knowing it would make it harder to walk away. But now, Photographer Darius kicked in. As we sped down the path together, I noticed his features—his cheekbones, his skin, his hair, his eyes—as well as the incredible energy radiating from him. This young man was glowing with confidence and charisma.
I knew somehow I needed to take his photo. Like really take his photo with my professional camera and my portrait process. So I took a risk and out of nowhere blurted out, “You should let me take your photo.”
Still power-walking, he gave me a confused look. I quickly gave him some context:
“I’m a professional photographer, and you’ve got a really unique look. Normally, I charge thousands for a shoot, but I won’t charge you a thing. If you’re interested, I’d love to take your photo. I promise, we’ll create something incredible.”
He hesitated for half a second before saying, “Okay, let’s do it.”
I gave him my info and told him to contact me.
Before we parted ways, we exchanged names; his was Patrick.
Patrick gave me a high five and then he and his trainee turned back toward the last house he knocked on… which was now at least 50 houses back.
As I walked away, a giant smile spread across my face and my heart. This young man blessed my day in the best way possible. His energy and his presence were both blessings.
Here’s the takeaway:
We can walk through life apologetically, thinking what we have to offer is a burden, trying to find clever or sneaky ways to get into people’s lives.
Or ….
We can show up believing that what we have to offer is a blessing. We can ask ourselves, “Whose life am I going to bless today?”
Patrick embodied that. He wasn’t shy about connecting with me. He believed in his mission and the work he was doing, and that energy was magnetic. I didn’t buy what he was selling, but I was still impacted by his presence and sincerity. It moved me so deeply that I offered up my time, energy, and gifts in return.
So, no matter what work you do, no matter what project or offer you’re focused on, ask yourself: Are you showing up with the energy of “I don’t want to burden people,” or are you showing up with, “Whose life am I going to bless today?”
I really hope Patrick takes me up on that offer. If he does, I’ll keep you posted.
Big love,
D
PS: I’ve sprinkled in a little extra love below, including a beautiful new song and this week’s journaling playlist.
A Song That Moved Me:
Huge shout out to my brother from another mother, Chris Assaad, on the release of his latest song, Kind of Love.
This stunning track resonates so deeply with the vibe and values of Artist Morning. I’ve probably listened to it 20 times since it dropped last week, and it keeps getting better with each listen.
This Week’s Journaling Playlist
Have an awesome weekend!
Darius Bashar
HEARTshots™ Photographer + Founder
Artist, Creator, Meditator | ArtistMorning.com™
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