When was the last time you felt 10 out of 10 joy? It might sound like a silly or strange question, but hear me out…

A few years ago, while in a group therapy session, the facilitator got us to do a simple exercise that knocked my socks off.

By the end of the exercise it became crystal clear to me that I throttle my own joy. I had a hard limit on the joy I allow myself to feel and express. I felt that limit at around 8 out of 10.

This was entirely unconscious—I had no clue I was doing it!

After some more self-exploration, I realized this limit around joy was for two reasons:

1. I was afraid that I would annoy my friends and family with my excitement. So I cut off 20% from the top so I would fit in better with other people.

2. I was afraid to be joyful about life because at some point in the past, I felt an excitement that went away and I was left feeling disappointed.

In both cases, there was an underlying belief that if I got too excited or joyful, I would lose love.

Once this all became conscious, everything changed. I could see how ridiculous it was and decided to upgrade the joy in my life.

I did a lot of work over the past few years to release these limitations. The work is ongoing but it’s worth it.

Because joy is maybe my favourite thing about life. It’s everywhere. It’s simple. It always surprises me. It feels amazing in my body. It adds so much colour and spice. Joy is like golden rays from the sun, and without it, life would feel cold and muted.

If this resonates and you are interested in exploring your own relationship with joy, here are 3 simple things you can do to start.

1. Over the next week, track when you experience 10 out of 10 joy in your life. If it’s never, take some time to reflect and maybe even journal about it.

2. Get curious about who in your life is the most joyful. Don’t judge or compare, just notice. Maybe there is something they can teach you.

3. If you have a journaling practice take some time this week to explore the difference between joy and happiness.

I hope you can use these tips to explore your relationship with joy, in order to bring more joy into your life.

Big love,

D

One new idea can change your life. We have all experienced this in our own lives, when someone shares a story or tool that gives us an opportunity to look at the world slightly differently, and all of a sudden everything feels new.

The world’s largest meditation app Insight Timer invited me and 13 other teachers to share our best 15-minute positive mindset practices. They are running a positive mindset meditation challenge which starts next Monday, May 22nd, and it’s free for anyone who has the app.

Imagine that in less than 15 minutes a day you could significantly upgrade your mindset in 2 weeks—all for free.

All it takes is one or two of the ideas in this 14 day challenge to stick, and you could be looking at a totally up-levelled perspective on life.

My contribution to the Establish a Positive Mindset Challenge is inspired by one of my best live meditations at Artist Morning. It was a meditation where I dug deep and shared one of my most powerful mindset tools, all about expanding beyond limiting beliefs.

It was an instant fan fave. There were a lot of comments and even emails after the circle was done. Some people shared real actions they took after the meditation that made a big impact on their lives.

I took that meditation and expanded it into a lesson and a short practice, followed by a helpful journalling prompt, which are all included in the practice for this 14-day challenge.

I tested it out a few weeks ago and my entire body was vibrating in the most amazing way. It was electric. That rarely happens when I listen to my own stuff, and I see that as a really good sign.

I’m so freakin’ excited to share this with all of you. There are already over 45,000 people signed up for the challenge. Mindset shifts are so powerful, so this is going to be a really great one.

The team at Insight Timer has done an amazing job curating a wide variety of modalities and practices, so each day you will experience a different teacher and a different approach to building a positive mindset.

All it takes is one new tool, tactic or tip to potentially change the way you see your life.

I hope you’ll join me for this challenge. To join, all you need to do is download the app (which is free) and the 14 day challenge will appear at the very top of the home page.

Big love,

D

Our parents are often our deepest influences. They have been cast in the cosmic play that is our lives. Their role imprints onto our character, and accepting and acknowledging that imprint can be super helpful in understanding ourselves.

Yesterday I got to spend some quality time with my mom. For the first time in a long time, I was able to step back and really see her.

My mom is a doer. 🏃🏻‍♀️

She gets shit done. She’s in her 60s now and recently started a new business and she’s already got it up and running. I am blown away by how far it’s already come.

My mom is a lifelong learner. 📚

She is halfway into finishing her Master’s degree. This is after working as a Registered Nurse and Director of Care for decades.

My mom is deeply spiritual. 🧘🏻‍♀️

She meditates daily and has for decades. I remember countless times when I was a kid: I would go to get something from her room and would sneak in only to see her deep in meditation. It was a non-negotiable for her. She was my first meditation teacher and honestly Artist Morning would not exist if it wasn’t for her.

My mom is direct. ⚡️

Sally doesn’t mess around and she is not afraid of anyone. If she has something to say, she will let you know, right to your face. After 40 years I have discovered the secret is not to resist it, just receive it and know this is one of her love languages.

My mom is kind. 💖

For my whole life, whenever I was upset with someone or something my mom would always meet me with an invitation to deepen my compassion. She has a giant heart and it’s left a big imprint on me.

My mom is a rebel. ⚔️

She doesn’t let anyone or anything define her. She doesn’t take shit from anyone. She doesn’t do things the “regular” way, whatever that is. I have her voice permanently ingrained in my head saying, “You gotta have guts Darius. You gotta have personality. Life’s too short to care what people think.”

My mom is funny. 🤹🏻‍♀️

She can be silly and wacky and loves to prank people. She is a firm believer that we are here to feel good and that following our joy is the key to life. And for her, laughing and making people laugh is a great way to evoke joy.

I know that sometimes we are so close to someone that it’s hard to fully appreciate them. I am so grateful that yesterday I was able to zoom out and see my incredible mom for who she is.

Love you, mom.

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To anyone out there with a calling to create meditations for your communities: today I’m sharing a Youtube video with a walkthrough of my entire process for creating meditations every week for 25k monthly listeners.

I know for a fact that many of you out there want to share more of your spiritual side with the world. I think this is so awesome.

Story time:

In the midst of the pandemic 3 years ago, I made my first meditation. I had zero training or background in this. My imposter syndrome was having a field day, to say the least.

I kept asking myself, “Who am I to guide a meditation? Who am I to build a community?! What business does a photographer have with any of this?”

It was intimidating, but I made it through.

Fast forward three years: every month 25,000 people meditate with me on Insight Timer and YouTube. I receive over 2,200 reviews every month, with an average rating of 4.85 out of 5 on Insight Timer. This blows my mind.

And every Friday 70 to 90 people join me on Zoom to meditate and journal as a community at www.ArtistMorning.com.

I have also started generating decent money from the meditations. I never expected this and it keeps growing, which is such a nice bonus.

This unexpected spiritual “side hustle” has become one of the greatest sources of joy in my life.

I am sharing this story with the intention of inspiring one of you out there. And today’s video is for anyone on the fence or unsure if they’re ready to dive into their own spiritual self-expression.

If this is you, take a look at today’s walkthrough of my creative process. Hopefully there are a few tips you can use for your own process in this video. Full length YouTube video is now live.

LINK IN MY BIO —> @dariusbashar

Big love,

D

PS: When I use the word “spiritual” I do not necessarily mean religious affiliation. It can be connected to religion, but I am referring to spiritual in a much broader sense.

For me, spiritual can refer to any practice or belief that acknowledges that we are more than humans. That there is something beyond us that is guiding, inspiring and supporting our lives.

You can call that God, Spirit, Soul, Universe or many other names.

The specific words we use are not very important for me. What DOES matter to me is that each of us gets an opportunity to explore our spirituality in our own way.

🌅 I am currently looking for people to chase the sun with me. If you want to go on a creative adventure together, let’s chat.

Summer is around the corner and I still have a few photography openings left in June, July and August. I love outdoor photoshoots and my SunChasers photo adventure has a great promo this month.

Here’s how it works…

We have a game plan before the shoot. We meet up. You jump in my car and we embark on our adventure in the city. There are many places we could explore:

➤ Beautiful hidden beaches
➤ Lush forest areas and parks
➤ Graffiti alleys
➤ European-inspired streets in the city
➤ Fun and vibrant neighbourhoods
➤ Tall and towering urban landscapes
➤ Super cool bridges and architecture
➤ And many others!

While exploring the city, we jam out to music and chat about life, creativity, relationships, dreams. We co-create something beautiful, and often it feels like we’re doing a podcast together.

This style of photoshoot is a great way to share more sides of your personality with your audience in order to build deeper trust and connection. The more of your true self you show your audience, the more they will see themselves in you.

SunChasers are often easier for people who feel a bit shy in front of the camera. That’s because you will be quickly distracted by all the fun things happening in the environment and less focused on the camera. It’s a great way to take vibrant, creative and confident candid photos.

I have a great promotion for these outdoor summer photoshoots. There are a limited amount of spots open, because summer has a finite amount of days. I wish summer was endless, but that’s just not how it works.

If you feel called by my work and my energy and we haven’t had the chance to collaborate yet, this is the perfect opportunity.

Here’s a link to my outdoor photography package AKA my SunChaser photoshoots. CLICK HERE

Big love,

D

PS: I love working with humans of ALL comfort levels. If you are feeling shy, please know that my entire business is built on working with people who usually DO NOT like getting their photos taken. All this to say you are in good company and and good hands, I promise. 🙏🏽

Sometime soon, a handsome and smiling angel will knock on your front door. This kind and gentle angel brings a gift for you.

He is the Angel of Breath and he is here to take you back home.

In a soothing voice he explains that your time on earth has come to an end and you have to leave everything behind.

All your possessions, your home, your family, even your body. You can’t take anything or anyone with you. All of it stays here.

Before you leave, the Angel will allow you to take 3 final breaths.

You can take as long as you need with these 3 last breaths, but that’s all you get.

As soon as your 3 breaths are done, you leave this planet forever.

You understand the instructions and you choose to take the deepest, longest breaths possible, to soak in as much of this human experience as you can.

As you slowly take your first deep breath in, holding it at the top of the inhale, you notice that there’s someone’s hand you’d like to hold. Without thinking, you reach out and grab the hand of the first person who comes to mind.

You take it all in.

And when you’re ready, you exhale all the way.

And once again, you breathe in as deep and as long as you can.

With this second breath, you suddenly remember all the faces you’d like to see one last time. There’s no overthinking, just allowing these faces to be seen. There may even be a few surprises.

You take it all in.

And when you are ready, you exhale all the way.

With the final inhale of your very last breath on Earth, you sense that there is something you want to give. A final word, a final smile, a moment of gratitude for anyone or anything.

You hold this deep juicy final breath as long as you can, and when it’s time, you exhale that offering out to the world, knowing that once this final breath is done, your time here has come to an end.

All of us have a last breath out there looking for us. It might find you in 50 mins or 50 years, but it will find you.

Soak it all in, before it’s too late.

And when you are ready, exhale all the way.

D

Hey Vancouver friends: I am coming to see you in June and I only have ONE SPOT LEFT. I found a gorgeous photography studio in Gastown and will be offering my signature HEARTshot photoshoot experience.

👉🏽 But I am almost fully sold out for the week. So if you are looking to significantly upgrading your online presence, so that you can connect with more of your dream clients, let’s connect asap.

My area of specialty is supporting speakers, authors, coaches, therapists and artists.

I have worked with hundreds and have taken over 800,000 photos of people all over the world.

The people I want to support the most are individuals who are committed to using their passion, wisdom and energy to positively impact the world.

I know how to help these people take photos that ACTUALLY FEEL and LOOK like their best selves.

I will be in Vancouver June 12 to June 16. If you are interested click the link here and you’ll find all the details including pricing, examples and a ton of testimonials. New clients welcome.

Big love,

D

Last night my dear friend and mentor Giovanni Marsico shared a concept with a room full of people. When I heard it, it immediately landed in my heart. I could feel the gravity of this idea; it was BIG!

He shared his belief that each of us has a story soulmate.

Your story soulmate is someone who will be deeply impacted (and possibly forever changed) just by hearing your story.

The way Gio explained it, is that our story offers others a roadmap. We have already travelled down the path that our story soulmate is currently on. We know all the shortcuts and dead ends. By sharing our story with them, we would be giving them a major advantage.

Sharing your story could be the catalyst for someone else to find hope, inspiration, and momentum in life.

I love this concept so much. It’s a powerful framework. It can even help us get out of our own way.

On the one hand, sharing our honest stories with the world can be intimidating. It feels scary to share deep and intimate parts of ourselves publicly.

At the same time, it can be frustrating when we finally share our stories with the world and don’t receive the external validation we hoped for. Such as views, comments, and likes.

But when we let go of the bullshit social media numbers and focus on impacting one human at a time through our stories, we can focus our message and speak from a much more relatable and honest place.

The irony is that by focusing on getting through to just one person, we become much more capable of to crafting a story that resonates with many more.

So here are a few questions for you to think about:

• Can you feel the energy of your story soulmate out there?

• Can you feel their fear?

• Can you feel their stuckness?

• Can you feel their excitement?

Your story soulmate is waiting for you, with your unique voice and unique background to grab the mic and speak directly to them.

Are you willing to grab that mic?

Instagram has only been around for 13 years, but humans have been writing, creating and expressing ourselves for millions of years… way before the internet was a thing.

Currently, Instagram wants us posting short, high-intensity Reels. I often have to carve off parts of my message to mold to the platform’s content recommendations.

The more I follow these rules and guidelines, the more the algorithm sends me views, comments and followers. The flood of positive attention feels good, validating, and sometimes even like love.

But the next day when I wake up, instead of thinking “What do I want to create today?” I ask “What will get me more love on Instagram today?”

This shift is unconscious, and it seems subtle at first. But it’s not.

When you carve off an inch every day, the truth of who you are becomes more distant.

Less and less of you shows up until one day you look in the mirror and you don’t recognize the person looking back at you anymore. All this, just to feel some social media “love”.

But what is your anchor, as a creator? What do you really love?

I am someone who loves depth. I thrive in long conversations, not 10-second soundbites. I do 5-hour portrait sessions. I love talking about deep topics and taking my time.

These very true elements of who I am don’t seem to get a lot of love on Instagram, so to play the game I carve off parts of my message to fit into the mold. But this can be very destabilizing.

My suggestion to other creators out there is to do a quick check-in. See if Instagram (or any other social media platform) has snuck its way into your creation process. Do you start with “What do I want to create today?” or “What will work on social media today?”

It’s super subtle, but can make a world of difference.

Big love,

D

I woke up today and had several ideas for social media posts, all of which were very serious and DEEP topics.

I set my camera up and was ready to dive in, but the moment I saw my own face on the camera, my 8 year old self just wanted to play. 🤪

So I decided to follow what was most alive in my heart and have some fun instead.

Even though at the core I wanted to explore a more serious topic, it’s nice to allow levity and play into the conversation sometimes. It reminds me that I don’t have to take life so seriously.

In the past I wouldn’t have been able to let my playful side show up while recording a video. Or if he showed up, I would have sent him away immediately. I would only share a one-dimensional version of me.

I would have posted the video and been totally oblivious that anything was missing.

There’s nothing wrong with only sharing one dimension of yourself on social media: your business side, your confident side, your intelligent side. But what I have discovered is that when people dive a bit deeper and show me the many parts of who they are—even the messy and unfinished parts—I feel more connection and trust. Because they’re human, just like me.

Sure, Darius is serious and deep AND also he’s playful and silly. And apparently he’s into astrology now too. Ha!

So… do you believe in astrology? I think most people believe in it a little bit, I am more curious to know what % you believe in it. For me I’d say I 25% believe in it. On some days maybe closer to 50%.

As I mentioned in the video:

• my rising sign is Scorpio

• my sun sign is Capricorn

• my moon is Taurus

For those that are familiar with astrology, does any of that surprise you? And if you’re open to it, what’s your sun sign / moon sign / rising?

I am still very new to all of this and find it so fascinating.

Big love,

D

PS: I don’t think I believe in any modality or philosophy 100%. I like to explore as many as possible and even intersect and combine a few. But that’s just me.