The All of it All - Preachy Post, Part 1

I got asked a question again today that I often get asked so I thought I'd spend a minute and talk about it.

THE ALL OF IT ALL.

How do I handle the roles of wife, mother, and photographer while having a full time job?

Do I doubt myself?

What happens when I doubt myself?

THE ALL OF IT ALL.

Today I just want to talk about the photography side of it all.

Do I doubt myself?

Yes, I totally do...sometimes.

But I tend to doubt myself or my abilities when looking at other's work through envy goggles

and not inspiration goggles.

There is always going to be someone better than me.

There is always going to be that person that just shot into the photography world like a bullet.

There is always going to be someone out there with more time to devote to the craft

or enough money to get equipment right away while I'm still plugging away with my

"Nifty Fifty".

But I'm not those people.

I'm a wife and mother and homeowner and I also have a full time job.

I am going at my own pace.

When I doubt MYSELF and if I'm on the right path, I ask myself this question:

Would I take pictures for free?

The answer is a resounding YES.

That tells me that I'm on the right path. The sweetest bonus is that I get paid for doing what I love!

Eventually, getting paid for doing what I love will allow me to leave my day job.

It will allow me to be with Griffin more.

Getting paid for doing what I love will raise the quality of my family's life.

When I doubt my ABILITIES, I remind myself this:

When I first started doing professional photography, there were people out there that loved my work.

There were people that sought me out because they liked what they saw.

I look back at those pictures and I wish I could give them all do-over sessions!

Or a hug.

:)

But they encouraged me to keep going.

So I did.

Not everyone is going to like my style.

But that's okay with me.

I will work VERY hard and put my heart and soul into those that do.

Am I awesome?

Nope.

Do I doubt that I should be doing this?

Nope.

Because it was a long, hard road for me to find THE THING that

challanges me

uplifts me

makes me feel important

makes me feel like I belong.

It's the thing I want to do first thing when I get out of bed.

It's the last thing I want to do at night.

Am I worried that my clients won't like my work?

Hells. Yes.

That fear is always there when providing a service to others.
In any capacity. 

Staying positive.

It's so insanely easy to get bogged down.

Stop comparing yourself to others.

Stop focusing on what you don't have.

Work with what you do have.

Take the hours you have in a day to devote to THE THING that you love doing

and make it count.

Some people have all day.

Some people have 2 hours.

Doesn't matter.

Make it count.

Photography, being with your children, cooking, going back to school, crafting,

blogging, underwater basket weaving...doesn't matter.

Make it count.

Lord knows I don't have all the answers.

Hubs will attest.

Late at night, when I'm tired and the house still hasn't been picked up and I'm so far behind on my editing

and I didn't get to spend as much time with Griffin as my heart needed and on and on he tells me that

it's all worth it.

Because I haven't been brought this far to be abandoned now.

Because a year from now I will have wished I started today.

Stay the course.

(I love my husband.)

Wow. I just read through this.

I can seem preachy, can't I?

I guess I just said what I want to hear when I'm down or doubtful.

There are people that believe in me.
That keeps me going.

I believe in you.

Now.

Let's go be awesome.

Happy Tuesday!