YOLO :: greensboro wedding photographer

My alternate title for this post was "What I Learned from Dr. Oz's 3 Day Detox that I Failed in Less than 12 Hours."

Seriously. I went into this plan with a positive attitude. I'd done all my shopping for it over the weekend, went to bed early on Sunday, and woke up yesterday morning all bright and cheery ready to get my Dr. Oz detox on with delicious, nutritious veggie smoothies for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I've been on a bit of a kick lately with my newfound interest in Bikram Yoga, and I thought this would be a great extension of becoming healthier.

I had my green tea with lemon first thing in the morning, followed by a smoothie that was really quite scrumptious. Then, lunchtime came along, and I made my second smoothie for the day - which I had some trouble actually getting down. Something about drinkable celery and kale, no matter how much fruit you try to mask it with, is not okay. I went to my afternoon yoga class, and by the time I got in the car, I was craving a cheeseburger so bad I could taste it. It's really not that I even eat that many cheeseburgers, but when I crave something, it's usually the greasiest, least healthy thing I can think of. My stomach was rumbling as I pulled into my garage, and I did it. I caved. I changed clothes, got back in my car, and went around the corner to Sonic to indulge in a cheeseburger AND tater tots. GO BIG OR GO HOME, RIGHT?

I justified it by saying things like, "Life's too short," "You only live once... YOLO!" and "Would I really want my last meal to be a smoothie that doesn't even taste good??". Was the problem that I just didn't have the will-power to do something for a mere three days? No - the problem was that my heart just wasn't in it... it wasn't something that I really wanted that badly. I may have been being a bit irrational, but all the things I was telling myself as an excuse to get out of continuing the detox were true.

Much like me depriving myself of what I really wanted to eat, we do this to ourselves every day. We sell ourselves short for safety and security's sake or by doing something that our parents and friends and textbooks and society tell us we should be doing, meanwhile we have this insatiable yearning deep in our gut for something that's better, something we truly desire. We try to ignore it or satisfy it with other "second best" things that are maybe more convenient or reasonable, but it doesn't go away unless you give in.

Whether it's spiritual, emotional, career-related, your true passion in life - whatever it is for you - you're hungry for a reason.

You may need some of the detox components to stay healthy (sure spinach and fruits and things like coconut water are good for you to incorporate into your daily life, and just like when I worked in an office at a job that wasn't fulfilling me, I still need established business hours and lunch breaks and I still have to answer emails), but you don't need to submerge yourself in a life of deprivation to best live. Life's too short to surround yourself with things that leave a bitter taste in your mouth or are so bland, that you couldn't possibly enjoy them. 

How much longer can you stand to hunger for that craving in your life?

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the return of the friday five :: greensboro wedding photographer

It's been a long, long time since I've written a Friday Five, and this week's is dedicated to things I'm grateful for this week. Despite the craziness of this past several days, it's definitely had it's high points, and here are just a few:

1. Going see the band FUN. in concert with my hubby last Thursday at Disco Rodeo. If you haven't heard this band, you must be living under a rock and you should watch the video below. Their music is the kind that just makes you want to roll the windows down and sing along at the top of your lungs. You can tell that they put their heart and soul into their music and their shows, and I just love that quality in people. This song is one of my favorites:

2. Lunch with great friends. I am so blessed to be surrounded by a whole bunch of pretty awesome people and made a point this past week to have lunch with a few of them. I caught up with my friend Marissa, a fellow photographer who I've had the opportunity to work with and get to know a little better over the past few months, and while I'm sad that she's moving to DC, I'm excited to see what great things happen for her! Today, I had the chance to have an weekday lunch with my dear friend Bridget, who's always a breath of fresh air. Our conversations tend to be a little A.D.D, but I like to think that it's a gift to be able to cover so many topics in such a short amount of time :)

3. Bubble baths. One of my favorite features of our new home is the jacuzzi tub, and there isn't much better than relaxing in that thing with a glass of wine, a good book, and my favorite sugar cookie scented Yankee Candle. Funny story actually... I never knew exactly why you weren't supposed to use bubble bath in the jacuzzi until last night when I turned on the tub and bubbles began to overtake my bathroom...

4. Client love. I've been delivering some albums this week and love hearing from our super amazing 2012 clients how thankful they are to have worked with us. There's nothing more satisfying as a photographer and business owner than to hear from a bride that you're worth every penny and more, and that their wedding day was actually one of the most stress-free, relaxing days of their life thanks in part to you.

5. Getting Christmas shopping done early (for once). I am happy to report that all of my shopping AND gift wrapping is officially DONE. Like, completely. Now, I can devote the rest of my holiday season to viewing Elf way too many times and enjoying my Starbucks peppermint white mocha while pleasantly watching all of the crazy people at the mall trying to get their last minute shopping done. (Sorry last-minute shoppers for my smug people-watching!)

What are YOU grateful for this week?

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what if money didn't matter :: greensboro engagement photographer

I've been struggling to write this blog post for about a week and a half now. It all started when my friend Lara challenged MTH alumni to write an entry about what we are grateful for in light of Thanksgiving week. I began jotting down all of the growth and wonderful changes I've experienced over the past year, which included this story, but by the time I got to the end of page two, I realized that it was going to be a novel, so I stopped.

Then, on Monday, I was asked to be part of a panel for a web conference with a few folks who are considering making the leap from their 9 to 5 and diving full-time into their own business endeavors. It was during this conference call that I really realized that it's the nitty gritty not-so-pretty but really honest truth of your own story that helps others believe that they, too, can create their own version of success. And that's really tough - because only a select few people know the whole truth and it's so much easier and more glamorous to sugar-coat the story and pretend like you weren't stuck in a boring job that had you in full-on blubbering tears at least twice a day. It's easier to pretend that it isn't a struggle and that everything just magically happened for you.

Two years ago, around this time of year, I was in my final days of battling with the decision to quit my full time job as a Marketing Director. It was seemingly secure, I had good insurance, and it was a great position, especially for someone who was only a couple of years out of college where I had worked hard to earn a quite expensive business degree, but the reality of it was that I was absolutely miserable every day. By the time 5 o'clock on Friday rolled around, I was already dreading going to work on Monday. At the end of each day, I was drained to the point where I was failing in my roles as a wife to Josh and a friend to others. I had no energy left to devote to the things and people I love. I was empty.

But thankfully, I have a husband who was tuned in enough to see that my job was taking away everything that made me me. He asked me the question, "What would you do if money didn't matter?", and I am forever grateful to him for giving me that challenge. Six months later, I took a huge leap of faith, quit my job, and devoted myself full-time to wedding photography, and the rest, as they say, is history. Has it been easy? Heck no, but it has been so worth it to have a job that fulfills me, allows me to spend good quality time with my favorite people, has given me the opportunity to meet so many INCREDIBLE friends, and the cherry on top, make money doing something that (most of the time) doesn't feel like work.

I urge you to watch this amazing video (thanks to my friend Owen for sharing), and I challenge YOU to answer the question "What would you like to do if money were no object? How would you REALLY enjoy spending your life?"

The truth is, whatever your answer is, you can make that happen. It won't happen overnight, and it will require ALOT of hard work and baby steps, but it will be so worth it. Follow through.

If you want to be held accountable, leave a comment below or send me an email with your answer. I promise I'll help any way I can. You won't believe the incredible changes that will take place in your life if you're honest with yourself, and I'd love to follow your journey!

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