Ohhhhh daylight savings … it’s a love and hate relationship. Love the fall back, but the spring forward doesn’t sit well with me. I’m sure after my friend has me to go to the spin class at 6:30 a.m. a few times I’ll be adjusted. 😉
First, a shout out to my Dad! Happy Birthday yesterday!!!! So awesome seeing him for lunch and spending quality time with him and my family … as always! As a treat, I bought everyone ice cream at Carl’s Ice Cream in Fredericksburg … if you have never gone … SHAME ON YOU! Go go go!
Secondly, I’m really getting antsy for spring now! This warm weather is such a teaser and after Kyle and my road trip in California, I’m so set on warm weather. 🙂 I was looking around yesterday just hoping to see some greenery … but I guess we will need to wait for the warm weather to stay for good and for the snow to disappear. Crossing fingers that will happen soon so my lovely engagement couples will have beautiful spring photos!
Thirdly, I’m getting really excited taking my sister on as my assistant for weddings this year and the years to come! She took the same photography class in high school that got me into this field. I was thankful that she knows the technical side of photography … which is HUGE. She has shot with me in the past and this year, I want to take her under my wing because I see so much potential in her! After going through last year, I want a consistent second shooter who will always be available to mark off in their calendar the date I need them. Plus with having a consistent second shooter, she knows a solid plan of action of expectations going into every wedding from start to finish. We sat down Saturday and I gave her a one on one workshop for 2.5 hours. I tested her on technicalities … then taught her the importance of them and why we need to think before we click … then I took her outside and INSIDE to test her with a model. SO glad she was positive going through a good and constructive critique! Means that she is willing to grow and learn … something I was looking for in our workshop. 🙂 I will be testing her again this Tuesday to see if everything stuck! Excited to take her on my team this year … and years to come!
I have to admit that I have been loving my weekends filled with family and friends! I’m anxious to get the wedding season going, but until then I’m soaking up every minute with my loved ones during these last couple weekends. Once the beginning of April hits, my season won’t stop until basically October/November. I sat down yesterday with my family for my dad’s birthday lunch and realized that it was about 2 years ago I had a dream to possibly take my business full time. I remember bringing up the talk with my parents about going into business with my photography and how scared and excited I was to think about this next step. This year, I have booked 31 weddings!!! After sitting down and really thinking about this number … I cannot tell you how much it means to me! For each of them to honor me with this title as their wedding photographer … overwhelming blessing! When you trust, HE provides! <3
I have this verse I saved on my phone because it really nudged me this weekend. Speaks so much of the truth and I thought I would share it with you all today!
SAVE YOUR BEST STRIVING FOR SEEKING MY FACE. I am constantly communicating with you. To find Me and hear My voice, you must seek Me above all else. Anything that you desire more than Me becomes an idol. When you are determined to get your own way, you blot Me out of your consciousness. Instead of single-mindedly pursuing some goal, talk with Me about it. Let the Light of My Presence shine on this pursuit, so that you can see it from My perspective. If the goal fits into My plans for you, I will help you reach it. If it is contrary to My will for you, I will gradually change the desire of your heart. Seek Me first and foremost; then the rest of your life will fall into place, piece by piece.
1 Chronicles 16:11; Matthew 6:33
Even with having your mind set on a goal, it is important to see it through His perspective and not lose sight of him. THIS is why this year is so different from last year. I want to devote my weekends (besides weddings) to God, family and friends. I have taken out the idea of weekend sessions so I can devote this time to remember that business is NOT life. We should not work to live … we need to LIVE to work. Always remember that work does not come first.
This Lent season, I gave up something that may seem silly to most … or possibly not even an issue. To me though, it is distracting and disturbing time with my loved ones. We all carry our phones around … almost 100% of our day. I have it set with emails buzzing my phone as well as instagram, pinterest and Facebook. Why? Why do I feel like I have to know what is going on every minute of my day? I only respond to emails once a day Mon-Fri … so why do I have to see an email come through if I’m not planning to respond to it right then and there until I’m in my office hours? I’m losing time and my train of focus is now on my business … and it is 7 p.m. on a Tuesday night. Not fair. Why do we feel like we need to be attached to our phones and waste our time on it to check in on Facebook every couple hours? Again, it’s not fair to anyone around you. This Lent … and hopefully permanently … I turned off ALL notifications on my phone. Even text messages 7 p.m.–7 a.m. I want to spend quality time with loved ones and not constantly be distracted due to business or even non-business notifications. On top of turning off all notifications, I told myself that I will not touch any social media past 7 p.m. I say 7 p.m. because sometimes I run around all day and have to squeeze in a post around that time. Ideally though, I would like to say 5 p.m. My business revolves around social media and the last thing I want to do is also revolve around it just because my business does. So like I’ve said many times … this year is a year of refinement! I’m refining my lifestyle and creating a more meaningful time with loved ones, including my time with God without the distractions of work. 🙂
What did you give up this Lent season? I’ve given up Facebook all together in the past … but I definitely cannot do that with my work … otherwise, I may not make any future bookings! Which leads to the next question how to take on business WITHOUT Facebook. Something I’m strategizing on…
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