New Year... Same Focus
Happy New Years!!
So often, with New Year’s Eve there is this insane pressure to set these “dream goals” for ourselves:
~ Work more efficiently,
~LOSE the weight
~Drink ALL the water
~Get more sleep
~Enjoy life more…
And we toddle along, caught up in the self improvement insanity, running ourselves ragged in January, trying desperately to keep up with all of our new schedules and to-do lists. Believe me, I am as susceptible as any of you to the allure of a brand new me. However, this year~ I am making myself a new promise.
I want to stay the same except MORE. MORE connection, MORE smiles, MORE tenderness. MORE love.
I have adapted a certain focus and mindset of how I capture my families and clients over the years I have been in business and ya know what?
IT WORKS!
Why mess with a great thing? “Don’t fix what ain’t broken!” right?!?
Sweet friend, if you have been waiting for permission to give yourself grace with all the New Years’ plans and changes, consider it now. Your life is a reflection of the decisions you have made in EVERY choice you have had up until now. . . I think that’s pretty wonderful, don’t you?
So, if you already have a home, a family, a spouse, and happiness… why not focus on the INSIDE this year?
Why not set yourself some HEART goals instead?
When you look inside and listen to that tiny voice we call a conscience, what do you want to see or hear?
I can tell you mine right now:
peace.
contentedness.
love.
It has taken me a long journey to get to this place of inner solitude and to allow myself the grace that is needed to focus inwards. I have felt so moved by this notion recently that I challenged my Facebook Group : www.facebook.com/kellygogginphotography to SLOW down with me and focus on some powerful quotes to adapt into their every day. Sayings that have been passed down from many sources and can inspire us to LOOK INWARDS.
I think what we’ll find together is that when we focus on growing our INSIDES, the outsides don’t matter quite as much. I know that sounds trite, believe me, but it’s 100% true. Think about it like this:
Your close friend has invited you to their home for dinner.
Scenario A: Their home is white, modern, tidy, and literally torn out of the pages of Pinterest. Their children are dressed in adorable matching dresses and their hair is tidily combed. However, as you sit on the immaculately white sofa, munching on homemade crudites amongst the boho -themed throws and pillows, your friend is nowhere to be seen. Every so often, you catch a glimpse of her running around in the kitchen, scolding her children to smile more, straightening her {already straight} dress, vacuuming, and basically busy doing all the things necessary to look good. When she finally does sit down, all she can chat about is her goals, and how her friends home looks, how her children are awful, and how she’s “sooooo tired”. She causally glances your way as you talk, stopping you a few times to draw your attention to her adorable new Hobby Lobby mantle decorations, or to show off her friends new family pics on Facebook. Dinner is on time and delicious, but it is wrought with tension as she is always watching to see which utensil everyone uses and how many times you go for her sweet potato casserole. She barely eats anything because “the new diet ya know~ it’s so easy I don’t eat anything so really there’s no prep time!” Once you’re finished eating, you can hardly wait to leave and as you make your way to the door, she grabs you to thrust a perfectly packaged tray of leftovers into your hand. You say your goodbyes half-heartedly, as you can tell she is itching to get to the bedtime routine (so she can have her children in bed by 8:02 precisely).
Scenario B: Their home is modest, but warm. The pillows on the sofa are mismatched but comfortable. Your friend invites you to sit on the sofa and she sits down right besides you. She looks into your eyes and listens with her heart as you chat about your lives. She actively listens and gives you gentle guidance. As you talk, you can’t help but feel valued, understood, connected. Her children are still adorably dressed but run into the room every so often to say hello or show you their dolly, or sit on your lap and play with your hair. Dinner is late and you have to help, but you don’t care~ you haven’t laughed this hard in months. You spend the evening soaking each other’s company up and neither of you wants to let go when it’s over. There were no leftovers, because her mama’s casserole was so delicious that you all ate every single morsel. As she walks you to the door, many hours later, you both linger as you hug goodbye. As you get into the car, your mobile dings and it’s a message from her saying “I value our friendship and am so grateful you spent the evening with us tonight. Drive safely. “
I think it’s quite obvious which scenario you’d rather be in. Do yourself a favor: don’t get so caught up in the perfection of it all that you become the friend in scenario A.
I’d much rather chill with Girl B anyway. Shoot, I’d much rather BE her as well!
Love yourselves well and the rest will follow !
~Kelly
