January, 2023.
A new year. New opportunities. New ways to reinvent yourself. Lots of people, maybe even you yourself, have come up with resolutions and ways to change their lives for the better. Some have probably left these goals by the wayside already. Others are diving in head first to chase these new dreams.
Me? I'm not much for resolutions. I don't believe that a new year or month or week will deliver the motivation to transform our lives. But what I do believe in is divine timing and a bigger plan. I believe in manifesting your wildest dreams and then moving forward a little bit every day to make them a reality. I've had a couple pretty massive shifts in my life recently, and they happened to coincide with the new year. Is this coincidence? Maybe. Or maybe it's the Universe finally giving me the kick in the butt I needed.
At the end of December, I left my job in the regular working work after nine years. Did I love my job? Yes, wholeheartedly. I worked in criminal justice, and with my previous experience, I had lived in that world for almost 20 years. I loved the interesting stories, the people I worked with within multiple offices and agencies, and every day brought something new.
But I was uninspired. I would see the same names over and over. Deal with the same sob stories at the counter. Encounter the same families as the cycle continued again and again. I felt deep down that I was meant for more than sitting behind a desk for eight hours a day pushing papers without passion. After much internal debate (literally years of going back and forth with myself), some deep and real conversations with my husband and close friends, and a lot of soul searching, I decided there was no time like the present. I had to carpe that diem and take the leap into pursuing my passion on a full time basis. I had to dive into my photography like I never had before to accomplish what I never had before - being a full time wedding and portrait photographer, not a criminal clerk.
I sit here just over two weeks into this crazy journey, and I'll tell you something - I wish I had done this years ago! Not only has this allowed me to dive deeper into my craft than ever before, it's allowed me to be more present with my family, enjoy our beautiful new home more, and allow me to take the time to focus on my health that I "didn't have time for" when I worked in the office. Not only am I happier and less stressed, I'm enjoying life more.
This also means that I'm going to have more time to finally get to all the things I've wanted to do for years in my business. This blog is the first of these list items. With my blog, I'm going to let you in behind the scenes for sessions, feature some of my favorite weddings, and even highlight my favorite vendors to make planning your wedding day seamless and stress-free. I also have plans for an email newsletter to let my favorite clients know about early bird specials, what's new with SSP, and some exclusive events and discounts.
None of this would be possible without my extremely supportive family and friends or my incredible clients. I can't thank you all enough, and I'm absolutely thrilled to be able to pursue this dream of mine. Here's to an incredible 2023! I can't wait to create some beautiful images with you all!
