Looking in the rear view...
Iām constantly reminding myself not to look back. Keep pushing forward. Ride the wave of momentum so I can reach my goals faster.
But if I never glance back to remember how far Iāve come, I can get discouraged. If Iām always pushing toward some goal in front of me (which will always change if Iām growing), am I ever really content with where I am? Maybe I should pause and remember where Iāve been to pat myself on the back and say, āYouāre doing great. Keep going.ā
I think we SHOULD relish in the joy of our accomplishments. We should remember that at some point we wanted so badly to be where we are right now.
When So Life was created almost 5 years ago, we didnāt have a very good map. Iām not sure any of us knew where we wanted it to go. We just wanted to do something we loved. About 2 years in, we realized we actually enjoyed weddings and we were good at them. At a time when we were doing a lot of family portraits, we realized wanted to shoot mostly weddings. Last year we shot 32 weddings. Thatās a LOT considering most of them happened between March and October.
Did we stop and enjoy the fact that we had reached a milestone? I have to admit there were actually times when we complained about having to shoot two weddings in a weekend. Or we whined because we wanted a weekend off. But thatās exactly what we had been working towards, right?
A couple years ago, we decided we wanted to travel as much as possible. We wanted to see the world. Something like that seems a little unrealistic for a few people from Small Town, USA. But elopements sounded so appealing to us. And there were other photographers doing it, so why couldnāt we?
In the last couple years weāve been all over Alabama, to Ohio, Texas, North Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, India, France, and probably a few others Iām forgetting at the moment. We just shot the most amazing elopement in Ashevilleā¦ Our dream job.
So why do I have to remind myself that Iām actually living my dream?! Some days it doesnāt feel like a dream because thereās still responsibility in the midst of it. I still have to do the mundane tasks to get us these jobs. I still have to do laundry. I still have to budget and pay bills. We never think about those things when weāre daydreaming about āsomedayāā¦
Sometimes I get discouraged because Iām not where I want to be. Where IS that elusive place?? If I canāt stop for a minute and look back at who I used to be and how far Iāve come, then I completely take for granted where I am right now.
Today, Iām choosing to stop and look in the rearview just for a moment. I see the insecure, single mom starting back to school at 30 years old. I see the uncertain girl trying to figure out how sheās going to support 4 kids. I see her in a tiny cubicle working insurance because it pays the bills. I see her breaking down in the middle of the night because sheās just overwhelmed with life and so. worn. out.
THAT girl is so far behind me I barely recognize her. That in itself should have me overjoyed to be in this very place right now.
Take a minute to look back. Remember how far youāve come and anticipate how far youāre capable of going. Smile and thank God for where you are in THIS very moment. Heās got you here for a reason and more than likely Heās preparing you for where youāre headed next. Soak it all in. Take a deep breath. Pat yourself on the back. Youāre doing great!
