Growing up, my parent’s were killer at raising my sister and I to be independent, strong, European women. It didn’t take much for me to realize that boys were over rated, pursuing my dreams was incredibly satisfying, and that life lived traveling was more adventurous.
By the time I was 12, I had lived in 2 countries, 3 states, and somewhere around 7 cities, totally normal right? Well, it was for us. I couldn’t imagine growing up any other way. I don’t have childhood best friends, but I do have dozens of cities whose castles, islands, and ruins I have discovered. Travel has made me a better woman, and I’m forever grateful to my parents for encouraging us to explore the unknown.
Along with this ever changing childhood, came an attitude to follow your dreams. It was never enough to settle and follow the course that every other person took.
This post isn’t to bash the 9-5er’s, it’s to hopefully encourage you. There are seasons in life, and lets be real, usually long over due seasons, that force us to work jobs we don’t love so that we can make ends meet and survive at life. It’s the truth and there isn’t much getting around that. What I’m here to say, is that it doesn’t have to always be that way.
I honestly believe our perspective has everything to do with life’s situations. You may go to work every day, hate it, and count down until the moment you clock out, but keep it in perspective; if you’re also going to school and kickin’ butt to graduate so that you can pursue your dream, that gives your crappy, unadventurous job PURPOSE. And that’s reason enough to get up every day and kill it because you know it won’t last forever.
The road to following your dreams isn’t easy. A little over a year ago I decided to forgo working a full time job and a steady paycheck to try something I knew I’d always regret if I didn’t: being a photographer. I often tell people that I don’t know if I’ll do this forever, and you know what kind of response I get? People are in awe. They are surprised at the fact that this isn’t the top of the ladder for me. I’m dreamin’ higher than that baby, this is just the piece of my story that I KNOW I’m supposed to be following right now. Do I know what’s next? Nope. Am I dreaming and excited and working towards something ambiguous? Heck ya.
But you know what, I’m enjoying every minute of the ride.
I’m discovering passions and interests through being a photographer that I never would have unearthed otherwise. Like the fact that I LOVE systems, calendars, organization, and all the other nerdy type A stuff that not every photographer likes. I’m pretty positive that I wouldn’t know how deeply I’m wired this way if it weren’t for starting my own small business as a photographer.
I wear many hats, and I’m learning which ones I look great in and which ones I should give to a friend to wear. 😉
You know what my favorite part of this perspective is? It gives me permission to fail. What if in one year I decide to move on to something else? AWESOME. Why? Because photography took me on a journey to my next place in life. And it isn’t about the next place, life is about the here and now. Moving on doesn’t diminish the meaning of that season of life, it just means it isn’t the end.
So keep at your day job if you must, but don’t you dare quit your day dream.
Go after it.
Growing up, my parent’s were killer at raising my sister and I to be independent, strong, European women. It didn’t take much for me to realize that boys were over rated, pursuing my dreams was incredibly satisfying, and that life lived traveling was more adventurous.
By the time I was 12, I had lived in 2 countries, 3 states, and somewhere around 7 cities, totally normal right? Well, it was for us. I couldn’t imagine growing up any other way. I don’t have childhood best friends, but I do have dozens of cities whose castles, islands, and ruins I have discovered. Travel has made me a better woman, and I’m forever grateful to my parents for encouraging us to explore the unknown.
Along with this ever changing childhood, came an attitude to follow your dreams. It was never enough to settle and follow the course that every other person took.
This post isn’t to bash the 9-5er’s, it’s to hopefully encourage you. There are seasons in life, and lets be real, usually long over due seasons, that force us to work jobs we don’t love so that we can make ends meet and survive at life. It’s the truth and there isn’t much getting around that. What I’m here to say, is that it doesn’t have to always be that way.
I honestly believe our perspective has everything to do with life’s situations. You may go to work every day, hate it, and count down until the moment you clock out, but keep it in perspective; if you’re also going to school and kickin’ butt to graduate so that you can pursue your dream, that gives your crappy, unadventurous job PURPOSE. And that’s reason enough to get up every day and kill it because you know it won’t last forever.
The road to following your dreams isn’t easy. A little over a year ago I decided to forgo working a full time job and a steady paycheck to try something I knew I’d always regret if I didn’t: being a photographer. I often tell people that I don’t know if I’ll do this forever, and you know what kind of response I get? People are in awe. They are surprised at the fact that this isn’t the top of the ladder for me. I’m dreamin’ higher than that baby, this is just the piece of my story that I KNOW I’m supposed to be following right now. Do I know what’s next? Nope. Am I dreaming and excited and working towards something ambiguous? Heck ya.
But you know what, I’m enjoying every minute of the ride.
I’m discovering passions and interests through being a photographer that I never would have unearthed otherwise. Like the fact that I LOVE systems, calendars, organization, and all the other nerdy type A stuff that not every photographer likes. I’m pretty positive that I wouldn’t know how deeply I’m wired this way if it weren’t for starting my own small business as a photographer.
I wear many hats, and I’m learning which ones I look great in and which ones I should give to a friend to wear. 😉
You know what my favorite part of this perspective is? It gives me permission to fail. What if in one year I decide to move on to something else? AWESOME. Why? Because photography took me on a journey to my next place in life. And it isn’t about the next place, life is about the here and now. Moving on doesn’t diminish the meaning of that season of life, it just means it isn’t the end.
So keep at your day job if you must, but don’t you dare quit your day dream.
Go after it.
