This blog post has been brewing in my heart for months. Yet it didn’t come together in my head until today. See friends I have been in this new and odd crux/season in my life. This place where social media is close to non existent, to where I have rest time, to where I can focus on one thing at a time. It’s been beautiful, conflicting and confusing all at the same time. See, I so miss the interaction and sharing with y’all, yet I personally have felt introverted or that I am not too eager to share. Which is completely not a typical Gina trait. So my heart has been wrestling with itself.
A piece of me wants to be creating, innovating and sharing new imagery. And another big piece of me says um, no I don’t want to take the time to style up that image or let alone pick up my phone. A big piece of me wants to be sharing every one of my latest sessions, weddings, words via my blog and every outlet. Yet, then my heart is completely content with creating timely and awesome imagery for my clients only and spending that extra time loving on my family.
For the first time ever I have been feeling an extreme amount of guilt and pressure for not posting more regularly, yet at the same time I am totally ok with it. Until tonight I really didn’t understand why I had been feeling this way.
The explanation. Eliminate to Create.
See one of my MAIN goals for 2014 was to figure out how to “man” my household. To learn how to effectively meal plan, grocery shop, clean, work, get to the gym myself, on top of running my own business. I have really wanted to focus on these things, as they are something that in the past that had got done, but not gracefully and definitely not effectively. I really wanted to serve my family and my house to be more organized. As I work in the home, it’s efficiency, aroma and cleanliness affects all that we do here. So if our baseline or homebase is efficient and organized we can only kick butt from there, am I making any sense?
Ladies and gentlemen. What a light bulb moment I had this evening, is that I without really knowing it, I have been doing just this. I have been learning and testing the waters at a organized and calm household. THIS is why my I have been lacking my normal social media activity. THIS is why my heart feels conflicted when I think I need to be doing more business. Because I am working on and really cultivating one of my goals. BAH! Do you hear the Hallelujah ringing?
So I am here to tell you. Everyone and their mom will tell you that you must do this. You must do that. You must never not post a million billion times a week or day on social media. That you must share every image. That you must focus and keep up all your efforts everywhere all the time. And that meeting goals should feel normal and like the next step.
Wrong.
We all have limited amount of space in our lives for any activity. I freaking love the quote from Richard Swenson that is above. We only have so much to work with.
So if we are off accomplishing or working towards a big goal, something somewhere has got to give.
In my case I thought I was doing something “wrong” or not being inspiring enough or awesome enough to post more and that something must be up if my heart was changing. Yet, I have now realized that energy is just put somewhere else for the time being and I am A-OKAY with that. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just different.
So stop worrying that you are doing it all wrong. If you have set your life desires and goals (for me the best way to do has been power sheets) refer back to those as a measure. Are you walking in that direction? Let the rest go and just be where you are. Like I am sure that this season of not being as active online will pass as I master things at home more and finds ways to make it all work. It’s all part of the process
Eliminate so you can create __________ in your life. It’s worth it. OH so worth it.
Beautiful Gina. I look forward to reconnecting with you in March!
Love this. Love you. xo
Amen. I’d been going straight with a year of shows and teaching theater camp, things I very much enjoyed. But after wrapping up this last show it’s like I took a deep breath and deflated. My home was a mess, I was tired, and I realized I needed to just stop. Priorities needed to be realigned, non-important things that I enjoyed needed to be put aside. I was spreading myself too thin. I’m at the beginning of this quiet season in my life, but I know in my heart it’s what I need and what my family needs. It feels weird but at the same time I can see all the good this will produce. *hugs*
Wow! We must have the same mind lately, because this is exactly how I’ve been feeling! As I was reading you post, I kept nodding my head and saying, yes, yes. Like you said, it’s not wrong, its just different. And I’m more then ok with it. 🙂
Thank you for sharing!
Gina, this is absolutely perfect and I struggle with the same thing all the time. I feel the exact same way that you do and have been trying to focus on that myself. Thanks for the reminder as I’m always in need of them. Thanks for taking a little time to share!
Love those light bulb moments!
I can really relate to and appreciate your thoughts here Gina. I have been struggling with finding a balance myself, and earlier today I just logged out of Facebook and wrote a small list of action items for the day. I am enjoying rest without obligation to reach a bar that is set by society, while also exceeding my own expectations by allowing God to work in the present while I simplify and extend extra grace to myself. I love this post dear friend!
Ooooohhhh your images are just beautiful!! I can’t even find the words! I have my heart so set on being lucky enough to be in front of your camera someday. Save a few dates in 2016 for my wedding? <3
Thinking of and praying for you two and your growing family… I'm so happy for you guys!
LOVE your work! These are incredible!