Category: BlahBlahBabble

Let Go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why?

I actually started on this path a few years ago, but 2010 put me to the test on what seemed like a weekly basis and then some. I had to learn over and over again to let go of control. I can’t be in charge of everything. I have to release it because I can’t control it.

For example, Jason graduated from high school this year, but he is living at home while he goes to the local junior college. It is tempting to try to control everything he does, but I have to remind myself that if he had gone off to college this fall he wouldn’t have me watching over everything. I still set curfews for him, and I still check in on what he is doing with his classes, but I still try my best to let him be in control instead of me.

In my business, as things grow, I have to give up control to my team and let them carry things on. As a control freak, this? UGH. It was so hard at first. But I’m so thankful for Elaine and Brittany. I know I can trust them with anything. I know that that is going to make 2011 AWESOME!

It has been hard to learn to let go of the control, but I have had to learn how to do it. I can see how it is making my life better to have less stress and more joy. I can’t carry it all, and by letting go of control I’ve learned I don’t have to carry it all myself!

About the photo above: Mike drove me to my studio today for a boudoir session client who never showed up in the end. I didn’t want to make the trip there be a total loss, so we headed over to Discovery Green to see the Urban Harvest Market. I love going to the Farmer’s Market! As we walked up to the market, we watched the ice skaters on the rink. It isn’t that cold yet outside, I didn’t even have a coat on. We had a great time – it was so much fun to be there with Mike!

Moment. Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors).

I’m one of those people with rather vivid memories, and being a photographer definitely adds to me having photographs to go with it. It was quite a challenge to think of a “most alive” day. Maybe the fact is that I struggle with “most” or “favorite” types of things. Ask me for a favorite movie and I’ll try to list 20!

So I took an extra day to think about this one. In the end, I had to come down to sitting on the edge of the Pacific in Mexico. Mike, Elaine, Kenny (Elaine’s husband) and I went to Bahia de la Luna for a destination wedding that Elaine & I were photographing. We had one of the most adventurous drives that I’ve ever experienced in my entire life for the entire day beforehand, and if it wasn’t for our awesome driver Ishmael, I don’t know what we would have done. 7-8 hours through the mountains on a road that was hardly two lanes, and had 150 degree switchback curves. UGH. By the time we arrived, we were hot, carsick, just drained. It was dark, and though we could hear the Pacific, we couldn’t see it yet.

When we woke up the next morning, the view was incredible. The Bay was isolated, and it was just us there. It was an idyllic paradise. Palm trees, sand, the heat of the sun, the breeze off the water. Listening to the waves crash. Resting in the hammock and reading a book. Icy margaritas. Making new friends with the bride’s family and other wedding guests that were there. Learning Spanish (you would think that living in Houston I’d know some!) and being glad that Elaine is fluent in Spanish. Just unwinding and getting away from it all. It was *incredible*. Matter of fact, the whole trip was.

I feel just calm and serene when I think of that day. It always makes me smile. It also made me realize that sometimes you have to go through some pretty rough times to get to the really great things in life. The bad makes the good that much better!

Writing. What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it? – Reverb10, Day 2

Hmm… interesting question. Just recently, I commented to someone that Twitter killed my blog years ago. I am still writing when I post to Twitter, but it is only 140 characters and there isn’t the rest of the story there. Only what I could fit in so few characters.

I’ve realized that I really miss writing though, so I’m working on fixing that. About the only thing I can do to eliminate it is just make a focused effort to write longer posts instead of 140 characters at a time.

I am trying to make a time each day that is my writing time. It is hard to write “on command” though, so I’ll see how that works out. Having these Reverb10 prompts has been helpful though, so I’m hoping that by the start of 2011 it is a solid habit!