Inside-Out

I wish I could tell every human just how absolutely beautiful and strong they are. I wish I could imprint young, impressionable minds to know this, too.

But I can't. 

I need your help. 

I need you to realize just how powerful the mind is. It's amazing, really. The power of positive thinking? It can create a whole new world. 

People grow up feeling horrible. They grow up feeling ugly, inadequate, fearful, insecure ... They grow up never knowing how powerful their mind is. How powerful they are. 

They think, "I won't go anywhere in life, why try?" They think, "Nobody will ever truly love me, I'm ugly." They think, "I'm failing. I can't turn this around." 

These are all lies. 

Lies that they (maybe you, too) have been conditioned to believe. 

The truth is, you're beautiful. You're worth the effort. You can make a difference in the world. Somebody already does love you. Failure is the first step to success. And finally, you CAN turn this mindset around. 

You are in control of your behavior and your actions. The first step is positive thinking. ((Yeah, yeah.. You've heard it before. This time, actually TRY it))

It's time to start repairing our bodies from the inside-out. To transition our minds from negative thinking, to uplifting, encouraging thoughts. From feeling miserable and horrible, to doing one thing a day to make you happy. Happiness does not just ARRIVE; you create your own happiness. 

When was the last time you ate cake and realized you just got a six pack afterwards? 

...never.

Me too. (I was disappointed too, don't worry.)

We can't expect to make bad decisions in life, and be happy. We have to WORK for happiness.... For our relationships, for our figures, for our talents, for our careers, for our money, for our faith. Our minds do not automatically default to hope and happiness, but we can change that. 

Today is the day to start. Don't wait for the new year for happiness to arrive. 

You're beautiful, and you're worth it. 

Time to start believing it. Time to put to rest all the excuses, all the doubts, all the procrastination. No more. Go out and be happy, know your value in life. 

Please share this with someone you know suffering with negative self-image. If that's you, I hope you begin to see your true worth and value in life. You're a miracle; time to start believing it! 

I'm still learning this. It's one of the reasons I can write about it. I'm still learning how to be confident and secure and happy. I'm still working on myself from the inside-out, and I hope you'll join me in this never-ending venture!

Shades of Gray

I've grown very intimate with this little thing in life called, "emotions;" whether I want to or not. So much so that many nights I have lied awake praying for an OFF button so I could just get five minutes of peace from my own brain. 

When we are going through a heartbreak or a particularly difficult point in our lives, sometimes our emotions become confusing. I found myself at one point Google-ING mental health disorders and checking boxes to self-diagnose myself with some disease because, well, because I was feeling. Turns out, nothing is wrong with feeling and it is actually not a disorder, as much as the world tries to make us robots in the feelings department. I am not psychotic and I don't own fifty cats, yeah, baby kittens sure are cute, but it's just not my thing. But you know what IS my thing? Experiencing emotions as they come, and knowing that is okay. Sometimes life will bring me regret, sadness, pain, happiness, excitement, and sorrow... But to experience each one, I don't think you can leave out any. 

When I love, I love hard. When I laugh, my abs hurt. I've never really known an in-between and I've been told my whole life that this is some sort of fault; and quite frankly, I don't dig that. I think I was made in His image and there is a reason that I may FEEL differently than YOU feel. Or maybe you're sitting there reading this thinking, "Gosh I am so glad I'm not the only one." ((p.s. You're not the only one. I've met other people with a soul like mine)) 

I may not be able to coast in life. I may not be able to just be okay and fake a smile. I may not be able to hide my feelings. 

I do sometimes wear my heart on my sleeves, or rather, on my entire body and every article of clothing I own. I do sometimes cry at the most inopportune times. I do sometimes gawk at the yellow stop light because of how absolutely beautiful that shade is against the turning leaves of fall. ((I'm serious on that one. Autumn turns the most mundane things into gems; no kidding I sat at a yellow light in awe at how perfect the shade is against the fall leaves, check it out next time you hit the road)) 

I don't let everybody else dictate what I can and cannot feel. When I can feel. How I can feel. What I should feel. What is right or wrong to feel at what specific times. I let my heart, my mind, my experiences, and my faith dictate that. And it has taken me so long to get to this point where I am okay not letting anybody else tell me that; and being myself. I am at a point where I don't feel weak for having this plethora of emotions, but I feel strong for experiencing this and telling the world who I am, before it tells me first. 

So I guess what it all boils down to, is I don't know what gray is. I never did, and I hope one day, you too can experience the ferocity of human emotions without fear of holding back. 

Today just let yourself feel, and know that God gave you your unique personality and emotions to face the world with, and better yet, to shape the world with. He didn't make us all different so we could try so hard to be like one another!

Gray is over-rated. 

Crossroads of Freedom: College

His eyes were iceberg blue; he wore a torn and tattered OD green coat in the whipping wind. His large, rough hands gripped a one-word cardboard sign that read, "Imagine." A one-word cardboard sign that hit me like a bullet.

The light turned green. My heavy heart seemed to coarse through my veins all the way to my right foot and the gas petal mashed the floorboard. As I attempted to gulp down the frog in my throat, I imagined what his life must have encompassed, the roads he may have crossed to get to this street corner of humiliation. But as my mind turned this over and over again, I began to transition from not imagining this stranger's life, but imagining my own Dad; and moreover, thinking of my life.

You could say I've been dealt an ace in a hand full of struggles. I've witnessed heart wrenching events, lent a helping hand when it was probably time to walk away, and poured my whole being into holding a family together, but I will always have the knowledge that came with those events. The more I thought about that sign, I realized this could have been anyone; it could have been my Dad; my hero in my life that almost didn't make it. Or, it could have been me. 

That cardboard sign has stuck with me throughout the years. Encouraging me to take a different perspective and 'Imagine.' I now crave travel. I crave stories. I crave the knowledge it takes to delve deeper into the hearts and minds of those surrounding me on this little planet called Earth. Education is my window of opportunity to stop imagining, and start doing. Start seeking cultures that need a voice, people that have faced injustice, and seeds of knowledge planted in the minds of those who do not know it yet. I'm an aspiring photojournalist that is out to change the world; to explore, write, and capture the moments, memories, and stories of people around the world.  I have an incessant keyboard in my mind typing out accounts of the world through my eyes, and a higher education would allow me to excel in the pursuit of my dream. 

I believe we each start life with a breath of hope. We don't start with capturing charisma, eternal reassurance, or even the strength to love; we learn. We experience each avenue our life leads us, and sometimes we cross paths with a man on a street corner that makes us think, makes us imagine our path, and sometimes we come to a crossroads of freedom: college.  

 

High School Graduation

Graduated with Associate of Arts-
Now a full-time student at University of Colorado Denver

 

I Dare You To Try.

People always say live for the moments that you can't put into words.

I challenge you to find words for those moments. 

I dare you to take those speechless, powerful, life-changing moments and search for words. Describe the smile on your face, the sweet smell surrounding you, the way your heartbeat mimicked that of a hummingbird. I dare you to break out of the chains that hold you down in your weakest moments. To describe the way his knuckles went white and his grip suffocating.

Writing is healing. Writing is remembering. 

So for those moments you couldn't find words to describe your pure bliss, I dare you to try. It's a memory worth the books. When you find the right words for an experience like that, you've unlocked the power to relive that moment no matter where you are at, no matter how many years down the road. 

As for the moments you would rather push so deep inside you that they will never be able to escape; I dare you to let them. Sit down with your pen and just bleed. But only do this on one condition- promise once you are done you will leave it on that piece of paper. You will let that memory live on that page, forever. You won't bury it beneath every possible layer you can in your heart, you will unpack that memory from your heart and build it a new home on paper. 

Writing can hurt, or it can heal. It can make you laugh uncontrollably or it can make you weep. 

I challenge you to find words when words fail you. 

I dare you to remember your happiest moments,

and build a home on paper for your worst ones. 

 



When a Rut Becomes Home

I’ve been stuck in a rut lately. I am not sure whether I got pushed into it, slipped into it by accident, or just jumped right on in on my own accord; but I’m here. What I realized though, is this hole I am stuck in is not like other ruts I have been in. The noticeably dark, scary, and dingy pits I notice myself in and am clawing at the walls to get out is not at all like the pit I am in right now. This one is well-decorated and comfortable. Actually, it is so comfortable that I could call it home.

You see, if we find ourselves in a bad situation for long enough, it eventually becomes home to us. The dark, scary place it may have been at the beginning is no longer how you perceive it in your heart. You see this scary place now as a comfort zone. For you, this may be a relationship that you aren’t fulfilled in and you stay there because it’s what is comfortable. For others, it may be a job that you have stuck with for years on end because the pay was good and the risk didn’t seem worth it to change. If you stay in this rut for long enough, you end up decorating the walls, dusting the cobwebs away, and putting your feet up for a while.

We reason our way out of that gut feeling that tells us to change. We may want to prove everyone else wrong, we may not trust ourselves or any other advice, and we may be relying on that comfort ‘pit’ to provide us with a sense of worth. It depends on what kind of rut you are stuck in, and how you got there to begin. What matters now is that you realize this hole you are in has been disguised as a comfy place to hang your hat; but it’s not.

This kind of rut is the last kind you want to be in, because you can’t get out without work…..And we don’t want to do the hard work it takes to get out. It’s uncomfortable; extremely. Although that hole you fell in was uncomfortable getting in, it’s now become home, so getting out is terribly uncomfortable.

I’m writing this to tell you that you can know freedom. You can know peace. A few tips I have found useful in my ongoing journey to step outside my comfort zone are as follows:

1.      Commit to getting out of the rut you are in.

2.      Recommit to getting out on a daily basis, on a moment to moment basis if you have to.

3.      Push your boundaries. You will discover that things that once were natural for you have become challenging. If you are uncomfortable in the situation, evaluate why, and then proceed if it is due to wanting to only remain in your comfort zone.

4.      Know that the butterflies in your stomach are a sign of progress!

5.      Enjoy the challenge ahead. There is a huuuuuge difference in doing what we know we should be doing, and doing what we have a desire to do. In the end, you will always go back to doing what you ultimately WANT to do, so make sure your desires and your actions are aligned with one another.

Addictions become our comfort zones.

Toxic relationships become our comfort zones.

Dead-end jobs become our comfort zones.

Ruts come in all different shapes and sizes; some with Gucci hand bags and fancy sports cars as a disguise; know when and how to recognize a potential pit in your life. Just because something is comfortable, doesn’t mean you should decorate the walls and live there.

 

Don't Wait to Hit Rock Bottom

I've been told many times, "They will change when they hit rock bottom. They will want to make the changes for themselves at that point. You just have to wait."

While this is the case in many circumstances, it's also a fallacy we have been led to believe our whole lives. We think that once we can no longer handle our situation, we will put our foot down and make the change. However, when do we say, "enough is enough," and what truly qualifies as "rock bottom?"

The thing about reaching breaking point before you change, is that we are some resilient beings. We can tolerate so well. We will knowingly get deeper and deeper into a chaotic mess, and we as humans, adapt. We use coping mechanisms to just deal.....Leading us to never really hit breaking point.

Sometimes that resilient person is me. I can see this mess of things surrounding me, and I overlook it. I think, "if the going gets tough, I need to be stronger." I will start looking past things I once had standards for, I start not caring about things I once cared about, I start closing myself off and dealing with things myself. I start putting up walls, I start complaining and most of all, I start forgetting that I am the only person in control of my life. Not some magic that hitting rock bottom will inspire in my life.

I'm not alone. As I look around I see people tolerating their sucky jobs, getting heartbroken by toxic relationships, gaining weight and only eating more every day, spending money compulsively and neglecting their savings account for their dream vacation, drinking when they know it's too much.... We all do it.

We tolerate. We adapt. We are resilient.

 

Don't wait to hit rock bottom. It will most likely never happen.

Where in your life are you coasting? Are you tolerating your life or thriving in your life?

You may not be one of the lucky few to eventually hit that 'aha moment' of what we call rock bottom, make the change today.

The Heart Broken Heal Broken Hearts

I woke up this morning and couldn't help but smell the faint smell of a campfire, or rather, a wild fire. It instantly reminded me of the two Colorado fires I have been witness to, the Waldo Canyon Fire and the Black Forest Fire. One of them I watched flicker down the mountainside from my place of work until I drove home in an overheating car, and the other burnt down my childhood home and the homes of friends and families that I've known since preschool. Both experiences have tested and challenged me along with everyone I know; we all had different experiences. I'm not sharing how the natural disaster 'went down' for me, though. The point is not how much tragedy those fires caused, but how much camaraderie.

 

I woke up to the smell of fire and instead of instantly shifting my thoughts towards the hurt and sadness hundreds and hundreds of people are still experiencing, I thought of when I went to Village Inn when the fire was still roaring across those pine tree filled fields. This breakfast being actually one of my sweeter, most cherished memories.

 Nothing spectacular happened. I didn't meet anyone famous, I still had to pay for my own breakfast, all the calories I ate still counted, and I still sat in the same booth I always do. The thing that made this nonchalant trip to breakfast so good was the people surrounding me.

It was an experience that I've never seen before, and it makes me sad today to think that the only time we experience this is when a tragedy happens. Everyone was so concerned, so caring; everyone would open the door for the next person, they would smile when you passed them, they would hold a conversation with you although they didn't know you. The waitresses and waiters were treated with respect and thanked for their food and service. Many people were paying for other people's breakfasts simply because they knew how hard of a time they were going through.

People went out of their way to show kindness, in so many beautiful ways.

 

 

 Now if you read my blog often, you know I never show emotion; ever. Okay.... Kidding! I'm one of the most emotional people you will probably ever come across ;) But this time, it wasn't just me who thought this was so touching. You could see everyone's spirits be uplifted. You could feel the "togetherness" that we all shared, sitting in the little Village Inn that we've memorized which booth and waitress we like best. This time was different, and it's never been the same since.

Why?

 Why is it that tragedy can bring a group of people so strongly together, and once tragedy is gone, we are back to minding our own, not smiling at others, not paying for people's meals 'just because,' etc.

What I realized is that when the natural disaster happened, people KNEW without a shadow of doubt that others were in need. We could assume that even if your house was not currently on fire, your state was and even many that you knew. The heartbroken were helping heal broken hearts. But why is any other day now different?

We may not all be experiencing the same tragedy, but I can guarantee we are ALL still experiencing tragedy.

 

 I dream of the day mundane things like breakfast at Village Inn become memories we cherish because of the kindness of people; of strangers. I dream of the day people show kindness, openness, genuine concern, and giving attitudes every day, because it is every day that tragedies happen individually.

The fires may be put out, and the homes may be being rebuilt, but that doesn't mean it's time to hang up our hats on showing kindness and becoming one community.

With Love,

PhotoSoulSarah

The Bees Knees

The dreaded question...

Where do you see yourself in five years? 

It's a question we all get asked at some point in our life.

Where will you be in {insert year here.} 

Don't get me wrong, it is great to be goal-oriented. In fact, you will get nowhere if at some point you don't sit down and think where you are headed and where you want to end up. I am all about setting attainable goals and working towards them, however; I don't believe in living a life around expectations of where I will be in say, five years. 

My whole life has gotten flipped upside down on several occasions in just an instant. When I lost my baby brother, when I got my heart broken the first time, when I became an older sister, etc. Moments that take point five seconds to happen, and change you for a lifetime. 

Events in life come that make the world stop; and then never quite be the same as it was before. Sometimes those are positive moments like graduating or getting married or giving birth to a precious baby, and other times those moments make you wish you could go back in time. 

We don't know where our life will lead us five minutes from now, let alone five years from now. And although I strongly believe in goal-setting, I have learned that the one thing that is guaranteed to let you down is having unrealistic expectations.

Set goals that you can work towards every day, but don't wait and expect your life to change and be magical in a set number of years or after a set amount of events. Marriage, children, a dream career, a vacation etc are all great things to desire, but don't wait for happiness.

 

Don't expect happiness to come in five years.

Don't expect your heart to change in five years.

Don't expect your fulfillment to increase after you get married or after

'such and such' happens in your life.

Be happy now.

 

 

If you live your day to day life to the best of your ability now, you don't have to worry about questions like "Where will you be in five years?" Because in five years, you will look back and say wow; I could have never even began to imagine my life would look like this in five years.

If you're living right now, you can't even begin to imagine how your life will turn out in five years. 

&&after all, it really is the small things in life that matter. 

You there, you are just the bees knees!

 

Stop worrying about where you will be five years from now...

If you find happiness in the present, your future is simply unimaginable. 

 

 

-Fickle Memories-

Memories are so fickle; the mind, actually, is fickle. I can't think of another word to describe it-- always changing, and you can't rely on it. I feel as though from one moment to another my mind is irrevocably changing.... Which may seem like an oxymoron ((not able to be changed changing)) But it makes perfect sense. Here's my simplified version of it: I canNOT change the way my mind is constantly changing.

I don't mean changing my mind on what to wear, although that is certainly a challenge I am faced with in this material world, but I mean about real life decisions. One moment I am happy and content, and the next I am spinning in insecurities, doubt, and fear.

It's a battle.

What the heart feels versus what the mind thinks.
It's a timeless war that's been displayed in Hollywood dramas, high school gossip, and it will probably continue as long as man has the ability to love.

We don't know how to love. We came from it, but yet we are lost in love; and in turn, our own minds.

Love can be easy, it can leave you happy and content.... But usually love leaves deep scars. I often ask myself, if I am doing the right thing, why does it hurt so much? An incessant ache that begins in my heart and rages outward, coursing through my veins and igniting a physical pain in my being. I find it near to impossible to be happy sometimes. As a child, I used to imagine my career, my husband, my future family, my car, my home... And because I already possessed happiness, when adults would chime in about how "they just wanted to be happy" I would always giggle and think it was incredibly silly to just want happiness; there's so much to want in this big old world. But the truth is; I'm at a point where I just want happiness.

And then I think, wow.
How sad pathetic.

At some point in my life I transitioned from happiness, to unhappiness, without realizing it... And now I want to go back. I am not one to romanticize childhood; for I know the memory is fickle and often dramatizes even the smallest of memories, and I've gone through my fair share of hard times, but that isn't to say that I wouldn't desire to go back in time and relive the childlike happiness that I once held onto, unknowingly.

People always want happiness, so it's nothing monumental or new to write about a human desire to crave genuine happiness. But what I've come to realize, is people are afraid to feel the depths of emotion when they aren't experiencing this so-called "happiness." It gets a label. You become "emo," you become "depressed," you become "unmotivated," and even "fearful." And I can acknowledge the labels, and understand why people PLACE the labels... ((We're intrinsically quick to judge; even when we try not to)) but I guess I am "speaking out" against these stereotypes because I truly believe you learn the most when your heart is searching for more, your mind is in pain, and you may be hurting... A lot.

We  naturally ((it actually takes every conscious thought in my brain to not wear my heart on my sleeve)) try to hide everything we are feeling if it isn't "upbeat," or "joyous." Why is that though?  

We grow from pain; 

so if we are constantly trying to push it away, not feel anything and fake it until we make it per se, then how are we supposed to gain anything from the heartaches we experience?

My mind may be fickle.
My memories are fading; no matter how young or old.
And I may be experiencing these hard, heart wrenching things in life; but I want to FEEL, in my life. Whether that's love, heartache, joy, pain.. Whatever it may be.

Our minds are unreliable. They are constantly changing. I don't want to be angry for the depths of my emotions, the ever changing state of mind, my fears and doubts and insecurities.. I certainly want to conquer the unhappy feelings that occasionally slip into my mind, but I don't want to block them out in hopes of happiness.

So let's just put a label on my mind and say, "it's complicated," since we have to sum everything up to the quickest explanation these days. I'm complicated. My heart is complicated. My mind is complicated. But the complexities of my mind and heart are what makes me, ME. So I'm tired of fighting it.

I don't text back three words. I don't keep things short, sweet, and to the point. I don't wear make up everywhere I go. I say how I feel, over and over if that's what it takes. And I won't hide behind some label or preconceived notions about what somebody thinks I am; or how the outside eye perceives me.

And despite the complex, complicated nature of my soul; I am not flawed. The scars that will always be there pales in comparison to the knowledge I have gained along the way. So remember next time you see a strangers halfway, forced smile on the street, it's okay to be sad, and it's okay if you want to smile through it, but remember in the end; all of us are going through life experiencing many of the same things, so it's okay to feel. 

 It's okay to be complicated and complex in a world that forces us to just "keep it simple." 

With love,
PhotoSoul Sarah. 

Tempted by F E A R

There are a lot of hurting people in this world.

Talk about h e a r t b r e a k i n g.

I went and saw the movie, “The Desolation of Smaug,” as a fun time out of the house this weekend. I sat there with my Red Vines in hand, admiring the grandiosity of such a giant screen (yes, it still gets me every time although I’ve seen a thousand movies) I was so excited to see this movie….. Only when I got there, my stomach turned upside-down.

Images of young, innocent people flashed through my mind that have been on the news. Names raced through my mind of people who were victims of the multiple shootings at schools, theaters, and other public places. So many innocent lives taken….. all for what? I thought- what if it was me? What if it was my family that fell victim to these events?

What would I do?

Panic set in. The kind of clammy hands, frog in my throat, flight or fight mode.

I sat there and forced myself to change my thought process. I had to actively remind myself that I was safe. I wanted to leave more than anything. My Red Vines became dead weight in my hand, and the giant screen became daunting and unnerving. I wanted to run away and stay in my safe home, without the threats of some stranger. And I thought, how many people are thinking this same thing? How many people feel uneasy outside of their home because of all the events that have transpired lately?

It’s not fair. It’s a wicked world, at times. But I stayed. I watched the movie and enjoyed every minute of it, and I’m here to write about it. <-- That shouldn’t be something anyone has to say, as if I am some war hero that survived two tours and lives to tell the story.

But I’m not..

I just survived a movie..

And the sad thing is, recently, some people don’t.

 A movie, a school, a church, a home…. all places that should be safe. It breaks my heart what these tragedies are instilling in people.

But despite the fear that sets in, we have to trust in the Lord to provide safety and security. Being still and trusting in the Lord is not being “complacent.” I (way too often) confuse these two concepts. Being still and trusting in the Lord doesn’t mean you aren’t taking action and doing what you need to do. It’s trusting that God’s plan is right. Trusting that God is the ultimate judge, that God is here through every crossroad, every challenge we may face. So when we are tempted to stay in our homes, tempted to live in fear, remember, “¹³ No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

I WILL NOT let the 'shooters' get satisfaction. I won't live in a world dictated by fear. I won't be scared to go to a movie... I won't put someone on a pedestal and honor what they have done, when it was wrong. I will hold my God higher, and higher... instead of putting the "shooter" into a fame category and letting them dictate my thoughts.

You decide who gets the media attention, the shooter && the fear- or the POWER of our God to bring us THROUGH these events.

My God is standing front row center with every soldier on the front lines....

 

My God is also sitting front row center in every movie.

 

 

 

 

 

We're all fools in love..

I love LOVE. I love the unconditional love given to us by our God, I love romantic love, I love sisterly and brotherly love, I love the love of parents, I love the love of a hobby, the love of sweets, the love of writing, memories, pictures, and the list goes on for ages….

As I was talking to someone who has lived a full life, told by the laughter wrinkles on the sides of her emerald green eyes, I realized the heart break she had experienced, the number of times she has broken someone’s heart and had hers broken, and all the depths of the emotion told by the way her eyes brightened when she talks about her children, the way they diverted from mine when she was ashamed of her failed relationships, and the way even today- her emotions reflect my own, at just 22 years old.

We’re all the same in love. We’re all equal; we are all fools in love. It doesn’t matter if you have been through three divorces, or if someone is your first, we are all stripped of every learning experience, knowledge of past events, and thrown into a chemical and emotional madness of what we call, LOVE.

 

You see, it doesn’t matter if you “know the drill,” once you enter into any act of love; your heart is made new. You are just as vulnerable, if not more, than someone who has never known love. You are stripped of your pride and every relationship faux pas will probably come up. It is inevitable to make mistakes, to even make many of the same mistakes you have made before; we are all made fools in love. We overthink, cry, stay on cloud nine, give too much.. We let love consume us, and despite the fact that my heart is hurting, I say, let it.

Be vulnerable to love. Give too much. Overuse “I love you.” Take pictures of every moment.

L O V E  hard, love with all of you.

Yes, I know it will hurt THAT much more at the end, or when time proves itself and you lose a loved one.

But we aren’t sent here to experience unconditional love. We CAME from unconditional love, and are called BACK to unconditional love. We are here on Earth experiencing mad love, crazy love, messy love, broken love, whole love, personal love.. We will mess up, we will go through life and whether we are 15 wide-eyed and innocent, or 98 and wise, we are all made to be fools in love; fabulously foolish and brilliantly flawed.

So take time to love today; don’t hold back.

 

 

With Love,

PhotoSoul Sarah.

Horizontal Pauses

Admit it- we all need a nap. “Napping,” sounds so childish though, so as adults let’s just call it, “Taking a horizontal pause.” That gives us a good excuse to catch a few Zzz’s in the middle of our hectic day, right?! Look, we all struggle. Energy, finances, patience, stress, worry, fear, etc…All things that cross my mind MORE than they should. I’ve come to a few roadblocks in life. We ALL have. I’m not writing this in hopes that you look back on your struggles, and you write down every bad thing that has ever happened. I’m writing because we all need to take the active steps to think about, write down, share, and relish in the good times. Even in the most difficult of situations, there is always light. Always.

Whether you see it or NOT is up to you; and only you.

Take the time to take a horizontal pause. But when you wake up, put on your running shoes and take a twenty minute jog. Drink a cool glass of iced water, and grab a pen and paper.

Now write down your goals. What do you hope to accomplish?! What are you currently working on? Now-

What can you do TODAY to get you that much closer to your dream?

Here’s the crucial step- GO && do those things. Chase your dreams with everything you have.

If opportunity doesn’t knock- build a door. Don’t let anything stop you. Money, time, relationships, intelligence….Don’t take NO for an answer.

Oh, I forgot to remind you that this process is easier said than done (as with anything good in life) You will get frustrated, angry, stressed, and discouraged- But, please, remember this-

Trust in God.

How silly would we be to question a plan that is already set forth for us?

This is what I believe. God can do anything, but He will not do what we can do for ourselves.

Read that out loud-

God can do anything,

but He will not do what we can do for ourselves.

Wow. This inspires me every time.

We need to trust in the Lord with all our hearts, but we also need to work like it is up to us.

&& praise Him for the doors he helps us build!

Enjoy your “horizontal pause” today; and good luck with the list. I know you will check off more than you know if you stick to it.

I’d love to hear all about what inspires YOU. What are your goals… How are you going to accomplish them?

With Love,

PhotoSoul Sarah.

Reward for LOST INSPIRATION…

Does this sound like you? Have you ever asked yourself, “Man, where did my motivation go?” Or tell your friends, “When you find your inspiration, tell mine to come back!”

Don’t be ashamed if you answered, yes. I’m not reading your mind, trust me. It just happens to the best of people…more specifically, to all of us.

I tend to compare inspiration to sleeping. When you need it, it’s nowhere in sight! We don’t wake up with earth-shattering ideas. The most famous writer’s never wake up and write a book in one day. In fact, it usually takes months, and lots of planning and headaches, too!

So don’t beat yourself up when you need to be inspired.

I often find myself seeking out inspiration and motivation; but I just realized that it comes when you least expect it.

Live your life- FULLY. Be hyper aware of where you are. The sounds, sights, smells, and people around you.

Live with your eyes wide open.

If you’re an artist, use those images to sketch. If you’re a writer, use those images to write. If you’re  a businessman, use those images to reach out to customers. Take those little snippets of the slightest inspiration and make it into a legacy.

Let me tell you a story-

I was watching a romance movie; snuggled up in my silk blanket as warm and cozy as I could be. I wanted an outlet, so naturally I thought that watching a movie would be my best option having exhausted all the other ones. I decided to watch, “The Lucky One.” If you’ve never seen it, you should. Well, it fulfilled all my needs as far as a romance movie goes, but  the last line hit me.

Everyone has their own destiny, not everyone makes a choice to follow it, I’m lucky I did.

-Logan (The Lucky One)

How simple is that sentence; yet how bold. It inspired me.

Think about your destiny.....

Are you doing everything in your power, every day to pursue that?

If you are, I’m loving that grin on your face! If not, close out this web browser and chase after that dream with everything you have. (Of course, make sure to keep me updated! :)

With love,

PhotoSoul Sarah.

I need to develop some patience-- Immediately!

We all know the saying, "Patience is a virtue," right? Well.. let's just say I know the saying, but am not exemplifying it fully! I am so thrilled at getting some more art work up on my site that patience and I are not on good terms! I wake up in the morning and canNOT wait; however, I also want to provide the best quality and "tip-top" shape pieces. I want the photos to be lighted magnificently, the photos to be in the right frames, and I want to appeal to a unique audience.

Anywho...

While I wait for the "GRAND opening," shall we say, I do have one of my favorite pieces up already! It was inspired by the Cirque du Soleil I watched before I came up with the idea for the piece. The show is a mind-blowing adventure.. if you have never seen it before- Go online, buy tickets at cirquedusoleil.com, and go to the soonest one you can! Oh, and for all dreams during the week after- You. Are. Welcome! Your brain will need a seatbelt, the imagination and pure TALENT is simply incredible.

I sketched the girl with pencil to get that soft feeling. The light, airy feeling of an active imagination! The word, "Create," speaks volumes. My message to you is this-

Go out and be inspired.. Create your world.

Have an empty space in your home? Or lacking that wild imagination..
Check out my site @ http://www.etsy.com/shop/PhotoSoulBoutique

A bit about the actual art I am selling-

This image is a lightweight, durable, beautiful 11 X 14 print.

The glossy finish gives the final product amazing depth and reflectivity. It is printed on Aluminum to make the vibrant colors come alive, illuminate every detail and add depth and dimension to an otherwise flat surface. This print has a unique aesthetic of antique tintypes, but modern durability to last a lifetime.

Complete with an easel fixture on the back (as shown in the images) that allows you the option to display on tabletops, counters, and antique furniture and armoires with no hassle of adding extra stability. This image requires no framing for a sophisticated look anywhere you want to make a statement.

Payment options: PayPal

Hopefully the piece speaks to you, as it does me.

Go out and be inspired;
Share your inspiration on my page! I canNOT wait to hear more....


With Love,
PhotoSoul Sarah.