new year, same you, please.
Photo of Sterlingsilver Tabasa from a Badass Women Photos session ©Regina Felice Garcia
There is nothing wrong with you, or the way you’ve been doing things up until now. There doesn’t need to be a different version of you being born with the new year. You are enough, as you are. Sure, eating more vegetables and moving your body a few more minutes a day might help you embody a version of yourself that you want to fall deeper in love with, but I don’t buy this New Year, New You stuff.
It takes more than a year for us to grow fully into who we are becoming - it takes our entire life to do that because we are constantly evolving. And it often takes a short moment to make the changes we truly aspire to make. You can wake up on March 4th and decide to go to the gym, or you can become a vegan any day of the year. We have control of our choices every single day. So while the start of a calendar year might feel like a great time to get your butt in gear, this opportunity is really available all year long.
Before I photograph a new client, I ask them to fill out a self-reflection form - one of the questions is “what do you love and appreciate most about yourself?” I find that time and time again the things women love most about themselves are the little things that are already a unique part of their essence, or that they’ve spent years putting into practice. Like, “the kindness I share with strangers.” And, “my drive to accomplish my career goals while still being present for my children.” No one has ever responded with, “going to the gym every single day” or “gaining 5 new clients every month.” As humans, we fall in love with essence and connection, not bullet points.
Why do you love the individuals in your tight circle? It’s likely not because they make a certain amount of money or have traveled to exotic locations - it’s likely because they make you laugh, or because they’re great listeners, and they support you. These things we fall in love with are available all year round, and they often don’t make the big reflection list at the end of the year. These are the things I strive to capture during Badass Women Photo sessions - the things that make you YOU. The things we may not acknowledge on a day-to-day basis but that are truly impactful and shape who we are now and who we are becoming.
May you have a year filled with little strengths and practices that may seem insignificant at the time but that add up to the version of you that you’ll fall deeper in love with. Cheers to the details.
rfg∞ ♥