toward or away?
You know that feeling when you plan something way in advance and then the day comes and you suddenly have a list of 70 reasons why you can’t make it? I’m a homebody, and on the days I work from home even going to a yoga class where someone might want to start conversation seems like a lot. Other days I’m out there in everyone’s face ready to be social. Last Wednesday was a quiet day, as 6pm got closer I thought of every excuse to skip the networking event I had committed to months ago.
“It’s kinda far from my house...” “I might need to get gas on my way there so that’ll make me late, I shouldn’t even try.” “I’m already in my pajamas.” “My body probably needs rest.” Now, I’m all about self care and saying no to things when I truly needs rest and nourishment, but this didn’t feel like that. I sat in silence for a bit and I tried to gain clarity on what was really going on. My gut loudly said, “go to the event!” I opened my eyes and grabbed yesterday’s sweater from the floor, threw it on, and ran out the door just in time to make it there by 6pm.
I walked into that room filled with great energy, delicious snacks, and amazing people who are all developing their businesses in a kind, conscious, compassionate way. The focus that evening was storytelling - we shared stories about courage, trust, heartbreak, and just like that, we were a bunch of lifelong friends sitting around a campfire (aka a table with fake candles). Community, warmth, connection is exactly what I’d been craving recently and there was an abundance of it in that room.
That evening I met a woman who booked a Badass Portrait Experience and we shared inspiration for our upcoming session together. We got excited about making photo art with gold body paint and wild hair/makeup out in the desert. She told me that earlier that week she had decided that she wanted to capture photos of this transformation chapter she’s experiencing - we agreed that we were both meant to be there in that room that evening.
I also saw a woman there who I had met a couple months prior, and this time she invited me to a full moon gathering which I attended this week. At that gathering I immediately felt supported and seen by the other women there - also something I’d been seeking, sisterhood. The effort to throw on a sweater and get to that event has already brought so many gifts into my life. Those brief moments that I took to sit in silence before leaving my house wondering if I should go to this thing or roll into bed early, turned out to be wildly impactful. Not only did my decision impact that specific evening, it has rippled into this week and beyond.
The very thing we desire can be so incredibly close, it’s up to us to get out the door and make the first move. A simple tool for making a decision to step out of our comfort zone, it to ask ourselves, “is this going TOWARD or AWAY from what I truly desire?” The line between toward and away can be faint or it can be a loud clench in our gut telling us to get our ass out the door and make it to that networking event. In this particular instance, it was clear to me that staying home would have been a form of staying small and in my comfort zone. Going to that event was a way to put myself out there, be seen and heard, and open a giant new door of opportunities. 100% TOWARD everything I want.
Often times my clients hesitate to book a photo session at first because they’re waiting until they’ve figured out exactly what they’ll use the photos for or when they have “something more special” going on in their lives. And often times, the photo experience itself is the very thing that sets those things into motion. A lot of times we stay home from events because of the silent hesitation of being seen out there in the world, when truly, sharing our energy and putting ourselves out there could be the ignition we’ve been waiting for. Getting out there can be the very thing that connects you to that community you’ve been craving or opens you up to that fresh new opportunity you’ve been waiting for.
A Badass Portrait Experience is like that - it’s a place where you get to SHINE, step out of your comfort zone, set into motion new creative ideas, and decide what qualities and themes you’d like to embody more. It’s also a very beautiful way to be seen, and most importantly, see yourself.
Would an expressive photo session move you TOWARD or AWAY from the mission you’re on? Would you benefit from seeing yourself in all your light?
📷💛
rfg
Photo of Katharine Chaney of Pure Joy Acupuncture
Photo of Katharine Chaney of Pure Joy Acupuncture
Photo of Natalie Harrison
Photo of Natalie Harrison