Recently I had the opportunity to attend the Click Away Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah with women who share the same passion as I do… Documenting our lives and the lives of our wonderful clients with our cameras. I thought I was going to go there to gain even more knowledge that could help me grow as a photographer. And although I did learn so much… I walked away with something more valuable than that…. A new perspective on life.
The day…
Walking in to that ballroom… I couldn’t help but to feel excited about what the day held for me. I was surrounded by women who like me know the value of a photograph. I wanted the day to begin… Not realizing that the message I was about to hear would change me.
The story…
Joy Prouty, a wife, mother, and fellow photographer spoke to the audience about the moment she chose to simplify her life. She decided that spending each day doing what she loves… Spending time with her beautiful family was more important than anything else. So what did she do? She sold her house, sold most of her belongings, bought a trailer, and traveled around the country with her family. She spent every waking hour with her beautiful children and used her camera to capture not only their adventures but also the lives of families she was able to meet along the way. Not many people can do what she did… I know I couldn’t. Just the thought of living in a 400 sq ft trailer makes me cringe. But she did it, And it is truly inspiring. I invite you to hear her story.
The realization
After listening to her tell her story I immediately realized that I have to live life like each day was my last. Do what makes me happy and follow my heart to get there. Often times we live the lives we think we want… Having the career that pays the bills even if it doesn’t bring much happiness, working only to pay the mortgage on a house that we think we want because it is big and beautiful or in the best neighborhood, buying things that we think we want only to realize that we already have it…. When in reality none of those things are truly important. And that’s when I realized that I would rather spend 2 extra hours a day being with those I love and doing the things that make me happy instead of spending it in a car driving through traffic just to get to work. I want to live each day building this dream I have and doing it with those that I love.
The message…
To get there, we have to take that leap and begin by simplifying our lives. We need to figure out what we really need in order to get what we really want. And along the way people may criticize… They always do when you are doing something brave. And people may question you… But they always do when you are doing something fun. We need to not fear and just Dream big! I plan to….
I leave you with this image that I took while in Salt Lake City…