Last year began with the idea that I would start my portrait photography business. That was my main focus — getting ready, getting focused, and launching. Apparently, I was totally on board with the Amy Poehler quote before I had ever even heard it. Like I’ve said before, sometimes you have to just start.
In a lot of ways, 2014 was about my photography business. I wanted to have all my ducks in a row and have a game plan. But in a lot of more important ways, 2014 was about how my photography business was a catalyst for change in my life and in my thinking, change for the good.
One of my life mottoes is “Be who you want to be,” which simply means figure out who you want to be and start making choices that align with that. You want to be brave? Then you have to be brave — make choices that scare you, face your fears. You value resolving conflict peacefully? Then you have to make choices that lead to peaceful resolution.
I wanted to be someone who was an awesome business person and photographer, which led me to a lot of resources about business and photography, some of which were little gems and some of which were whopping duds. But the best thing is that one thing led to another, and I found these treasures that have helped shape who I’m becoming, not just as a business person or a photographer, but as a person overall — and I want to share them because I think they’re that great.
The Lively Show — Jess Lively talks with people who are living their lives with intention, letting their values shape their choices. One of the things she talks about that I’ve really taken to heart is the idea of listening to your intuition (that little voice inside you that tells you what to do) instead of listening to your ego (the fire hydrant spewing in your head all the time). It’s been incredibly helpful for me when faced with challenges or uncertainty in my life. This podcast comes out twice a week, on Tuesdays with a mini edition and Thursdays with the full edition. My favorite episodes are this one, this one, and this one.
Zen Parenting Radio — The motto of this podcast is the greatest predictor of a child’s well being is a parent’s self understanding, so the podcast is focused on self awareness more than just parenting. Despite the name, it’s not based on Buddhism or any specific religion or philosophy. It’s given me a lot to think about in all my relationships, not just those with my children, and I love listening to Todd and Cathy. They are hilarious one minute and deeply sensitive the next. Just my cup of tea.This podcast comes out on Tuesdays. This recent episode was a good one, but this is the one that made me fall in love with ZPR.
Marte Marie Forsberg’s class on Skillshare — I shared more about this here, but this was a game changer for me.
Braid Creative — I love reading this blog for business advice. I love their perspective and it always gives me something to think about. Some of my favorite posts are on decision making, defining your brand, and work/life balance. The newsletter is great too, and I actually get excited to read it each week.
Yoga — My sciatica flared up after Thanksgiving (doesn’t that make me sound so old?!), so I had to stop going to Body Pump (devastating!) and running, and I took up yoga instead. I love it!!! I didn’t think I would, but I’ve been going two or three times a week. I’m not very flexible, but I love the challenge of contorting my body and also the stretching feels good not just for my body, but for my spirit.
Daring Greatly — Of all the books I read last year, I think this one has stayed with me the most. It made me totally reevaluate the idea of being vulnerable.The biggest takeaway for me was about exercising compassion for others and trying to work together by sitting on the same side of the table (metaphorically) rather than combatively across the table. The ideas in this book are very similar to the kinds of things they discuss on Zen Parenting Radio.
I’d love to know if you check any of these out! And if you have any other little gems you want to share, please leave a comment. I’m always grateful for recommendations!
*As part of my list of 33 things to do before I turn 34, I plan to write 33 lists. This post is list 2/33.
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