WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS IN LOVE

GREENVILLE, SC & BEYOND

What The “5-Years-From-Now Us” Would Say

Stop us if you’ve ever felt this way.

The bookings just aren’t there. We are not on track to make it next year.

Facebook interactions are at an all-time low. Am I that bad?

Everyone except me has over 1,000 Instagram followers. Why doesn’t anyone want to follow me?

Are we the only ones NOT offering a workshop? Are we behind?

My clients are happy. Why aren’t they referring me to their friends?

I’m still stuck at my day job while everyone else is out there running their photography business and having fun.

Everyone’s images are so much better than mine. Maybe this isn’t for me.

Guys. Holy Cow!!! We’ve had all of these thoughts. We are ashamed to even say it. But we have had them. We are not talking 3 years ago either. We are talking most of these within the last 5 months! We’ve had these questions and these discouragements floating around in our heads. Sometimes we even express them to each other in the car or in a moment of frustration.

How do we overcome that? How do we conquer these feelings of inadequacy that we all have? How do we defeat these sources of discouragement and hardship? How do we triumph as better individuals, better life partners, and as a better business in the end?

We had to search our hearts. We had to take a step back and be honest about who we are and where we are going. We had to entertain the possibility that this wasn’t the road for us.

It got real in a hurry.

We wanted to share our journey of thought with you because we know how you feel. We have faced the discouragements and the feelings of inadequacy. We have felt the knot in our stomachs when we thought we were behind everyone else. We fought the battle and we continue to fight it day after day after day.

We have struggled. But in the end we came out with a stronger business. We came out with a better relationship.

But how did we battle through the discouraging times? The answer is simple, but it has truly worked for us! Here it is: We took a step back and asked ourselves what the “5-years-from-now us” would tell us right now if they could come back in time.

Weird, right? But it gave us a different perspective.”5-years-from-now us” is smarter, more mature, and we actually think they might be better looking too. But that’s just a guess. And here’s what we think they would say.

1. You guys need to relax. Take a breath. You think it’s a huge deal right now. But you’re wrong. It seems like a huge mountain. Impossible to climb. Standing in your way. So you don’t have as many followers as you want. So you don’t have the weddings you need for next year. It’s really not that bad. Trust us on that one. You’ll make it.

2. Hey, make some new connections. While you’re at it, connect with some people that need help from you! We know, we know, you think you’re the one that needs help. But stop crying about it and go help someone else instead. Be an encouragement to them. It’s far more rewarding than worrying about your own problems.

3. Identity check? Take a look inside your soul. Where are you finding your identity? Is it in the number of likes or followers on social media? Is it grounded in how many times you’ve been published or asked to speak? Or how about how many “famous” people you know, the connections you have, or in who knows you? We’ll let you in on a little secret. Those things don’t matter. You’re not defined by your job title, or by whether you’re in the “in crowd.” Your true identity is in Christ. He never changes. Don’t forget that.

4. Use your discouragements. Stop trying to figure out how to avoid every little hardship in life and use them for good. You are going to face a lot of challenges in the next 5 years. Use them to motivate you to grow. Don’t try to do everything on your own. But work harder. Take risks. Embrace the unknown. You will be glad you did.

We think that’s what they would say. We hope they will be a lot wiser than we are today. We all face hardships and discouragements. We live in an industry where everyone’s work and success is right in front of our faces. We can choose to let that discourage us. Or we can choose to let that motivate us.

You are facing discouragement today. What would the “5-years-from-now you” tell you? Today, the choice is yours.

View More: http://amyandjordan.pass.us/alyssaandryan

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