Birthday Reflections
Today is my 34th birthday! I decided, last minute, to have photos taken to share with you all on this day. I contacted my dear friend, and photographer, Sierra Collins and we pulled a shoot together in a few hours on Sunday. Meeting in a coffee shop my goal was to capture a few stock images for social media content, but her camera captured much more. Most of these photos are an expression of who I am and offer a glimpse into the journey that has led me to this moment.
34 years.
It seemed like an unfathomable number when I was 18 years old. I was a bright-eyed, naive, yet optimistic young girl. Completely unaware of how I would do it, but 100% assured that I would leave an impact on this world.
As I type this my spirit wells with a clear hope of understanding; my impact is only beginning to surface. Wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend are roles that I fill. Each has taught me unique lessons and each are vital "pieces of my truth."
I am grateful for God's light and honor Him as the "threshold of originality." I hope you don't mind but I borrowed the term, which is a concept in copyright law. A quick Wikipedia search defines it as "coming from someone as the originator/author." I have come to understand that many confuse originality and replication.
In recent months I've observed individuals display a common practice, replicating others. Each hope that replicating the exact steps will ensure achievement of the same measures of success of those they replicate. I have honestly been guilty of doing so myself. It's the notion, "If it worked for her, then it will work for me." It's what we are told to do in order to be successful in Western civilization.
However, there is one HUGE problem with that logic. God is the author of originality. He pulls from within Himself unique bundles, each wrapped tightly in distinct purpose and a measure of grace. The fallacy of a replicator is believing that those bundles can be copied or reproduced.
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I've resigned that taking the long journey may often be a lonely one, but it is much more consolatory than the shortcut. I've learned to appreciate relationships, even shallow fleeting ones. No longer expecting more from individuals than they were able to give.
Free yourself from the stress of replication. Take the journey to find your pathway. Do the work to enlighten yourself. Challenge the lessons you've been told were finite. Every step leads to the unique bundle in which you possess. I mentioned earlier, God originated a distinct purpose and a measure of grace for each of us. The best birthday gift for me would be for each of you to live in your own truth, not in the shadow of someone else's greatness.
Thank you to Sierra Collins Photography for these amazing images. Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Pinterest.
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