The New

He busted through my (I mean, our) apartment door at quarter to six with eight hangers of clothes in his left hand and box of Lord-knows-what tucked under his right arm. “Hey babe!” he hollered, as he filed into the small closet where I spent hours that day, clearing out space. It had been a week and a half since we got married. He was just bringing in the last of his few belongings since moving in after the honeymoon. The newness hasn’t worn off yet, even still, after a little over a month.

 

That isn’t the only new development in my life though. The week before we got married, I walked into my corporate day job and gave my one-day notice. Yup, one day. Thankfully, they were understanding. I had gotten sick, had an unexpected surgery weeks prior, and was getting married in week. Plus, we weren’t going to be in Dallas much longer. Another new development. We had our eyes set on the Rockies. And I had my eyes (and heart!) set on full-time photography.

 

So here we stand. On the verge of all this newness. New husband, new business, new state to live in. I can honestly say I’ve never felt more excited and somehow more at peace about my life’s trajectory than at this very moment.

 

New beginnings call for a little reflecting and re-focusing. To build a solid home, you have to build a solid foundation. That’s where the speaker and author Simon Sinek comes in, and his philosophy of ‘Starting with Why.’ He teaches that it isn’t what we do that people care about, it’s why we do it.

 

The Why

So, I thought, for my very first blog post. Ever. I would listen to Simon and ‘Start with Why.’ So here it is. The ‘Why’ behind what I do, each and every day. Whether that’s capturing a wedding day or writing emails (or blog posts, ahem) in my PJ’s.

 

“Regardless of what we do in our lives, our why—our driving purpose, cause or belief—never changes.”

Simon Sinek

What are my core beliefs?

What is my business’s purpose?

• To honor the beauty and dignity of each life by capturing their present moment.
• To strengthen and showcase the sanctity of marriage and family life as the foundation of a healthy society.
• To capture each moment artfully, authentically and timelessly, so it can be cherished as an heirloom for generations.

Why do I get out of bed in the morning?

• To show my clients and the world the love of Christ through service, kindness and joy.

My ‘Why’ will likely evolve and grow with time. But my hope is that each decision I make or action I take can be proof of this ‘Why.’

To my past and future clients, friends and family: I hope you can hold me accountable to upholding these values in my business as well as my life.

Here’s to new beginnings and the Rockies!

So, what’s your why?

“When people know why you do what you do, they are willing to give you credit for everything that could serve as proof of that why.”

Simon Sinek