Write The Blog You Want To Read … part two

This is the second installment in my series

Write the Blog You Want To Read

it can help you find the life you want to live.

You can find the introduction to the series HERE

and 

Part One can be found  HERE

Part Two - Photos

How Taking Daily Photos

Can Help You Find 

the Beauty

in Your Everyday Life

As I mentioned in my introduction to this series
I came to blogging at a transitional point in my life.

I had just left my daughter at college
and realized
I had all but lost myself in the
raising of my children.

I told you about how  it wasn't until my
Creative Getaway
I took by myself
that I realized
for as long as I had been a parent …

I had no pictures of just me.
In every picture of me
it was always in the context of
wife or mother.

It was taking these photos of myself

by myself
 that began the catalyst 

for once again

finding me

and
 what would eventually become my new life direction.

There is something quite powerful

about taking your own picture

A true 

looking yourself in the mirror.

For me it was a wake up call

and
 a realization

that I needed to still have a reflection when I looked in the mirror
as 

I had begun to feel invisible

unless I was a part of a mothering context.

Once I made this realization

I soon realized

 there  were very few family pictures with me.

I had kept beautiful family scrapbooks since the  first birth of my daughter.

But unless you knew better …

you would think my poor kids had no mother

as I always remained on the other side of the camera

It just seemed easier at the time.

That is until my wake up call.

I realized I wanted to be a better role model

than  a woman who only found
self worth through 

her family.

So I realized an easy way to start

rediscovering my own interests

was to simply

start taking a photo a day

of something I found beautiful.

or
a moment I want ed to save

and
commit to memory.

I gave myself
the daily task
 of finding 

one thing

everyday

that I found beautiful

and
 to me 

the simpler

the better.

I wanted to teach my heart and soul

to consciously

seek beauty.

Because I knew when I did

I would have less time 

to get pulled 

down the rabbit hole

on heart snags 

of the feeling of loss

as my children

moved on with their lives.

Because as they moved on with there lives

I began to feel like everyone in my family had a good life

because of what I had poured in.

I just had forgotten that I mattered too.

I had forgotten

to truly give to others

we need to do it from overflow

not from personal denial.

I realized I too

wanted a good life

and 

gave myself the daily exercise

to photograph

 the good in my life…

and
 when I did

 I began to see beauty in my life

quietly everywhere.

My outlook changed 

from someone who had felt cheated by life

to someone who  realized 

just how wonderfully blessed I was 

in my life.

And my friends

this monumental shift in my life view

all started

by retraining

my heart and soul

to see the beauty

in my life

with

one simple picture a day.

I have found that the more time I spend seeking life's beauty

and growing a grateful heart

not only am I so much more conscious of the good

there in reality

is just less time to feel bad.

There is a saying

"We become what we think of most"

I have found it to be true.

The more time I think of the good 

the better my life is.

For me this is a radical shift in life outlook.

I used to be the one they ridiculed

the likes of Pollyanna.

Now I can see

her outlook of always finding the good in life

was right after all.

Take it from me.

I have been both.

and I know now

to the bottom of my soul

that seeking beauty and joyful moments

and growing a grateful heart

can 

truly change your heart 
and 
your perception of your life.

When I first began my blogging journey

I found a great way to share my weeks photos

of beauty was on my blog.

For quite some time

I did a weekly recap of instagram photos

and
 linked them with the wonderful Jeanette's blog

Life Rearranged
InstaFridays.

Hers is a beautiful blog where she shares her life journey
and
whose tag line is
Life Doesn't Always Go As Planned
Help Other's Anyway.
How great is that!!

Not only is doing a simple weekly recap of photos

a great way to focus on a weeks worth of beauty

It can become a treasured scrapbook of your life's treasured moments.

Linking to sights such as 

Life Rearranged 

is a perfect way to build your 

blogging community even stronger.

Speaking of IntaFriday

I couldn't end part two
that is all about taking pictures …

without mentioning my big love for

Instagram!

If i had to pick only one social media to use it would definitely be

Instagram!

It is absolutely a wonderful
way to share your photos of
beautiful moments!

Using Instagram can really be as fun as a blog
with a much smaller time commitment!

Instagram is also a great way to build community!

You can check out my insatgram feed
HERE
and follow along.
I am TAMERABEARDSLEY on Instagram.

So my friends

even if you have no desire to actually blog

I highly recommend

taking one picture a day

of something you find beautiful in your life.

It is a sure fire way

to begin to see all the beauty

that exists in your every day.

As always my friends

I wish you love and joy

as you style your life


Next weeks installment

Respecting YOUR Story

PS If you haven't entered my giveaway this week
you can do so HERE
at the end of the post.