Adjusting priorities

Last night, I was reading through some of my old posts. The last paragraph of this post, in particular, jumped out at me. It is amazing to me how true that turned out to be. When I was first laid off, I was exhausted mentally and physically. I slept a lot and spent a lot of time with my family. And now I feel renewed.

Times are tough for a lot of people, and at first, I felt bad for being so happy to be laid off. But the truth is that this was absolutely the BEST thing for me! Is money a little tight? Sure. Is job hunting frustrating? Absolutely. But, the time I have had to rediscover myself has been an opportunity that I wouldn't trade for anything.

In our lives, we take on many roles. Wife, daughter, sister, friend, employee, citizen, just to name a few. Personally, I tend to give a lot of myself. In the process, it is easy for me to lose myself. At my previous job, I lost myself. It was an environment where I constantly felt looked down upon, yet I continued to try and give my absolute best.

Since leaving, I have had time to focus on me and regain confidence in myself. Yesterday, I signed up for some courses in photography. Is taking photographs a natural talent for me? No, I don't think so. Could I really make taking photographs into a business? I'm not sure about that either. What I do know is that taking pictures makes me happy. It is something I enjoy. And I need more things in my life that make me happy. I can give and give to the other people in my life, but if I don't take time for myself, I am not giving my best to them. To take care of them and give them my best, I have to take care of myself and give myself the best.

So, that's what I'm trying to do. Will these courses make me a better photographer? Maybe. But more importantly, I think they will encourage me to be more confident in myself and to not be afraid to be creative and express myself. I think that that will not only make me happier, but will make me a better wife, daughter, sister and friend to the people I love.