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About 365 days of marriage

I started this blog in April of 2011. At the time, Bret and I were wedding photographers and it was a way to share how marriage is more about the day to day and so much more than the wedding day itself. For about 5 years, I blogged about the joys and sorrows of the Christian walk, marriage, work, family and friends. I’ve blogged every day since a few weeks after I started. In May of 2015, we photographed our last wedding. Now, I have become passionate about simplicity, particularly in marriage, Christianity, business, travel and life. For a number of reasons, we have become minimalists. I’ve found that having simplicity makes life so much deeper, refreshing and joyful. I hope that this blog will help others see the benefits of living simply.

Day 2345 – Sometimes, You Just Have To Let Go Of Something You’ve Held Onto For A Long Time

A few days ago, I let something go that I’ve been holding on to for about 16-18 years.

This was a piece of baggage I kept on my person every day.

I never took it off.

People commented about it.

I never thought it would ever go away.

It would hold me back when climbing.

I can’t believe it never turned my skin green.

Friends (especially LONG time friends)….I took off my toe ring….and threw it away.

day_00387

Day 2344 – What To Do About Something You Hate – or – Jennilyn On A Soapbox

Today, I stumbled across something on Facebook.

“Don’t work 8 hours for a company then go home and not work on your own goals. You’re not tired, you’re uninspired.”

This quote speaks my language. And a language I’m very passionate about.

See, I hate complainers…myself being one of them. I really do try to not complain. If I do complain, I try to at least play the “well if nothing else” game.

Sidenote: This game is essentially about finding the good in whatever situation you find yourself in. Late for work? It would go something like this…well, if nothing else, I have a job to go to. Well, if nothing else, I have a mode of transportation to get to my job. Well, if nothing else, it gives me a chance to change. Try this game, it really does help.

Anyways. If you tell me – “I hate my job” I’m going to tell you to either quit and do something else or stop complaining and see the good in it.

Living the life you want is all about choices.

We wanted to be debt free. I entered our marriage with $30,000 worth of debt. For so many reasons that are SO stupid. Oy. We worked our butts off to pay it off. We didn’t go out to eat. We didn’t travel. And guess what, we’re out of debt now. We sacrificed a LOT in the first 3 and a half years of our marriage. But guess what – now we continue to stay out of debt. We travel. We skydive. We splurge on our friends. We splurge on stupid stuff. That was all a choice.

I wanted to be my own boss. I quit my job. I worked my butt off for years. My photography business wasn’t working like it needed to, our lifestyle was changing and Bret’s work situation changed. Oh, and God said it was time to move on. So even though I invested 10+ years of my life in my photography business, I chose to stop. I made a choice to create a new job for myself and I am over the moon happy.

You might come back and say, well, it’s going to mean I have to….move back in with my parents….get an apartment and sell my house….move to be closer to a lower paying job….

Well, you tell me, are those sacrifices worth doing something you love? Or at least something that isn’t as bad as the thing you hate now?

If you’re not willing to make the sacrifices to fix the thing you hate, then don’t complain about them.

::steps off soapbox::

DCIM100GOPRO

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