Write The Blog You Want To Read … Part Two

This is the second installment in my series
Write the Blog You Want To Readit can help you find the life you want to live.You can find the introduction to the series HEREand Part One can be found  HERE

Part Two - Photos
How Taking Daily PhotosCan Help You Find the Beautyin 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 myselfby myself
 that began the catalyst for once againfinding meand
 what would eventually become my new life direction.
There is something quite powerfulabout taking your own pictureA true looking yourself in the mirror.
For me it was a wake up calland
 a realizationthat I needed to still have a reflection when I looked in the mirror
as I had begun to feel invisibleunless I was a part of a mothering context.

Once I made this realizationI 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 motheras I always remained on the other side of the cameraIt just seemed easier at the time.
That is until my wake up call.
I realized I wanted to be a better role modelthan  a woman who only found
self worth through her family.

So I realized an easy way to startrediscovering my own interests
was to simply
start taking a photo a dayof something I found beautiful.

or
a moment I want ed to saveand
commit to memory.

I gave myself
the daily task
 of finding one thingeverydaythat I found beautifuland
 to me the simplerthe better.

I wanted to teach my heart and soulto consciouslyseek beauty.
Because I knew when I didI would have less time to get pulled down the rabbit holeon heart snags of the feeling of lossas my childrenmoved on with their lives.

Because as they moved on with there livesI began to feel like everyone in my family had a good lifebecause of what I had poured in.
I just had forgotten that I mattered too.
I had forgottento truly give to otherswe need to do it from overflownot from personal denial.

I realized I toowanted a good lifeand gave myself the daily exerciseto photograph the good in my life…
and
 when I did I began to see beauty in my lifequietly 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 viewall startedby retrainingmy heart and soulto see the beautyin my lifewithone simple picture a day.
I have found that the more time I spend seeking life's beautyand growing a grateful heartnot only am I so much more conscious of the good
there in realityis 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 ridiculedthe likes of Pollyanna.
Now I can seeher outlook of always finding the good in lifewas right after all.
Take it from me.
I have been both.
and I know nowto the bottom of my soul
that seeking beauty and joyful momentsand growing a grateful heartcan truly change your heart 
and 
your perception of your life.

When I first began my blogging journeyI found a great way to share my weeks photosof beauty was on my blog.
For quite some timeI did a weekly recap of instagram photosand
 linked them with the wonderful Jeanette's blogLife 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 photosa 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 friendseven if you have no desire to actually blog
I highly recommend
taking one picture a dayof something you find beautiful in your life.
It is a sure fire wayto begin to see all the beautythat exists in your every day.

As always my friends
I wish you love and joyas 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.