I spent the majority of the afternoon covered in Oobleck.

If you don’t know what Oobleck is, you are probably a grown up. Teachers are grown ups, but they don’t count because they’re slightly cooler with their child-like spirits and great senses of humor.

Today was Dr. Seuss day at our school, clearly visible by the wackiness parading throughout the halls. There were Things 1 & 2, Fish Red & Blue, and Truffula trees galore.

You might be asking what on Earth this has to do with my first year in business.

As I was preparing for Dr. Seuss day, I began thinking of the wisdom of his words. One of my favorite quotes from him says, “Today you are you, and that’s truer than true. There’s no one alive who is your than you.”

As a photographer, this is SUCH a vital concept.

Last year, I constantly read blogs. I spent time reading blogs when I should have been doing other things. I should have been reading a manual, rather than staring at the images Soandso shot last weekend at their umpteenth wedding of the season. I should have been improving my own skill rather than drooling over someone else’s. Do you think Soandso got to where they are now by drooling over someone else’s work? No, they rolled up their sleeves, logged off of their computers, and did the dirty work.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love to read blogs, but I now limit the amount of reading I do. There are only certain people’s blogs who I visit frequently, and most of the are photographers who I consider to be friends or who I have the privilege to be working with this wedding season.

I digress. Here’s my point…

YOU are what makes your business different. How YOU represent YOUR brand. How YOU invest into YOUR business. How YOU serve YOUR clients.

Don’t compare YOUR start to Soandso’s middle. I wasted so much time doing that myself, when I should have been focusing on my own journey.

You know what Soandso doesn’t have? They will never be me. And you know what? I will NEVER be them. Knowing that God has his own plan for me, I’m okay with that. Maybe that plan is to be a teacher, maybe it’s to be a photographer, and maybe it’s to be both.

⁴ Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else. -Galatians 6:4

Speaking of the journey, here is a ring shot I took at one of my first weddings three years ago compared to a ring shot I took this year.

I may not have Soandso’s equipment, but I have MY heart. The growth is there, and I won’t stop belieeeevviing (insert best Journey impression here)!