YOLO :: greensboro wedding photographer

My alternate title for this post was "What I Learned from Dr. Oz's 3 Day Detox that I Failed in Less than 12 Hours."

Seriously. I went into this plan with a positive attitude. I'd done all my shopping for it over the weekend, went to bed early on Sunday, and woke up yesterday morning all bright and cheery ready to get my Dr. Oz detox on with delicious, nutritious veggie smoothies for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I've been on a bit of a kick lately with my newfound interest in Bikram Yoga, and I thought this would be a great extension of becoming healthier.

I had my green tea with lemon first thing in the morning, followed by a smoothie that was really quite scrumptious. Then, lunchtime came along, and I made my second smoothie for the day - which I had some trouble actually getting down. Something about drinkable celery and kale, no matter how much fruit you try to mask it with, is not okay. I went to my afternoon yoga class, and by the time I got in the car, I was craving a cheeseburger so bad I could taste it. It's really not that I even eat that many cheeseburgers, but when I crave something, it's usually the greasiest, least healthy thing I can think of. My stomach was rumbling as I pulled into my garage, and I did it. I caved. I changed clothes, got back in my car, and went around the corner to Sonic to indulge in a cheeseburger AND tater tots. GO BIG OR GO HOME, RIGHT?

I justified it by saying things like, "Life's too short," "You only live once... YOLO!" and "Would I really want my last meal to be a smoothie that doesn't even taste good??". Was the problem that I just didn't have the will-power to do something for a mere three days? No - the problem was that my heart just wasn't in it... it wasn't something that I really wanted that badly. I may have been being a bit irrational, but all the things I was telling myself as an excuse to get out of continuing the detox were true.

Much like me depriving myself of what I really wanted to eat, we do this to ourselves every day. We sell ourselves short for safety and security's sake or by doing something that our parents and friends and textbooks and society tell us we should be doing, meanwhile we have this insatiable yearning deep in our gut for something that's better, something we truly desire. We try to ignore it or satisfy it with other "second best" things that are maybe more convenient or reasonable, but it doesn't go away unless you give in.

Whether it's spiritual, emotional, career-related, your true passion in life - whatever it is for you - you're hungry for a reason.

You may need some of the detox components to stay healthy (sure spinach and fruits and things like coconut water are good for you to incorporate into your daily life, and just like when I worked in an office at a job that wasn't fulfilling me, I still need established business hours and lunch breaks and I still have to answer emails), but you don't need to submerge yourself in a life of deprivation to best live. Life's too short to surround yourself with things that leave a bitter taste in your mouth or are so bland, that you couldn't possibly enjoy them. 

How much longer can you stand to hunger for that craving in your life?

To keep up with the latest from Glessner Photography, follow us on Facebook.

friday five :: the best of a new year :: greensboro wedding photographer

I knew the weather was supposed to get bad this afternoon, so I woke up this morning ready to get things done so that I could go to the post office and mail packages to some clients before the wintery mess began. I put on my heavy duty snow boots bought out of necessity when we lived in Erie, PA, threw on my ski jacket, and prepared to beat the snow and ice. Then, as my car warmed up in the garage, I decided to walk down to the mailbox and nearly died a cold, frozen death on my driveway that was now a solid sheet of ice. So much for Friday errands.

Thankfully, the forced time at home inspired me to write this post about some of the fun experiences and opportunities I've had so far this year. So this week's Friday Five is dedicated to just downright good things about January.

1. On Birthdays: I celebrated another birthday just a couple of weeks ago, and while it was super low-key, I couldn't have asked for anything better. Josh had class after work on the actual day, so we spent the whole weekend celebrating. We had dinner out with friends that Friday, Josh made red velvet cupcakes (and he even bought the Sprinkles brand mix... it's the next best thing to the real Sprinkles) on Saturday while I was gone for the day, and he fixed a real gourmet meal on Sunday, plus I got lots of beautiful messages, phone calls, and thoughtful gifts from so many friends and family. The whole day made me incredibly grateful for the people I have in my life these days and the things I've been able to accomplish over the past year, and I'm so excited for what this year holds in store!

2. On Dogs: Toward the end of last week, we got about two inches of snow here in NC, and boy, did Monty go CRAZY! This dog absolutely loves cold weather and everything that goes along with it, and while he usually isn't a big fan of fetching a ball, it was apparently really exciting in the snow. Josh took this video on his phone of our cute little Scottie fetching for about the 300th time that morning (please ignore by voice in the background... is that really what I sound like, people?)

3. On Fitness: A couple of weeks ago, in an effort to get healthy and try something new, I started taking a Bikram Yoga class (better known as hot yoga). Let's just say I have a real love/hate relationship with it. I feel like I'm going to legitimately pass out during nearly every class (who wouldn't trying to exercise in a 105 degree room?), but it really does have me feeling great, and I'm already seeing the health benefits of the class. I'm hoping that soon, the love will outweigh the hate.

4. On Books: Finally, after reading it for the longest time, I finished The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. I have a bad habit of starting multiple books at once - one fiction, one self-improvement or other non-fiction, and one business - which means that it usually will take me forever to finish any of them. This book was definitely worth the read. While I'm not sure if I'll actually start my own full-fledged project, I've already applied alot of the concepts from the book to bring more joy to my day-to-day life.

5. On Learning: Last Wednesday, I had an amazing opportunity to go to the What's Next Tour in Charlotte put on by Justin and Mary Marantz. I got the chance to meet alot of really wonderful folks, and everything about the workshop was just what I needed to push forward through a bit of a funk and move my life and my business in the right direction. One of my favorite takeaways from the event was this: "Stop thinking of your dreams as opportunities, but instead as obligations". That one really hit home for me ... no more excuses!

What have been some of the highlights of 2013 for you so far?

Keep up with the latest weddings, news, and complete randomness like this from Glessner Photography by following us on Facebook.