Sometimes the hardest part of the journey is believing you’re worthy of the trip. (Glenn Beck)
Before I go into details about the latest installment of Diversity Chic, I have to be honest with you— this was an off month for me. Even though I had known for awhile that we would be featuring vests as our fall fashion trend, I had been so busy that I didn’t put my outfit together until the last minute. And I put it together in between photoshoots, without time to change and make sure everything worked or fit.
I was feeling like I’d let my blogger besties down– I mean, just look at how they killed it in their vests!
I recently went to the doctor in an attempt to get my asthma under control. It had been a couple years since my last visit, so when I stepped on the scale and saw that I was a good 40 lbs heavier than the previous time, I had a mild panic attack. That being said, I’m not quite sure why it occurred to me to wear a white peplum shirt under the vest and try to wear the vest closed. It wasn’t pretty, folks. I literally hid behind Sevi for the duration of the photosession. When it came time for my individual pictures, and I had finally realized that I needed to unbuckle my fur vest, it was too late. The heat, my self-esteem, and exhaustion had taken their toll.
As you can probably see in my face, I was not having it. Luckily, I was surrounded by friends that could see how real the struggle was for me that day and snapped me out of it!
I’ve had a few of these “meh” moments lately. Amidst the excitement of my new job, I’ve struggled with adjusting to the schedule and having to take on less photography opportunities. Feeling like I’ve disappointed people, I started questioning whether or not it was the right move to take more time for myself.
Just like Sevi, Jordan, and Valery were there to pull me out of my abyss to salvage this month’s Diversity Chic shoot, they’ve been there as sounding boards when I needed to vent or found myself in the middle of an existential crisis. It is a rare thing, indeed, to have three constant cheerleaders– always and unconditionally the first to believe in you, even when you’ve forgotten how to believe in yourself.
I’m slowly understanding that it’s okay to say no sometimes, and put yourself first when you need it. Taking on less photography work means that I get to spend more time with my best friends, eating Babe’s Chicken and generally enjoying life instead of missing out on it.
To other girlbosses who are struggling with your work/life balance– don’t get so lost in your business that you forget to take care of yourself or give time to those who love you too much to demand it of you. Invest in yourself. Because, as L’oreal tells us, you’re worth it.
Now that I’ve showed you how NOT to style a fur vest, go see the “Do’s” of vest-styling: Sevi | Jordan | Valery