CAREFREE
without anxiety or worry.

This is EXACTLY how I felt at this EXACT moment of this photo shoot.

I live my life pretty much carefree. I wasn't always like that. Nobody knows this about me (oh there is soooo much you don't know about me), but in my 20's I had to take depression medication and be put on anxiety pills. I woke up in the middle of the night and thought I was having a heart attack. I went to my doctor to find out what was wrong and explained my situation. He put me on anxiety medication and after about a year he finally  put me in check and told me that I am stronger than that. MY DOCTOR!!! He said I was living a robotic life. No wonder I was so depressed. So he made me do something out of my daily routine. Even if it was taking the trash out. Do it at a different time, take a walk, find something I enjoy doing with my free time etc. So I did (enter photography here and maybe this is when I bought my puppy- RIP Kahne.). And it worked!!!

Since then, it's been amazing!!! I no longer laid in bed wondering what I forgot to put on my grocery list, or if I turned the oven off, or what I am going to wear tomorrow or or or... I just live my life and shut the nagging voice out. I truly enjoy my life. I spend my money and have a grand time doing so!!! I travel the world every chance I get, on my last dollar and purchase that outfit that is screaming "take me home".

Worrying eats up at you. It runs you down to the bone. It takes away any positive enforcement that you have in your life and sucks it right out of you. I understand I still have to be responsible. I have my priorities and I make sure those are taken care of first and foremost. But that is where I let it end, after that, I just live my life. One thing I do need to work on though is worrying about what others think of me. This is something I don't know how to let go of.

A friend of mine updated his Facebook status saying that it amazes him that people post pictures of themselves on fb. He said they probably don't get enough compliments or love at home and need to search elsewhere for it. He said we are looking for someone to "validate" our beauty. Oh I've got a lot to say about that. But I don't like confrontation. So I left that conversation alone. I'm not doing this project to validate anything. I'm doing this project to help women relate to the feelings that I feel and our self worth. Because its so easy to forget how important we are. We just go about our day helping others and forgetting to pamper ourselves. I almost stopped this project because of ONE OPINION. I didn't want you guys to think of me as vain. Or conceited... because Lord knows Im not.

I got an email from one of my clients saying how inspiring my posts have been. How she too, struggles with inner issues. And how she can relate to what I am putting out there. And how I am helping her get through her problems. And I thought to myself. Screw the negative opinions. I just helped ONE person. And not just ONE. Since I have started this project my inbox has been going crazy. Most of us women just chose to not speak about it and here I am being vulnerable in front of 5000 of my friends on FB and all of their friends who can see my posts. If Im being honest here, there are many things I dislike about myself. Most of them are on the inside but its the outside that I pick at everyday when I look at myself in the mirror. My boobs are too big, my ass is too wobbly, my legs are completely out of shape, I hate my stretch marks, my eyes are too little, my nose is too big, I hate my love handles. etc. On and on I can go. But I will stop there. No need to turn this into a negative post.

MY BODY DOES NOT DEFINE ME!!!!!!!!!!

And for just ONE moment. ONE MOMENT I was able to forget about all those things and live a very carefree way for this particular boudoir session I did five years ago. I sent all my insecurities out the door and I just enjoyed being me. With all my flaws. Feeling comfortable in my own skin. I almost cancelled this shoot many times over, the closer it got to the date. My plane ticket was already purchased and retainer had been paid. But I didn't lose the weight I thought I would (shocker). I didn't feel pretty. I wasn't confident enough in myself to pull this off. Oh sounds so familiar. Everything my clients tell me when we get on the phone and talk about their session. 90% of the reason why women don't book their shoot with me. And here I was. Doing exactly what we all do. And I scolded myself and said... suck it up woman!!!! You are doing this!!!!

And so off I went... into the unknown chattering waters (literally) I went. The shit my photographer made me feel was so empowering and moving I cried looking at myself during the viewing. Yup. I cried. Because is that what people actually see in me? Am I that remarkable woman staring at me in the face right now??!!! Holy shit. That is me. How come I don't see that? How come it took me coming out of my comfort zone to feel this way?! It’s invigorating!!! And so fucking liberating. And no matter how many times my boyfriend or my daughter or my son, my mom, or my friends, tell me how beautiful I am. I have to believe it myself. I have to love myself enough to actually believe it. And I need to SEE it with my own eyes. And I finally have, thanks to my lovely friend, Denise Birdsong.

So here's to not caring what others think . I am going to be raw and vulnerable on this little o blog of mine. I would love for you to join me.  Do you worry about what others think of you?! Or am I the only one? Talk to me. I'm listening. Comment below. Share the love.

And if you are ready to see yourself through someone else’s eye. Hit your girl up!!! I would love to help you feel empowered and show you how to love yourself completely!!! Indulge in yourself!

If you are interested in surrounding yourself with an amazing circle of women Join my Beauty Within online women group. Its free for 30 days. You are worth it! Invest in you!!!

Photographer: Modern Love Photography

Hair and Makeup: Ashyln Taylor