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thoughts to thrive on

Taking inventory of your input

T

I’ve been lost in a haze of negativity lately.  That’s not something I accept lightly.  Whenever I feel like crap, I want to know why and what I can do to fix it.  I believe our moods are largely related to the food and information we consume and the company we keep.  I’ve been eating exceptionally well lately, there’s zero tension or negativity in my marriage or friendships.  That leaves me with...

My quest for meaning

M

Last year my husband and I sold our house and most of our possessions to live and travel in our RV.  Life and all it’s many questions and complications had begun weighing me down in the years leading up to that point.  I’d never so desperately felt the need for change while having no clue what that change was.  So we set off on the road in search of answers.  Do I need a new town, a new career, a...

When nothing make sense

W

Fact:  Sometimes life is really fucking hard.  My life, from the outside looking in, looks pretty damn good.  I’m healthy, have a beautiful home, an incredible husband.  But if you were to crawl inside my head you’d find a cesspool of negative thoughts.  It’s not a pretty place to be right now and it feels like there is no escape. I live in a new state, 900 miles from the life I knew, I hardly...

The power of a smile

T

Relocating from one state to another is a great way to experience other lifestyles.  Moving from rural Colorado to rural Idaho doesn’t seem like it would be much of a change but mountain culture vs. farming culture is vastly different.  One of my favorite ways to get to know an area is via my daily run.  The plants, the animals, the way yards are decorated, the signs (welcoming or warning), the...

Do your actions align with your aspirations?

D

It’s 10:16pm.  I’ve had a full day.  I’m tired and am more than ready to call it a day.  But the day quickly filled with work and house projects and I never got around to my writing.  And I really want to give this whole writing everyday goal a solid shot.  Not just when I feel like it or when it’s convenient or when it comes easily but every single day no matter what.  We’re so conditioned to...

Choosing joy over conformity

C

We just completed the final walk thru of our new (to us) house.  In two days it will officially be ours.  Our sanctuary, our burden.  I walked around inspecting every nook and cranny feeling more and more overwhelmed by the minute.  Hadn’t I just sold a house and downsized to a 100 square foot RV because I was sick of the responsibility of homeownership?  It’s actually been a year since then but...

Why are we so caught up in the big things when the little things bring us so much joy?

W

Do me a favor, would you?  Off the top of your head, write down five things that make you smile.  Five things that make you light up at just the thought of them.  Seriously, take a minute and think about it.  I’ll be right here. Okay…now I’ll go.  The first five things that come to mind that make me wildly happy are… 1.  My husband’s incredible sense of humor. 2.  My dog wagging her tail...

Why we should take inventory of what makes us happy

W

Do you ever have days where you’re feeling especially energetic, excited and optimistic about life?  Maybe more so than your average day.  Then the next day, for whatever reason, the enthusiasm has disappeared.  It’s so far gone, you’re not even sure what it was you were so excited about in the first place.  This is how my mood often works.  It’s like a wave that I sometimes surf like a pro but...

Happy marriage, happy life

H

You know the saying “happy wife, happy life”?  I hear it nearly every weekend at the weddings I photograph, it’s the go-to ending for every father’s toast.  While that saying always gets a good laugh, it’s true.  But that’s only half of the equation, it’s a happy marriage that makes a happy life. In our 8 years of marriage and 14 years living together Mark & I have learned a thing or two...

How 30 days of meditation has improved my well-being

H

Meditation.  Maybe you’ve tried it and think you suck at it so you didn’t pursue it.  Maybe just the word makes you uncomfortable.  Maybe you’ve never even considered it.  All those things were true for me at one point or another until a month ago when I finally committed to giving it a solid effort.  I’d heard about the many benefits of meditation from countless guests on my two favorite...

Michele

Hi, I'm Michele, a nomadic wedding photographer and lover of the great outdoors. I live on the road full-time and document my adventures daily. This is my personal blog where I share and record my thoughts on living simply and intentionally with less stress and more joy. Check out my wedding and portrait photography at http://www.oncwest.com

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