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The Lies We Tell Ourselves

We're Amy & Jordan
We're here to help you take amazing photos, build a successful business and live a beautiful life. We're high school sweethearts, parents of three and teachers at heart. 
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It was a conversation we couldn’t believe we were having out loud. In a group. We thought it was something only we had in our head. Something we had struggled with uniquely. Until we realized we weren’t the only ones who thought it, too. In a sense, we were relieved. Because we felt less alone.

Right then. Right there. We decided it was time to talk about it.

We were sitting with a group of fellow photographers. Different ages. Different genders. Different backgrounds. But the same insecurity was siphoning our happiness, stealing our confidence and draining our passion.

Most of the feelings hinged on this sentence: I’m not like ____________________.

(Insert the name of the “successful” person of your choice.)

Have you ever felt that way? Are you there right now?

We were, too. Were (past tense) being the optimal word.

With tears in their eyes, each photographer circled together said a version of the same thing out loud…

“I’m afraid I’m too _____________.”

I’m too young. I’m too old. I’m too new. I’ve been around too long. I’m too quiet. I’m too loud. I’m a parent. I’m not. I’m a single mom. I’m a wife. I *was* a wife. I’m not cute enough. I don’t know enough. I wish I would’ve started my business sooner. I don’t know if I’ll ever make it. I’m not like ____________________. My story isn’t hers. Or his. Or theirs. There’s nothing interesting about me. 

Those are the lies we all tell ourselves.

If we’re being totally honest with you, we’ve spent way too much time in the past wishing for other people’s stories… because, for whatever reason, we thought their stories or their situation were better than ours. We’d let ourselves believe the lie that if we’d just started our business in college, we’d be so much further along. Or if we didn’t spend four years in the elementary school classroom, think where we could be now. Have you ever caught yourself doing that? Wishing for someone else’s situation? You’re not alone!

But the reality is that we don’t want to know where we’d be if we’d started our business in college or didn’t spend those years in the classroom — because we wouldn’t be right here, right now, exactly where we are, exactly where God wants us, doing exactly what He planned for us to be doing all this time. And the minute we all start wishing for someone else’s story is the moment we lose sight of His perfect story for us.

The first lie is that someone else’s story is better. The second is that ours (or yours) isn’t worth telling. Nothing could be further from the truth. God’s given you a story just like He’s given one to us, and while we could spend our time trying to figure out why ours is ours and yours is yours, the better use of our time and yours is figuring out who we’re supposed to tell it to. Who can be encouraged by it. Inspired by it. Uplifted because of it. Because your story is unique. Your situation has purpose. And there are certain people only you can reach. People we’ll never be able to reach. The longer you wish for someone else’s story, the longer the people who need yours have to wait for it.

In The Art of Work, Jeff Goins says something in the introduction that’s so profound that it’s worth repeating, because it’s everything in this post summarized in one neat, tidy, powerful sentence.

He says, “The Art of Work was not the book I intended to write, but ended up being the one I was supposed to write.”

Translation: Your story might not be the one you wanted to tell, but it’s the one you are supposed to tell.

So, stop waiting. Go tell it. Someone needs to hear it. And the longer you wait, the longer it’ll be until they’re brave enough to tell theirs, too.  

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meet us

Amy & Jordan

We're high school sweethearts who had no formal training in photography, but went from being elementary school teachers to making six figures as full-time photographers. We're teachers at heart (with over 30,000 online course students) and are here to help YOU take amazing photos, build a thriving business and live a beautiful life. As parents to three littles, we're all about making every minute count and love to share what we're learning along the way. We're so glad you're here!
 

Hey friend! we're

meet us

Amy & Jordan

We're high school sweethearts who had no formal training in photography, but went from being elementary school teachers to making six figures as full-time photographers. We're teachers at heart (with over 30,000 online course students) and are here to help YOU take amazing photos, build a thriving business and live a beautiful life. As parents to three littles, we're all about making every minute count and love to share what we're learning along the way. We're so glad you're here!
 

Hey friend! we're

meet us

Amy & Jordan

We're high school sweethearts who had no formal training in photography, but went from being elementary school teachers to making six figures as full-time photographers. We're teachers at heart (with over 30,000 online course students) and are here to help YOU take amazing photos, build a thriving business and live a beautiful life. As parents to three littles, we're all about making every minute count and love to share what we're learning along the way. We're so glad you're here!
 

Hey friend! we're

meet us

Amy & Jordan

We're high school sweethearts who had no formal training in photography, but went from being elementary school teachers to making six figures as full-time photographers. We're teachers at heart (with over 30,000 online course students) and are here to help YOU take amazing photos, build a thriving business and live a beautiful life. As parents to three littles, we're all about making every minute count and love to share what we're learning along the way. We're so glad you're here!
 

Hey friend! we're

meet us

Amy & Jordan

We're high school sweethearts who had no formal training in photography, but went from being elementary school teachers to making six figures as full-time photographers. We're teachers at heart (with over 30,000 online course students) and are here to help YOU take amazing photos, build a thriving business and live a beautiful life. As parents to three littles, we're all about making every minute count and love to share what we're learning along the way. We're so glad you're here!
 

Hey friend! we're

meet us

Amy & Jordan

We're high school sweethearts who had no formal training in photography, but went from being elementary school teachers to making six figures as full-time photographers. We're teachers at heart (with over 30,000 online course students) and are here to help YOU take amazing photos, build a thriving business and live a beautiful life. As parents to three littles, we're all about making every minute count and love to share what we're learning along the way. We're so glad you're here!
 

Hey friend! we're

don't miss it!

In this FREE online class, we'll show you three major photo mistakes (and how to fix them) so you can take beautiful photos with whatever camera you have! No prior experience required!

your teachers, amy & Jordan

FREE ONLINE PHOTO CLASS

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@amy_demos

don't miss it!

In this FREE online class, we'll show you three major photo mistakes (and how to easily fix them) so you can take beautiful photos with whatever camera you have! No prior experience required! 

take amazing photos

FREE ONLINE PHOTO CLASS

3 MaJOR PHOTO MISTAKES

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Don't take another photo without learning the most common photo mistakes most people make (and how to fix them fast!) Get our secrets for amazing pics no matter what camera you have in this online photography training for FREE! No experience required!