Blog visions + photos 🎀

I hope you enjoyed my Visualizing Goals blog! If you haven’t seen it, Read it here.

As I discussed in that blog, I’m hoping to share with my readers more than just my thoughts. I’m hoping to create a digital vision board! I’ve noticed a pattern in my blogs that I like and don’t plan to change. I discuss ideas, experiences and pose questions to my readers then try to share photos of my life. Obviously I love to share so why wouldn’t I continue that concept with things that benefit others and keep me focused on ideas of my own!?

I wanted to make sure my reasoning was clear for any need to post ideas, products or items. I also want to be careful to share where to find awesome stuff I love! I’m not partnered or advertising so I’m sincere in sharing things I actually use and of course what’s worth extra if I feel so inclined!

I see tons of lifestyle blogs now. Maybe because I’m not really on Facebook anymore and my taste has changed. I typically spend my social media time on Instagram so I’m noticing quite the trend in lifestyle blogs. I’m really a little more interested in mom blogs so feel free to share in the comments!

Lifestyle blogs are great, but the general idea seems to be – forgive me if this sounds hateful – basic…

These bloggers have awesome lives, please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. I am just confused about how they actually support themselves. Sharing clothes with readers does not seem like it could pay my bills. Is this naive of me?

I know that influencers have specific opportunities on Instagram that others don’t. I’m pretty sure they have contracts with sponsors. Still, product lines and all, does this make up for not having a regular career? Maybe the ones I am wondering about are not actually business owners so I should clarify.

Hey, I’m excited for women to reach financial security – especially mothers!! Come to think of it, I’ve rarely seen too many men bloggers. I’ve actually never seen a dad blog. This is definitely showing me that I need to continue researching blogging and reading blogs. How are you supposed to be great if you don’t learn everything you can about the subject, right?

I did a little revamp of my Instagram and designed some cute pictures to organize my highlights. In doing that I noticed I only have 388 followers. Of course I’m a little picky about who I even allowed to see my Instagram, and have been keeping it private so I’m seriously going to have to start being more open if I actually want followers. Which seems to me like a no-brainer. Followers = blog readers, right?

And I used to make fun of my teenager when he would brag about his followers! Ha! The tables have sure turned.

Any suggestions? I’m ALL ears!

As always, here’s some awesome (and some silly) photos of my kids and fam from the past weekend at the lake for our nephew’s birthday.

Xoxo 😘

Visions of sweet tea, flowers and sneakers in the south

Visualizing Our Goals

In my old blog, I used to post pictures of things I wanted. New devices coming soon or updated technology, specific outfits, maybe a brand I was into… At the time I had no intention of bragging about materialistic things but I wanted to keep myself focused on the nice items I worked hard to buy.

It was my digital vision board. Pinterest is now the same exact idea. This was long before that app and I just thought I was alone in those ideas.

If I had a marketing mind and an inventive curiosity, I could have been a millionaire!

Of course, we can all look back and see what we could’ve done to be more financially secure in a world of opportunity and hindsight. As cheesy as it sounds: the truth is all I really ever wanted was a family of my own. Everything is sort of secondary to the fulfillment I knew it would provide.

When I finished my four year degree, I still didn’t have much direction for my future. I didn’t look at the world as I do now – as an endless amount of money to be made if you’re smart enough to find ways to make it. Back then I was naive and inexperienced! I’m so grateful to have found my passion as a psychotherapist. Money, however-wasn’t exactly my motivator.

If I could mold my child into the adult who makes the best possible choices that result in an abundance of wealth-absolutely! I would try my best to teach smarter business skills than my own! But knowing that money is not going to be the sole path to happiness, I could never force a specific route for adulthood. Just like every other parent on the planet, I want my children to never experience any pain, struggle, problems (other than a normal way to learn) and so I hope for them to be at the least, self-sufficient and content. Obviously this independence and comfort can be a variety of different things but for me, I hope for my child to experience having a career as well as a family. Isn’t that what we all expect for our children – just a more lucrative career than our own…

I use a specific technique as a therapist called “reframing” and at times “visual imagery”. These are carefully designed to show a client a new way of seeing their life, thoughts, feelings and even goals. I work best with visualizing goals myself basically because I’ve always struggled to finish projects, follow through with objectives in my life or just at times, have limited focus.

This blog is a good sounding board to visualize those goals and to gain feedback for possible ways to increase visualization techniques for myself and to teach my clients, children and supervisees.

Please feel free to add some ideas or resources to help!

I’ll be creating a vision board soon so stay tuned for the newest page on my blog!

xoxo,

amy

Inspired to Blog

One of my favorite parts about my career is – take a guess!

Hint, it’s definitely not the 20 hours of paperwork for a week of providing psychotherapy.

It’s the resulting introspection from the years of spending many hours with people learning about their problems, that forces me to confront mine.

It’s not easy to see some of your problems when you’re spending days and days with other people talking about theirs. It comes with the territory.

THIS is the process that inspired me. It inspired me to start pouring it out of my brain. I had so much to say because I’ve not only been a licensed therapist for many years, I’ve been through tough times AS that therapist that has given me an extremely thankful perspective. I’ve reached points in my career where I had to re-evaluate, be honest with myself, face my own demons, change myself and RE-focus as a person that is CAPABLE of helping others. This also comes with the territory.

You can only deny problems for so long. If you decide to face those issues, quitting bad habits, making a commitment to a spiritual journey, to face those challenges even when you don’t know if you can make it through – you’re able to look back later as a better individual with more VALUABLE experiences in your heart and soul.

I believe this is what has inspired me to not only focus on MORE positive changes and growth, but to give my professional identity exactly what it has given me: VALUE. Education. Research. Commitment, dedication, and ABSOLUTE devotion. If I don’t do this in my life, I can never deserve the benefits I receive daily.

So in effort to make a more valuable blog, that gives not just me satisfaction – but my readers who are taking the time to give me a chance, MORE beneficial SUBSTANCE.

Recovery/sobriety, motherhood/parenting, psychotherapy, supervision for licensure, research, learning, growth and passion are just a FEW of the components that you’ll find in this website to create a more informative, well-rounded and inclusive journey to a better version of myself. I have an obligation to my profession (clients, administrators, support, supervisees, community) and I’ve decided to put it in a public format to hold myself accountable to this unique lifestyle.

I know there’s other mom therapists in the world. Now I’m devoting myself to a niche of that group – mom therapist BLOGGERS. They’re also out there and I can’t wait to find more. I’m excited to learn how to reach my audience more, engage with my readers and be the perfectionist-slacker I am in everything else!

If you are interested in more ways to reach people through blogging and how to not FAIL at the whole experience – check this out:

How to Create Engaging Content

I’ve only just begun researching this and I’m excited to show you more that speaks to me.

Enjoy!

 

My family, my heart.

I had a blog about 10 years ago or so, I believe back when I was in grad school. I kept it fairly superficial… Nothing too vulnerable in effort to avoid being dangerously open with strangers. Of course writing about shallow topics manages to hide negative parts of your life. I went through a lot before I had my baby and I’m still experiencing the positive effects of my dramatic lifestyle change. Even several years later…

I go well below surface topics with this blog. I’m still learning what I feel safe posting and this is probably why extended family members take issue with my blog at times.

I continue to remind myself that this is MY perception. No one else. I choose carefully to post less about my spouse and children, but keep my focus on my view including my role as a mom and therapist.

So as I experience challenges as a parent, I’m also placing effort in growing as a person and as a spouse. It’s not easy to compromise but when you love your family, you have an obligation to accept that you’re not the only one who has needs. That, in itself has been the most difficult process as well as the most remarkable for me.

Watching your spouse and children grow through those obstacles continues to give me the push to stay focused on our goal of raising our children the way we believe is best.

Sobriety and motherhood simultaneously, I’ve realized played a huge part in the mother I’ve become. I was not exactly committed to the idea of stepchildren when it was presented. I was also living a life far from what I truly wanted. It was just me and I had difficulty staying grounded. I was lying to myself about my happiness. I was terrified to actually devote myself to anyone and tried to hold my distance when I met the man that ultimately changed my life.

Fast forward to now and I’m still surprised when I feel such intensity about my family. I’ve never surprised myself more as a parent then in the past two years.

It’s almost like a twilight zone at times as I’ve been seeing such a strong parallel from my professional role and within my own family.

How do you handle your balance between your family and your career? Tips? Advice? I’m always open to learning new concepts to help improve the constant struggles of being a working mama!

Happy birthday to my favorite hunny, as well as my one and only dad, who were born on the same day, different years of course.

thank y’all for reading!

Xoxo

Amy {the inspired therapist}