28 DOSL- Shelah 2023

I am living with intent

“Having your portrait taken is personal. The photo is only as much a percentage of you, as you are willing to share with the photographer.

So taking your own photo? Complicated.

I think this is why I had trouble taking my own portrait this year. I am still learning to trust myself, believe in myself, and have faith in myself. Perfectionism is a heavy weight to carry, and it doesn’t want to be put down.

I’ve spent a lot of time over the past year questioning things. There is a lot on my shoulders that isn’t mine to carry. I’m sure many of you can relate.

There were a lot of other affirmations I considered for this year.

“I am proud”- While I am far from running my business and life perfectly, I’m really proud of how far I’ve come. There is still a lot of room for growth and being able to identify where those areas are, feels like step one.

“I am stepping in to my power” / “I am building the life I want”- I feel like this is my affirmation for the coming year, but I haven’t fully embraced it yet.

Lastly, I considered “I am healing”. I’ve spent a lot of time cleaning out the corners of areas I thought I had already healed. Revisiting old wounds is about as fun as it sounds, but doing the work to prevent them from remaining a stagnant spot has allowed me to move forward in ways I never expected. I am becoming a meditation instructor. I am creating a body of artwork that I am really proud of. I am writing a book on something that is really important to me, and I hope will be of benefit to others like me.

To me, “I am living with intent” means that I am aware, and taking inventory of my life: the positives, negatives, successes and failures. I am learning, changing, and growing each day. There is no limit on my creativity, and I’m excited to keep diving deeper into the life I’m building for myself.” - Shelah

© All images copyright of Shelah Riley