Are you living up to your potential?

Yesterday I wandered downstairs here at good ol’ Mom’s house, like I do several times per day for a coffee break or a lunch break or a potty break (for the dogs), and suddenly the question of living up to one’s potential entered my mind.

I am vaguely aware of the fact that some people in my life, particularly in my past, pre-married life, probably think to themselves things like, “Jenni is so intelligent… had so much potential… and now look at her. A photographer and blogger? What happened??”

’Tis true. I was the brainy one in college - straight A’s across the board, graduated Magna Cum Laude, the whole bit. I was destined for great things, and blah, blah, blah. But don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I don’t think I’ve done anything worthwhile since college. Quite the contrary, in fact. But I am saying that people’s perceptions of whether or not you’re living up to your potential don’t always match up with reality.

As I was pouring my little cup of french press coffee yesterday, pondering this question of potential and living up to it, I decided quite indefinitely that I am, indeed, living up to my potential, even though some people might not perceive what I’m doing as thus.

I think a lot of people in creative careers face this issue, but the truth of the matter is that owning your own business, whether it’s a successful law practice or a greeting card company or a professional blog, takes brains and skills that not everyone possesses. The same skills that earned me straight A’s in college are building me a successful photography business currently - one that will stand out from the crowd and succeed when so many others fail.  For some people, it's just difficult to understand the concept of working for one's self. If you can't say "I work at Such and Such doing Such and Such With My Degree," they're like, "huh? So, you don't have a job, then?"

The point of this post isn’t to toot my own horn, but rather it is to encourage YOU. I know so many of my readers are at a similar place in life as I am, and it’s a place and time when you really start to question this idea of living up to potential. And I guess I just wanted to encourage you to remember that the only standard you must meet is your own - the only path you should follow is the one your heart leads you on. Whether that’s a career in medicine or law or art or PR or writing or photography or being a mom or… or… or… you tell ME.

Just some food for thought. Do you think you’re living up to your potential, and if not, what’s stopping you?

follow: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin | Pinterest | Photography

5 Days of Giveaways, Day 3: $40 to Acute Designs

Maybe you remember Gina from the super yummy sweet potato donut recipe she was gracious enough to post for me while I was in Mexico, but did you know she has a beautiful little Etsy shop, too? Today Gina is giving away a $40 Acute Designs shop credit to one lucky SOML reader. Enter below, and good luck! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A pretty picture and some words

I am becoming what I hate. One of those people who constantly talks about how busy and overwhelmed they are, and never has much of substance to contribute to society because they're always  prattling on about Busy and Overwhelmed.

I'm not complaining, though. Really, I'm not. I know I'm lucky to be as busy as I am right now (with photography, if you were wondering. Not with, like, moving into our new house or something similarly crazy. I've pretty much given up on that, and it will just be a pleasant surprise if one day we get a call that says "hey, your house is done! come close now!").

So, since I am so Busy and Overwhelmed today, here's a few awesome/hilarious/informative/interesting articles I've found around the web lately. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

11 things I wish I knew when I started my business - favorite quote: "Do not price your offerings around your personal ability to pay for it - you are not your ideal customer."

The GQ guide to naming your baby - favorite quote: "Are you giving this kid a one-of-a-kind name because you're fishing for cheap compliments? Do you want friends and family to be dazzled by your creativity? That's probably what's going on here, even if you can't admit it. A name shouldn't make a person. A person should make a name for himself. He has to go and earn it by fighting bears and seducing the wives of dictators. On his own. Without your help. So before you fill out that birth-certificate application, think hard about the person who's gonna be carrying around this name for life. Put yourself in the kid's shoes, and maybe, just maybe, you'll have the balls not to name her Brixie."

Justin Timberlake shows us how dumb we sound when we use hashtags.

This guy's wife got cancer, so he did something unforgettable. WARNING: YOU WILL UGLY CRY.

Surviving Whole Foods - favorite quote: "I went on a cleanse once; it was a mixed blessing. On the one hand, I detoxified, I purified, I lost weight. On the other hand, I fell asleep on the highway, fantasized about eating a pigeon, and crapped my pants. I think I'll stick with the whole eating thing."

follow: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin | Pinterest | Photography

5 Days of Giveaways, Day 2: $50 worth of Brickyard Buffalo loot

Today's giveaway comes courtesy of an awesome new website called Brickyard Buffalo, an online pop-up market that showcases individual companies and their freshest items. I am always so impressed with BB's fun offerings, which are constantly rotated so customers will consistently find awesome deals to suit their tastes (and discover great new products and companies in the process!).

The winner of this giveaway will receive $50 worth of Brickyard Buffalo loot in a surprise package...  and who doesn't love surprise presents arriving in their mailbox?!  ;) Enter below for your chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Does social media make you lonely?

What do you think of this? Do you agree? Do you feel lonelier now that social media interaction is so prevalent? Personally, I feel like I reached a threshold about a year and a half into blogging and heavy social media usage, where I simply could not take on any more online friendships or connections. At least not without my current friendships suffering substantially. I feel that every person you interact with gets a little piece of your cookie, so to speak. Every time you respond to a tweet, every time you answer a comment on Instagram or Facebook, every time you return an email or text, and of course every time you interact in person, you break off a tiny piece of yourself and give it to that other person. Maybe the cookie is replenished every day, maybe it's replenished every week or month, I don't know. But after a certain point, you begin to feel depleted. Or at least I do. I'm curious to hear your thoughts, too! It's such a funny age we live in. We're kind of like pioneers in it, you know? 

* * * * *

Today's featured SOML sponsors are pretty darn awesome, so take a peek at their blogs, too, if you have a chance. I absolutely adore these two girls. Happy weekending...

Hi, everyone! I'm Rachel and I have a lifestyle and travel blog called Postcards from Rachel. I started this blog while living abroad in Scotland and now I write about moving around every 6 months for my husband's job. Sometimes it sucks -- like, really sucks -- but it gives us the unique opportunity to travel all over the place. Right now we're located in Boston so we're taking advantage of everything this area has to offer. Like Jenni, I'm obsessed with photography and hope to start a business sometime soon! I'm interested in everything expat and host a monthly link-up for travel bloggers, I write about anxiety struggles, blogging tips, and I enjoy spending time with my two nuggets, Malcolm and Ollie. I'd love to meet you so stop by and say hello! 

Blog | Twitter | Instagram

* * * * *

Hi y’all! I’m Dayna over at Princess Burlap, and I blog to inspire (and sometimes offend).  

I grew up in a house where The Boogeyman was real and the only rule was No Ouija Boards. I was a wrist cutter and a crier and a dreamer and a throw-myself-at-walls-and-screamer. 

One fateful day I tripped and fell into Jenni’s blog; I fell in love with her and her love story, and she gave me the courage to share my own. 

So I wrote her a love letter. Bloggers who inspire deserve love letters. Just sayin’.

I’m getting married in three months and my betrothed had a vasectomy. Sad face. And so it has been foretold that we shall enter into our married lives first as lovers, then, as pincushions. But wait! Bad news for me is good news for you! Adventures in infertility will make for a mighty fun blog adventure, being sprinkled as they will between posts about ghosts , confessions to being lost and found, and all the fun crumbles of life as I live it.

Truth is, life can be sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami, sometimes all at once and that is so not delicious. But it’s life and it’s such a wild ride, isn't it? Some days you’ll laugh with me, some days you’ll cry with me, but you’ll always get unbridled, unhinged and unfiltered me. That’s a promise. And a threat. 

Blog | Facebook | Twitter

* * * * *

5 Days of Giveaways, Day 1: $100 to Lulu & Georgia!

You guyssss, I know giveaways sometimes feel like a dime a dozen here in Blog World, but I'm still really excited about the lineup of giveaways I have for you in the next week! Today I'm kicking it off with $100 to Lulu & Georgia, and on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of next week there will be four more fantastic giveaways designed to introduce you to some great brands in time for holiday shopping. I'll have regular content here as well so it won't be just giveaways, but be sure and check back each day next week to see what else you might win!

Lulu & Georgia is a fantastic online store full of beautiful decor for your home and a gift store now, too, so I am 100% positive you will find some amazing stuff to spend your $100 on if you win. Would it be suspicious if I rigged this so I win? Yes, I suppose it would be. ;)

Enter in the Rafflecopter below, and good luck!!

**PS - please enjoy 10% off your Lulu & Georgia order TODAY ONLY (Nov 14) with the code SOML10**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Reasons why you should probably never build a house/Advice to anyone who is

Matthew and I signed the contract on our new home in early April of this year after being promised a five month build-time, and here we are, seven months later, and our house is still at least a month out from being done. I know it could be worse, but still, this whole process has been incredibly frustrating, and I could never recommend it to anyone.

We chose to build because the homes currently on the market in our price range here in Austin were not nearly as nice as what you can get when you build at the same price point. Due to a very strong seller's market, resale homes are snatched up in hours or days after going on the market, and often for 20% more than asking price. We didn't love what was available when we were looking, so we decided to build. (contrary to what some people seem to believe, building a home is not more expensive than buying one resale. For example, if your price range is a $250,000 home resale, it does not cost a penny more to build a $250,000 home, and often the new-build is nicer and, obviously, new). That's where they get you. They reel you in, butter you up, make false promises, then break your heart over and over again, like a bad boyfriend. 

Here's 7 reasons why you should probably never build a house:

1. You will need to multipy every time frame they give you by 3 to 7 times. Oh, they say your floors are going in the 19th? That means they will put in half the kitchen tile on the 23rd, then realize it was the wrong tile (after half a day's work), tear it up, and start over. The kitchen floor tile will be two-thirds finished when the workers leave and do not return for four days. On the fourth day, they will return and finish the kitchen tile, as well as the tile in the hall bathroom shower. They will not complete the other two showers, the bathroom floors, the kitchen backsplash, carpet, or hardwoods for five more weeks.

Mind you, this is after your construction is already three months behind the promised completion date.

2. The builder will find a way to change things you paid for and were promised, and then make you feel like it's your fault and you're being an asshole for asking them about it. This will be emotionally confusing and you will wonder if you're going insane.

3. Sometimes 2 weeks will go by and the only progress will be one light socket. This will make you feel like stabbing someone repeatedly.

4. Your sales consultant and construction manager will continually over promise and under deliver. Don't ever believe them. Don't believe a single word that comes out of their mouths. See first point.

5. On a similar note, they tell you what you want to hear, not the truth, every time. When you sign that contract, they will tell you a build time of five and a half months. Budget for eight to ten, and then see if you still feel the same way about the house.

6. Don't bother building a relationship with your construction manager, because you'll go through three of them. Don't be fooled if the first guy gives you delicious, homemade canned pickles and tomatoes. The next day he will quit and you will never see him again.

7. If you're going to live with family during this process, you better really like each other and have a strong relationship. After about four to six months of said living arrangement, it gets old.

THE END.

follow: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin | Pinterest | Photography