The beginning of my week last week started off less than spectacularly, but it served as a good reminder to me. I had a client contact me who was unhappy…not with her photos or the quality of my work, but because she hadn’t gotten her photos ordered  before the price change on January 1st. If you pay any attention to my facebook, twitter, blog or website – you know I’ve been talking about the price change for a LONG time, doing my darnedest to let everyone know that it was going to be happening. This particular client was a bride and her photos have been up for ordering for close to three months now, so she’s had ample time to place her order. Rather than get into any details I’ll just say that I worked out a compromise with her that I thought was more than fair. And despite the arrangement, she was still unhappy.

I’ll admit at first I was hurt and upset. I’m a dweller…by that I mean when something “bad” happens I tend to dwell on it. I want to figure out why that person reacted the way they did, figure out what I did wrong, or what I could have done differently. But after dwelling on the situation for a day or two (poor Ryan that’s all I talked about for at least one whole day), I came to a realization. There are some people that I just can’t make happy. There are some people who are always going to want and expect more. There are some people that even though they’ve been given the sun, will feel short-changed that they didn’t get the moon and stars as well. And that’s okay. It’s not my fault. I don’t need to let their unhappiness infect me…nor do I want to.

I still feel bad that I can’t make everyone happy, especially since I try my hardest to do just that. It’s one of my goals with every session… I want my clients to walk away feeling happy and good about themselves because I get to work with some truly beautiful & wonderful people. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a girl come to me for photos and start of being nervous and uncomfortable and by the end of the session she’s laughing and enjoying the experience. Those are my best days, my happiest days! The days when I know that this is what I’m meant to do. This is where I’m supposed to be. And I feel truly blessed that God helped me find that path He created for me.

If you’re a people-pleaser like me, I hope this post helped you a little bit today. If nothing else, maybe it’s nice to know that you aren’t the only one who can’t make everyone happy and that it’s okay if you can’t. Feel good knowing that you did the best you could. 🙂

Happy Monday!

P.S. If you are a fan of my facebook page, you will have seen that I made the Hot List. I want to thank everyone who congratulated me and has supported me with their kind words and testimonials. It’s because of you that this was possible for me this year. Thank you SO much!

Contact Me | Visit My Website | Join the Facebook Fan Page | Follow Me on Twitter