Bold. Brilliant. Beautiful. You.

In a few weeks, I'll be turning 45. I'm approaching that age when women become invisible. When our voices no longer are heard. When we no longer matter. And for someone who's mostly stood in the shadows or firmly planted behind a camera that's scary. Scary because I want to matter. I want to do something now (not something I did ten years ago, eleven years ago, twelve years ago, or twenty years ago) that I'm amazed by. So I'm starting now.
 

 

“Do not stop thinking of life as an adventure. You have no security unless you can live bravely, excitingly, imaginatively; unless you can choose a challenge instead of competence.”
-Eleanor Roosevelt
 

Last week I dove out of my comfort zone. I did something totally uncharacteristic for me. I stepped IN FRONT OF the camera.
 

 

First for We Are the Contributors' Self-Portrait (aka Selfie) Mini-Project. (If you follow me on Instagram you saw the seven self-portraits I selected.)
 

My theme for the project was "Say It with a Book." Selecting the books was easy. And for the most part getting an image wasn't challenging. Until the last book. With How Successful People Think I struggled. While others have told me they thought I was successful, I don't think I myself believe it. And that is something in 2014 that I'm going to work on. In total to get the seven images I shared, I shot about 150 images (more that I deleted). Other self portraits that I didn't select for the project are on Flickr.
 

 

And, second in response to a post Amy Christie of This Heart of Mine Blog wrote, "Bold. Brilliant. Beautiful. You." And not just for photographs. I made a video (and posted a snippet from it on Facebook (and yep, the lettering on the sign I'm holding in the video is unintentionally mirrored).
 

 

Often we talk about doing something big. Rarely do we follow our words with actions. 2014 is the year I take more risks. 2014 is the year I execute on ideas that I've dreamed about doing one day or even half-started but never really committed to.
 

2014 is the year that I own "I am enough." And that's why the Bold. Brilliant. Beautiful. project struck a nerve. "The #boldbrilliantbeautiful project is a support group for all of us seeking to be real and vulnerable. No judging, no questions, just support and words of encouragement."
 

How have you stretched in 2014?
 

Ciao Bella!

Eden!
 

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Credits: All layouts designed by and images taken by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life.