Almost a year ago Annie and I were sitting in a limousine dancing and singing in our seats with the most fun group of people we have yet to be around…among them were a slew of celebratory mindsets including a movie star, a rap artist and a famous NBA star.  We caught eyes and started laughing at ourselves having so much fun entering into their beautiful black world of soul music.  In between white dance moves my camera was busy capturing our fun.  Sitting next to me was Baron Davis who decided to join me in my “smaller world” of wedding photography.  He grabbed my camera and said, “It’s time for me to take a picture of YOU!”  His goal was to make us feel like family.  I yelled on top of the loud music, “No!  I look a mess!!”  We had just been working for about 6 hours and believe me I was not feeling like camera-ready art in any sense of the term.  He turned towards me and started preaching, “Girl, you better never say that again!!  WHO told you that you weren’t beautiful?  I want you to stop believing that right now!!  Now let me take your picture!”  His words sort of shocked me.  Never had anyone said with such power, “stop believing that right now!”

Here's Baron arriving at his friend Earl Watson's wedding.  Did you really think I was going to show you the picture he took of me??!!

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.  It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.  We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and famous?”  Actually, who are you not to be?  You are a child of God.”  ~Marianne Williamson

Changing our mentalities is the most important decision we made as a company in 2009.  We heard Baron’s strong commanding voice in our heads and “stopped believing that right now”!  The mentality I am talking about is the one that constantly puts us on the Discount Rack of both our personal and professional lives.  It’s the one that leads us to lowering our prices during a recession.  We come up with all kinds of “legitimate” excuses to lower our personal and business value; and the recession has been the strongest force in modern times to bring us to this all-time low, impoverished mentality.  When we traveled to Africa recently with our friend, Rex Crain, he spoke to millions of people over the radio and in gatherings, “There is no such thing as poverty…  only impoverished mentalities!”  I was a skeptic at first until I decided to open my mind to a different way of thinking.  After spending many, many hours with the people of Kenya and Uganda both in their country and here in the US, it became as clear as day that what Rex was saying was absolutely true.  Many of my African friends agree as well.  These Africans are changing their continent!

With much resistance we decided not to put ourselves on the Discount Rack and lower our prices in 2009.  Do you know what happened?  We lost many wedding opportunities and were tempted to cry over our decision!  Today we are celebrating our decision!  Because of our freed up weekends we were able to take on a fabulous celebrity wedding that has literally opened five other doors of huge significance in our business.  We were less busy, grew deeply, and multiplied our capabilities exponentially.  Every need we had was taken care of; we didn’t suffer any loss other than old worn out mentalities.

Friends, I challenge you to leave your old way of thinking and take yourself off the Discount Rack of Life, which only makes you desperate.  Desperation is unattractive.  I encourage you to think the way God thinks.  He is not poor and His resources outnumber the stars in the universe.  Begin to think of God as your loving Father who desires to give you heaven…because he does!  Many people are afraid of this mentality for fear that they will treat God as a genie.  I can see where they are coming from however; God will not allow it!  You can trust Him even in abundance.  He knows how to humble the highest of kings.  Some fear that they will become greedy.  Friends, how about if you decide that you will become more giving.  Fear will keep God’s resources from being able to reach you; faith will allow God’s resources to flow through you and into others.  A mentality in agreement with God’s truth will enable you to do the impossible.

Today is the day to take yourself off the Discount Rack and "Stop believing that right now!"  Have a great day, wonderful YOU!

Lovingly,

Annette

A changed mentality might cause you to change the world for another person.  Here are some kids in Africa dreaming along with Grace Ormonde.  They weren’t afraid of the glamour in the magazine they were inspired by it.  It gave them an afternoon of coming out of their mentalities to explore the possibility that there is something besides poverty and lack.

Here are some girls celebrating Wedding Style Magazine on the chalk board of their school.  Just moments later they were drawing pictures of girls in long gowns speckled with beads and lace.  Dreaming bigger than their current circumstances!!