Getting Personal
I am going to get really personal in this blog post. Please be aware that this topic may be triggering for some before you move forward reading. Before you tune out, please read this post for your daughter.
I want to talk with you today about lack of confidence in yourself.
Reflecting back on your childhood, did you get bullied as a child? Did any of those hurtful words of children your age carry over into your adult life? Do you sometimes still see yourself as that young girl or young boy who was taunted for your looks, ability, popularity or really, what others said there was a lack thereof? Were those taunts increasingly spoken over you as you entered junior high and high school?
If you struggled this way as a child and now as an adult, you may wonder, will my own daughter face the same things that I did as a child and will she be better equipped at handling those taunts than I was? Is there a way I can help her to see that she is special, no matter what and that God has created her with a plan and purpose? Will she be able to shake off those lies and embrace the truth about who she really is?
A Princess From the Inside, Out
When I worked as a Character Hostess at Disneyland years ago (circa 2001), a little girl came to visit Cinderella. While she was waiting in line, I could see that she was pouting and her eyes looked sad. She was longingly gazing over at Cinderella who was busy telling two little girls who had come dressed in princess costumes how beautiful they looked. The contrast in faces between the three girls was apparent. I knelt down to the one little girl and asked her why she looked so sad. She told me, “I don’t have a princess dress, so I can’t be a princess!”
I dropped my voice to a gentle tone and motioned over to Cinderella with the other girls. “Do you see Cinderella? Was she a princess after the Fairy Godmother gave her a beautiful dress and after she married the prince, or was she already a princess when she was kind to her mean stepmother and stepsisters?” She answered, “When she was kind.” I told her, “See?! A princess isn’t a princess because she has a pretty dress. She is a princess because she is kind and loving toward others. Are you kind and loving towards others?” She shook her head yes. I said, “Well, that means you really are a princess!”
A Princess in Disguise
She was a princess in disguise! She broke out into a big smile and happily skipped over to meet Cinderella. My heart was forever touched that day and burned a dream in my heart to see all little girls feel special and beautiful, no matter what someone says.
Do you feel the same way about your daughter or daughters, niece or nieces, friends or another special little girl in your life? Do you want the same for yourself as well? We are all princesses, no matter what age we are! If someone speaks a truth, let it validate who you already are. If they speak unkindly of you, let it draw you back to who God has created you to be. Let truth win over lies! When you are able to embrace this truth for yourself, you help her to embrace this truth for her own life!
What Does a Photo Session Have to Do with Confidence?
You may be asking what a photo session has to do with confidence? How can a princess photo session help? During my faith-based princess photo sessions with girls, I speak truth into them while I photograph. I encourage them to know that God has hand-created them with love and that they are a princess from the inside, out. They get to dress up in a fancy gown and choose their own tiara and I create beautiful, fairytale like photos of them for you all to enjoy for years to come, re-solidifying the princess message on a daily basis for her.
Even the dresses and tiaras are special. When I was creating Beba Couture, I wandered the aisles at the store and saw so many princess costumes, but they all felt:
Costumey.
Dress-up.
Pretend.
I want girls to feel like they are real princesses, so I hand-sew the dresses that are used during my photo sessions. I spent hours shopping for tiaras from different vendors so they are special for your special girl. I have made the photo sessions 1-2 hours long so that the experience can take time to soak in and become real to your daughter.
Planting Seeds of Truth and Confidence
My photo clients are responding that my photo sessions have been personally encouraging and affecting their daughters in a positive way! One of my favorite testimonials is a Mom that said her daughter was being picked on by her brothers. After her princess photo session, she said that her daughter told them, “You can’t treat me that way–I’m a princess!” It had planted a seed inside of her that her worth was not contingent upon whether others spoke truth or lies about her. Because she knew the truth and got to see herself as a princess for her photo session, she was able to take that message back with her into real life and still “see” her value even though the dress and tiara were no longer there. It will help your daughter to see that her validation comes from who she has been created to be–loved by a Heavenly Father with a call on her life.
Just like the little girl at Disneyland with Cinderella, it’s helping her to see that the virtues inside her heart are what make her a real princess.
Come and Experience!
Would you like your own daughter to carry away the same experience for her own life? Would you like to see your confidence soar as your baby girl discovers who she really is and that God has a bigger plan for her life than she has ever imagined? 1 Corinthians 2:9 says, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love Him.” My faith-based photo sessions are designed for the photo client who craves an experience that is a step above the costumes and messages that image is everything. They are for those who want more for their daughter and for her to see herself as God created her to be.
How Can I Book a Princess Photo Session for My Daughter?
If you are in the Phoenix, AZ metropolitan area and are ready to elevate your daughter’s thinking and help her embrace truth over lies,
I can be reached at any of the following:
alicia@BebaPhotography.com | http://www.BebaPhotography.com | (480) 399-3030
Beba Photography 