Category: Final Focus

Do you ever wonder about who you would have been if you had not become who you are?

If you’d chosen differently at pivotal moments … If you look back at all the decisions you made that shaped you into who you are now … and made the other choice? The degree you didn’t pursue. The person you loved and let go. The job you turned down. The dream you packed away because suddenly life demanded more. The version of yourself you quietly buried so that this version could rise.

We all carry with us a collection of unlived lives. Entire versions of ourselves tucked away in the folds of time — not forgotten, just … unexplored. At some point in life, I think we all look back and wonder, What if?  And briefly mourn those paths not taken. 

But I don’t think it’s fair look at them as regrets – I think we should see them as reminders… that we were always capable of more than we believed. That the desire to become still shines within us, even if it flickers instead of burns.

Because the truth is: life is not a straight line. It’s a winding, holy mess of hard choices and decisions … and a lot of divine providence – even if we didn’t see it at the time. And maybe the version of you reading this isn’t the one you once dreamed of becoming. But I bet you’re wiser. Softer. Rooted in things that matter more deeply than ambition ever could. Maybe you didn’t chase that big time-consuming career or pursue that degree – but now you have dirt under your nails, worn out boots, steady love, a lap full of kids and a life full of so much more than you originally dreamed. Maybe you traded glamor for grit. Applause for purpose. Fast for faithful.

So go ahead – Glance back for a moment and honor the lives you didn’t live. But don’t grieve them or let them make you bitter. Let them remind you just how many versions of you were always possible – and how beautiful it is that this is the life you chose to grow. 

    … And it’s never too late to keep growing. To keep becoming.

– Mackenzie Free –

Wife, mother, photographer & current resident of the unassumingly magical town of Steele, Alabama

The good life isn’t one-size-fits-all.

It’s not always a passport full of stamps, a huge house, or a stacked bank account. Sometimes it’s your well-worn Bible, a garden you planted, long talks with old friends or a family that still gathers for Sunday dinner. 

It’s less about 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 you have, and more about 𝙬𝙝𝙤 you have & what you value. Less about climbing, more about rooting. Less about escaping and more about abiding. 

Because truth is—the “good life” is wildly subjective. To some, it’s the city skyline or the sound of the ocean.  To others, it’s wildflowers, fresh eggs, and a baby on your hip. For some, it’s traveling the world or climbing the corporate ladder. 

For others, it’s holding tightly to home and spending your days pouring into those you share it with.

It’s not always about how far you go—

Sometimes it’s as simple as who you come home to.

A messy house full of laughter, your favorite flowers blooming outside, a steady hand to hold, a warm meal and a place to rest your head. 

That is ‘the good life’ too.

– Mackenzie Free –

Wife, mother, photographer & current resident of the unassumingly magical town of Steele, Alabama

Not everyone will rise up to meet you. Not everything we wish for will work out in our favor. Not every doctor’s appointment is going to deliver good results.

Not every prayer will be answered the way we hope. Not every letter will bear good news. Not every friend will defend you or stand by your side. Not every “I love you” will be sincere.

Not every person who walks into our life will decide to stay.

But in every hard, heavy and seemingly unbearable situation we find ourselves in we have a choice …

We decide how to bear the news. We decide how it affects us. We decide how to carry on. We decide what to hold and what to leave behind.

WE decide. Sometimes our greatest growth and personal advancement emerges from our sadness and broken hearts.

Sometimes a greater awareness of ourselves and what we are capable of becoming … and surviving … arises through our disappointments and despair. Sometimes we rise up to exceed our own expectations when life is hardest and messiest.

But first WE must decide.  

– Mackenzie Free –

Wife, mother, photographer & current resident of the unassumingly magical town of Steele, Alabama

What if, instead of making lofty New Year’s resolutions, we all agreed to simply try a little harder to be a little better than we were the year before?

To be kinder – not just when it’s easy, but when it’s hard and inconvenient. To be more honest, even when it’s uncomfortable, and to forgive more readily, knowing we’ve all fallen short at some point.

What if we gave a little more – of our money, our time and our patience? What if we extended a little more grace to the people who need it most, including ourselves?

What if instead of looking too long at what’s behind us or constantly chasing what’s next, we took more time to appreciate what’s here now?

What if we loved a little better the people we often take for granted? The people who stand beside us and see us clearly – flaws and all – and choose to love and support us, not just for who we will be … but for who we already are today.

What if we try a little harder to find joy in the present moment – and keep our feet firmly planted in appreciation for the beautiful gift of life right now?

– Mackenzie Free –

Wife, mother, photographer & current resident of the unassumingly magical town of Steele, Alabama

One day the lens of retrospection will come into focus, and we will see clearly the beauty and redemption that was woven into our darkest days.

Those times we most struggled – when our faith was tested, our hearts were broken or we felt lost and defeated by the harsh realities of life … we couldn’t see all the light that illuminated us then because we were so consumed by the shadows.

We have heard it before, but we don’t always understand until we face it ourselves, but our most transformative experiences are rarely lovely or radiant. They are dark and painful and exhausting. 

But on most occasions, we are found and forged in these moments of pain and suffering. Our resolve and resilience are fortified in the valley of darkness and despair. It’s here we unknowingly develop our potential, our character and integrity. 

Our faith is often found on the crucible of conflict. 
And that really is beautiful … Even if we can only ever appreciate its beauty and redeeming effect on our lives in retrospect. 
People don’t always tell you that the Road to Redemption is often found in the Valley of the Shadow of Death … 
But it is. 

– Mackenzie Free –

Wife, mother, photographer & current resident of the unassumingly magical town of Steele, Alabama

In fact, it’s littered with so much uncertainty it’s really best not to form any preconceived ideas or make too bold of assumptions about what the future holds. Because the truth is…  You. have. no. idea. 

You will walk through things you never thought you would.  You will find yourself in situations for which you absolutely can’t prepare. You will be forced to make hard decisions you never thought you’d have to make. You will make false friends and feel the sting of their ulterior motives. You will be humbled and have your heart broken. You will try and fail and face unexpected consequences and disappointments.  You will lose people you love and thought you’d get to keep forever. 

But you will also find love and unshakable friends. The right people stay, and the wrong ones will go. You will find grace and forgiveness are the best gifts you can give and receive.  You will learn grit grows best in tough times, and trials really are the best teachers.  You will find light in dark places and compassion in the eyes of hard faces.  You may find your broken heart held together by unexpected hands and mended in ways you can’t really comprehend. 

And just as soon as you start to assume you’ve got a solid grip on your life … 

It will shift and surprise you all over again.

– Mackenzie Free –

Wife, mother, photographer & current resident of the unassumingly magical town of Steele, Alabama