::5 Ways to overcome a Challenge:: #WednesdayWisdom

I recently became aware that my coping skills are great, except when I'm under true pressure and stress, go figure! Challenges come in many forms; you can be overworked, having too much on your plate, dealing with difficult people, and really just about anything in life can become a challenge.  If you read about my mental breakdown in 2012 here, then you know how well I handled stress then. I've thankfully grown so much since then; mentally, physically, emotionally. And, I am now able to walk myself back into a good place.

Creating these strengths within myself has been vital to my overall success. 

Some of the best ways that I have learned to deal with it are as follows:

1) Talk it out- Like a really raw and serious talk with someone who will be REAL and RAW. For me, that person is my Husband. He tells me the things, I don't want to hear. And, we all need that one person. Who isn't going to tell you that, it's all going to be OK. Because sometimes, it's not going to be okay, and that is also OK. If that makes sense. (Bear with me here.) But, you want to have that one person who you can truly express your frustration too and will help you talk it out so that you can think of a solution. Sometimes, that person is a therapist. And, that is OK too.

I have had the ability to get therapy and it was truly freeing and very helpful! 

2) Have a moment (melt-down if you will)- the release is needed. A good friend told me a long time ago, "Connie, I'm going to let you have your pity party, but then I'm going to need you to put your big girl panties back on and get over it."  It's been the best most memorable pep-talk of my life. One, it came from a very loving place. She meant well and I knew it. She was allowing me to "have my moment" but then giving me the motivation to realize, I could get past it. Sometimes, it's ok to have that moment but don't give up. Keep pushing forward and you will see that it's so worth it.

Also, a rule of thumb. I have my meltdowns, alone, in a quiet place where I can truly reflect. 

3) Don't be a Victim- Accept that you too have faults and are allowing these things get to you. There is nothing worse than denial. And, don't get me wrong. I have been there. I pretend that everyone else has issues and I'm the victim they prey on. Nope. A lot of times I am my own issue. Whatever it is, I have been there. We all have faults. Instead of focusing on a "woe me mentality" push forward and think about the solutions and positive. It's often hard to see these when we are in the middle of something bad but trust me, steps 1 and 2 are a huge help.

Don't be a victim, be victorious! 

4) Care but not too much- I hate this advice. Because I am a person or was one, who cared so much all the time about what people thought about me or if I was playing nice. Well. (and, it's easier said than done.) Try not to care so much. Care enough that you know hard times can come, bad things happen and you will make it through. But, don't dwell on the feeling so much that it consumes you. As an overthinker, thoughts, and what-ifs slowly eat at my soul. I know I'm weird. But, it's true. Over time I have learned not to allow this to hinder my existence or to slow my progress. You should never allow emotions of what others could think of you, overwhelm you this much. Don't get me wrong, it happens, but push past it anyway!

Push through the emotion... 

5) Move forward As that famed Ice Queen (and my 6-year-old daughter) would say, LET IT GO... LET IT GO..- The hardest part of getting pas hard times, for me, is letting it go. Not everything has a solution or endpoint. Not everything will. Knowing that sometimes words are left unspoken, through are held back and people change, is the key to moving forward. Being able to let things go and again not allowing them to dwell or sit in your mind or heart is very important. Very important. Let it go, more so for you than for the situation or person.

And, remember that you can and WILL overcome these challenges. You can do this Momma!

Remeber that troubles are temporary.... live in peace with yourself and who you are... 

::Transformation:: 2016

I have discovered that times of transformation come as do the seasons of life. 

I feel that in order for overall transformation to take place you must be willing to go through it and you must want to do something that will help you transform your life. Transformation comes in so many forms; mental, physical, emotional, maturity, etc. We create our own periods of transformation and equally we can ruin our best moments of transformation by allowing our weaknesses or past failures to bring us down.

Lately, I have felt a great surge of transformation back to a place of true balance and peace. I decided months ago that in 2016 I would slow down. Start focusing more on life and my career. It's slowly coming together. The current season is one of taking it all in and learning from my past. I have so much to give thanks for. My children are both happy and healthy kids who love life and are so unique. My career is finally in a good place with a good company, I want to make a life where I am.


My Hubby and I have created a constant energy of evolution, we take in all the bad and good and move forward with it. No matter how bad things get we always manage to move forward, together. We are not perfect and do have many battles to overcome, sometimes daily. Arguments and attitudes flare, mostly on my part ::insert evil laughs here:: but it's fun. We have learned to live a life filled with daily arguments that make sense to us and a ton of humor. We are happy in our own little-twisted way and that's what matters.

As for my mind and body. I want to be strong and healthy. I know it will take time, I am taking it one day at a time. Some days are harder than others, as I hate movement after 5pm. But, I kicked off my boot-camp again, and it makes me feel great so I keep going back, week after week. Seeing other ladies progress and kick-ass is very important.  I seek them in so many areas of my life.

Spiritually and mentally, my transformation is constantly changing and my brain is always thinking as to, what's next. I try and fill my mind daily with words and thoughts that will bring me new peace and happiness. I also listen to anything that will inspire me to have an open mind and creative new energy. Recently, the biggest area of transformation has been taking a class that will help further empower me as a Latina in Leadership with Mujeres de HACE. The connections I have already made have been amazing. The learning and thought process on a week to week basis has been even better!

Taking this time to myself and improving who I am as a Momma, as a career-driven woman, and as a person, helps me transform daily into who I want to be. I turn 35 next month and the word transformation has just stuck in my head and on my tongue for the last week or so. I know that the experiences in the next few weeks will help me reach that next level that I want my life to be at.

I want to always take the actions needed to transform my life, not just for myself but for my children, husband and family's well-being. It's so important to evolve and grow, far out of your comfort zone and into that next season of your life... 

“Real transformation requires real honesty. If you want to move forward — get real with yourself.”― Bryant McGill, Simple Reminders: Inspiration for Living Your Best Life

What about you, what are you doing today that will transform your tomorrow?  

#LATISM15 Conference Recap

                     ::Momma Disclosure:: This is a compensated post. All statements are my true and honest opinion. 

There is something powerful about a large group of Latino's who come together. Trust me I have experienced it first hand. We have filled the U.S. Capitol and stood firm against the rain, united. It's what LATISM did to us. Brought us all together, both Latina's and Latinos into one city to be heard as one voice. Not of anger or filled with fighting words but educated, informed and knowledgeable about what we believe in. I didn't know what to expect, I was scared to voice my opinion, then we convened the first night. After which I was asked by another conference attendee to join forces with her and bring more strength to our cause, women rights. Especially against violence, against deportation, against separating families. 

I know that we didn't come together in DC to prove anything but instead to learn how we can further reach our communities and grow to help our causes. My cause was simple, women rights and more specifically, equality for moms. But, it reaches so many areas; equality for women in general, women rights as a whole, women empowerment, immigration, rights in the workplace, accessible and affordable dependent care and so much more.  Which is why when I was selected to attend the conference, I immediately accepted. Not to prove that I could do it but to do more, to learn more, to become more noticed and to further voice what I truly believe.

LATISM provided the perfect platforms and increased the power I felt, as each moment continuously inspired me. Inspired to speak up, to become involved again, to be informed in my own city and never give up! The conference had so many areas of interest and covered a long list of important topics you can see them all here but today I am sharing my favorite top 10 take-away's from the conference.  

1) Meeting New Bloggers- While I know many amazing bloggers who have inspried me along the years. Each conference helps me create a broader base of support and new found sources of inspiration and ideas. Meeting new bloggers, writers and thinkers creates new collaborations and brings out the best in everyone. Meeting new people helps me think of new and fresh ideas. Plus meeting new people is always good for personal growth.

2) Meeting up with other Texas bloggers- You would think that when you belong to specific groups it's easy to keep up with one another. But, Texas is huge and bloggers are spread out, throughout the state. Keeping in touch, meeting up or even catching up with some of us can be tricky. We all live different lifestyles and have conflicting schedules. Getting us together even at conferences can be difficult but in DC, I enjoyed the company of some Texas bloggers. And, finally got to meet more of them in person. Which is always special!

3) Visiting the local sites- While the conference kept us very busy, we were able to get away in small groups or large ones to enjoy the local sites. Oh yes, and the eateries. The food was great! Visiting the local sites to me is very important. You learn so much about the city, and it allows for more time to get to know the other conference attendees. While you don't want to miss out on the conference, who can resist getting out and exploring? DC was a first for me, so I did have a short site seeing bucket list. I was able to visit my top 3; the White House, the Capitol and the Lincoln memorial.

4) Shopping- I am usually not into shopping, but being that I was visiting DC for the first time and that my children are huge presidential fans. It was a must. It was nice to take a moment from the conference and really think about the small things that would make my children happy. They loved their gifts and I loved seeing their reactions. They now have a little memory from a special place where their Momma has been. It's the small things that count. I brought back t-shirts for my parents and trust me they were ecstatic. That again makes me happy and feel a small sense of accomplishment.

5) Connecting- Being a Momma can sometimes make me feel like I don't get out much and like maybe I lack in networking encounters. But, conferences like LATISM make me feel different. Connecting with others, especially brands and large companies is a good way to update and practice my personal brand pitch. It's also a great way to feel connected to something other than your small hometown circle. And, it's definitely a good way to get your company or blog recognized.

6) Giving back- One thing I have always been about is giving back. Within my local community and within my network as a whole. Feeling as if all that you have learned is being used for good. As well as giving back to fellow bloggers for all their support in form of mentoring and sharing my experiences. LATISM gives back, in so many ways but most importantly to the Latino Community. That's so important, as a group we should give back to one another to form and create bigger and better networking circles that we can all learn from. 

7) Work in the community- I love the work that is being done in the community, with the youth especially. Sharing the diverse passion we have for all causes with the young Latino community is amazing. LATISM is definitely working within our communities for a better future. Who better to help lead the way than the youth who form part of the inner-city or under-represented rural communities. To have a group like LATISM step in and want to make a true difference in education is a great step forward.

8) STEM & Congress visits- There are so many areas of science and technology; that I still don't understand and should. There are areas of our government that I still don't understand, and most definitely should be involved in. LATISM has reignited my interest, as a parent in these subjects. Most importantly in STEM and how much our children should be involved in different areas of focus. Math and Science are vital to many areas of our lives. I want my children to learn as much as they can and reach their potential in any or all areas of focus. I feel that I should be more involved, especially for my daughter, I want to help make a way for her to study anything that she wants and succeed. 

9) The Team- Putting together a large event is not easy. Bringing together all of the logistics, people and topics can be a hard task to accomplish. But, the LATISM team accepts the challenge and takes it on. At the end of the day, everyone gains. The experience is exciting and one to learn from. I commend all those involved, and appreciate all of the hard work. 

10) Traveling Alone- I recommend it for all Momma's. Especially if you are like me. I didn't get to travel alone much as a young adult. I either traveled with my family or my Husband (while we were dating and newly married). So traveling alone, being in a new city alone, and sleeping without my kids and husband was very new to me. Not something I was used to. But, as I have gone on several trips now it's definitely a good break from the norm. It also helps me appreciate and miss my family, even more. The experience is very unique and helps remind me as a Momma that I am capable of so much more. It's a wonderful reminder really!