::Empowering Youth:: Inspired Latinos

In my time in social media, I have met and engage with various new people from around the world. Sometimes it helps me realize how small the world really is. A little background about myself; my Momma is from a small town in Mexico called Temixco. Outside of my family circle here in Houston, I never EVER think many know about her town and her traditions. So when I found Omar online and his entire project based on Chinelos, which are pretty specific to the region my Momma is from, I was intrigued. I am glad I reached out and am featuring him today! His story is an amazing one and he is wishing to inspire us all! I can't wait to see his project evolve... I am so proud as a Mexican-American to find wonderful people like Omar doing great things! 

Enjoy!
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::GUEST BLOGGER::

The name of my project is "el Chinelo loco 777". This name really reflects my personality and origins. I will explain why.

The "chinelo" dance is a traditional Mexican dance created in Tlayacapan, a city of the Morelos state, in approx. 1807. It was created by a group of indigenous young people who were not allowed to participate in the carnival celebrations. Their response was to dress up with old clothes and to start shouting and whistling by walking the streets of the town. A form of rebellion.

As the dance evolved, the white mask was introduced to mock bearded Spanish and the clothes changed for specific costumes made out of velvet. The word "chinelo" is believed to come from the Nahuatl language and means "he/she who moves well his/her feet and hip" or "hip wiggle".

"el Chinelo loco 777" describes me well as I was born in Cuernavaca, area code 777, the capital city of the Morelos state. The "chinelo" is a reflection of my passion and love for Breakin' or Breakdance, as I used to be -and will always be- a B-boy. The "loco" part is just my personality, who I really am. An intricate engineer yet very simple person full of energy and crazy ideas that I am always willing to implement.

I started this project because I detected a need. As a current Finance Director for a multinational company, I have developed the ability to identify "needs". I realized the Mexican and Latin American people do not have a lot of "role models", and if they do, maybe these are not reflecting what the "pueblo" actually is and what is capable of doing.

I have experienced a lot of things in my job and getting to where I am has not been easy as I have sacrificed a lot -you probably have heard this over and over again-, but I have also lived a lot of incredible experiences! -Maybe you have not heard this that much- What are these experiences about? I have traveled the world -and still do-, I have eaten in the most fancy and expensive restaurants, I have met crazier people than me and learned from them, I have managed very important projects for the company I work for, I am able to communicate and interact vis-à-vis with Top Executive Directors/Vice presidents, I have helped people out to get a job, etc. So why not sharing all this? Precisely the objective of "el Chinelo loco 777".

As a young executive, I believe I got a social responsibility to transmit to "la banda", people of my generation and the one that follows, positive examples that will inspire people that surround me to fight for their dreams, to succeed in what they want and why not, to become a better version of themselves. 

Growing up in a middle-class family, never did I lack food or a home for that matter, but I sure know and have seen what it is not to have these two. This is where my motivation comes from. If I can do it, then you can surely do it too, right? 

I did not study in the top Mexican schools, but I did get my engineering degree in a very respected private university, Universidad La Salle Cuernavaca -where I was able to get a scholarship thanks to my grades from high school and kept it during my whole time there.

People can find me here:

Email: elchineloloco777@gmail.com

Instagram: @elchineloloco777

Facebook: @elchineloloco777

Twitter: @chineloloco777

YouTube: "el chinelo loco 777" 

**People can contact me through any of my social networks. Whatever they prefer! I normally reply very fast to everyone, but if I take some time do not take it wrong as I am always on the move. 

No special events are planned in the sort term, but in the mid-term I am planning to invite "random" people to share their story with the audience on my YouTube channel. As for now, I will keep on uploading videos, I will finish the series "Vivir en el extranjero" (living abroad) and will move forward on to another series. More content will come to my Facebook page as well. However, on Twitter I do share very practical tips for everyone so you should go and follow me! 

One time, a group of friends and I participated in a Hip Hop dance competition. It was our first time competing in this type of event and we trained very hard for three full months. We did our thing, we danced and believed that we nailed it and that we deserved to take home one of the three first places.

The time to announce the winners came and my friends and I were backstage holding hands waiting to hear the name of our group "Soydev" -which you can actually find in YouTube if you write it and add "hip hop". The third place was announced, but it was not us, then we believed we had won second place. The second place was announced and again, it wasn't us. At this point we thought we had won the first place and we got super excited about i! When the host announced the first place we did not hesitate to go to the main stage screaming, yelling and celebrating that we had won!

Our faces dropped immediately after we arrived to the main stage just to see that we did not win the first place, but because we were so confident of ourselves we thought we had won but neither my friends nor I actually heard our team's name. You can imagine how embarrassed we were afterwards. My friends and I still laugh a lot every time we talk about this.

By the way, we ended up taking home the 8th place out of 42 crews that participated. Not bad after all. 

There are two main things I want to establish through my persona. These are very simple actually.
First, I want "el Chinelo loco 777" to be a role model for the community so that people that follow me can become role models as well for the people close to them. Second, I want it to be a platform for sharing experiences and stories about how people like you and me were able to succeed in what they wanted. I believe everyone has succeed in some way, we just need to take the time to listen to them.

"Brains and talent are nothing without discipline. Discipline is the key to achieve everything." The way I see things is that everything is reachable if you really want it and work hard for it.

::Timing and Being Serious::

I have been going through a bit of a "transition", maybe claiming a new sense of self and peace. Growing further in my own skin and owning who I really am. With moments like this always come a time of reflection. And, yesterday as I drove to lunch I had a couple of thoughts and one of them was how life is so short and really shouldn't be taken so serious. The second thought was about timing. How it has worked out for the better in my life and how I am now taking advantage of it. 

When I was in college my Biology professor who was probably about my age now, in her 30's, said this to me after I complained about an A-minus when I wanted an A or higher in her class. She said;

"It is not that serious. You think this class is the rest of your life, girl, you have a long way to go. And, this class is nothing compared to the real world. So, get over it." 

Boy was she right. At almost 35, I look around and think about people and all I can say is, "It is NOT that serious." I have had those words in my life for years since I was a 20-year-old in that Biology class. Trust me, my perspective on that day in that class to now 15 years later has truly changed. I have been through so much in my life, that now I can't help but think how short life is, and how it's really not that serious. Taking yourself too seriously and thinking that one experience or moment will define you, is not good for you.

I am not saying that I became this irresponsible person, who just threw caution to the wind and never strived for an A-plus or higher again. But, I did tone my seriousness down, cause I realized that life was about so much more than that A-minus in that one class! Y'all life is too short, there is so much to be lived, to be hung up on one thought, one idea, or one grade. I learned it all the hard way, as most of us do. These days I am serious when needed, just not all the time. 

Then I think about how timing is everything.

Yesterday I drove past two business that I had previously interviewed at, on the same street where I work now.  In the last two years, I had been looking for work but wanted to remain near my house for the sake of time and my kids. I used to work across the street from my house, but the position there wasn't what I had in mind for my career path. I knew I had to find a better job, even if meant driving further than across the street. Why remain in a toxic environment or a place you know doesn't fit who you are, when so much more it out there.

Well in those years I interviewed for two very good companies about 20 minutes from my house. The jobs both had good pay, but extended hours which was doable to some extent and were good positions. But, I wasn't selected for those jobs. Then I received a promotion at work and thought I would be fine to stay across the street from house, for a while longer. I wasn't really searching anymore. But, one day out of the blue in June of last year, a friend emailed me and asked if I was still looking for work. I said no but wouldn't mind hearing more about the opportunity she had.

Today I work exactly 15 minutes from my house, hours are great, pay is perfect and I am off every other Friday. I am still close to home and the job demand is better than what the other two jobs were asking for. Point is, that no matter how great the other two jobs were or how close I thought they were. The timing wasn't right. Now I drive past those two companies when I go to lunch and have no regrets about my new job.

Sometimes we want things to happen on our time and when we want them, but the stars and moon have to align for that perfect moment when all things good come. And, we just have to wait for those things to happen. Of course always working towards our goals but giving it time to reach us. And, time for us to learn and embrace our current situations.

Life is like that...a series of unexpected events that we sometimes need to embrace...

Happy Tuesday Everyone. 

Coming off of Cloud 9, back to reality...

First off,  the conference I was in Austin for last week, was for my new job. I don't usually disclose where I work. I can tell you though that, I worked with a company involved in the Oil and Gas industry prior to this, for 2 years. The job was a very good experience, some of the people there, not so much. But, I learned and grew in so many areas. It has now brought me to where I am today. I am still somewhat in Oil and Gas. I am a coordinator for a large organization and it is allowing me to learn about conferences and I will be doing some travel. 

My experiences last week were very unique to my career. I  embraced it all and am so happy to have been able to go to Austin to my first conference with this company. Through blogging I have been able to attend several conferences. But, being on the opposite end of assisting with the logistic, running the registration office and connecting and communicating with the vendors. It was all new to me. I loved learning it all. I look forward to being further involved. We go to Vancouver in 6 months, that I am sure will be an experience all in itself.

My 2 years prior to this job, were definitely an experience, I hated that I couldn't just settle and be happy in my job at my old company. I tried. Time and time again. I adjusted my attitude, changed my perspective, and moved into a different position, just to make it all work. At the end of the day. I felt like giving that all too well known "break-up" speech, "It's not you, it's me...". Truth is, it could have been a little of both. The company was large. Some of the employees that I interacted with daily, lacked social skills and didn't know how to separate "home from work". The company is so large and production drive that culture truly lacks.  And, the focus is not on creating employees that can work together and instead focused on; how much more money can these people make us.

Today. I am in a completely different spectrum of all that non-sense. I have creative freedom, autonomy, and employers who want to build you up as an individual to create a productive employee who will grow with the company. I came back from a great trip and conference experience to the through of, "now what?" As if I have reach the peak of my current experience and am ready for so much more. I am being propelled forward and motivated to do so much within my position. And, then I thought, I have lasted longer at jobs I didn't like, so why I do feel that this job is propelling me to go further? Maybe even into a bigger and better position else where?

I realized that this is what you call a "career" high. Finally for once in my life, I don't feel like a company  isn't giving me enough motivation, they are giving me so much I want to fly. But, instead I should step down from my cloud and pace myself. Do my job and prepare for what's next. Be reminded of the realities of life and deal with it all, one day at a time.

I need to refocus on my current tasks, step off of cloud 9 and settle back into reality. Taking it slow and truly learning what is required of me.

How about you, are your current career choices making you love your job or do you have regrets?

::15 Things I do Daily to be Productive::

Because, well it's true. 

Sure; I don't have a live-in nanny, personal chef, trainer or daily hair and makeup stylist, but I manage. 

While I might not look like Beyonce everyday, cause occasionally...well you already know! HAHA. Flawless. I do though have the same amount of hours as her, as we all do. Those hours count to me and I fulfill them not only with work in Corporate America, but also following my dream, caring for children, nourishing my marriage and watching my Novela. Come on! Don't act like you don't watch, cause I know you do. Oh, and please don't call me on September 23rd at 9 p.m. 

Here are 15 things I do, daily. Yes, DAILY. To be fully productive and allow myself time for just about everything. 

1. Laundry-Not full on loads of laundry. I do most my laundry Friday night, that's right while most are out partying it up, I do laundry. It's very helpful. Daily; I collect clothes, sort and throw in a load to wash and a load to dry. The empty baskets don't last but loads literally get lighter. 

2. Lists- I make lists of things I want to do, things I have to do and things that need to get done. It helps me remember and keep things in order. I still end up forgetting most days but they are helpful to sort my thoughts and things I have to do. My Husband is the same way. 

3. Prepare for Tomorrow- I try to do as much as possible the night before; get my lunch ready, write a blog post, lay out our clothes for the next morning. I iron in the morning but I at least know what the kids will wear and what I will wear. I make sure my Hubby has the clothes he needs... shirts, socks, pants, etc. He selects his outfits in the morning. One less person to plan for. 

4. Meal Plan- For a while now we have been planning our meals out on Sunday night when we do groceries. Some Sunday's we can prepare for Monday but it's hard. We don't like to eat the same meal more than a couple of days, so meal planning is thought of at the beginning of the week but we prep and cook almost every night. Or every couple of nights at least. 

5. Tidy- I usually clean on Sunday mornings, but everyday I like to pick up toys and put shoes away. It helps keep things in order and trust me some days are easier than others. Most days, I don't really care. The mess is a mess but we are ok with that now. Having {2} small kids calls for constant toys and stuff all over the house. {I have learned to live past the judgment, especially from child-less people.}

6. Relax- People are always asking me; when do you sleep or if I sleep at all?  I do. And, I also have a ton of lazy relax time. I really do! Trust me most days I am relaxing. Plus I have said this several times, I am a home-body. My son is just like me. Give us a good reason to lay on the couch all day, or no reason at all, and we are there. Rest is essential in getting things done. 

7. Write- Even if I don't post it, I write almost daily. If I don't, I will forget it. It's part of getting old. Haha. If I don't write I record voice notes on my phone. Or a short video to help me remember what I want to write about. Writing is what my therapist recommended. She really did. It has helped with so many sleepless, restless nights of constant thought. Just write it down, get it off your spinning wheels. 

8. Take pictures- If you follow me on Instagram or FB then you know, we love pictures in our house. I take them daily and post throughout the week. It makes for easy sharing and I don't overload the social media stratosphere all at once. So, rarely do I post things the moment or day of. 

9. Wake up Early- Yes, I start my day around 5:45-6 a.m. depending on what my goals are for the morning and day. It's hard but I pull myself out of bed and get going early in the morning. I get myself and Camila ready everyday for work and school. My Husband gets Santi and himself ready. 

10. Go to bed last- To make sure that I have some quiet time and get it all done. I do go to bed last around midnight or 1 a.m. But, no I am not always tired. I do the following {2 points} to maintain my 34 year old self healthy and strong. Plus it's true the older you get the less sleep you need. I used to hate getting up so early and on the weekend I do like to sleep in. 

11. Exercise- I exercise, if not daily at least every other day. 30 minute walks, 1 hour walk/run or 1 hour Zumba. Or, just about any workout I can get in. Even if it's 15 minutes, I do it. It's  must. It's also my alone/relax time. And, the older you get the harder it also is to lose weight. I don't necessarily exercise to lose weight but I do like to maintain myself. It's a daily battle. 

12. Take my Vitamins- I take a ton of vitamins- Vitamin B, Iron and Omega 3 with Fish Oil are the most important. 

13. Talk to friends- I have a few friends I talk to daily. Just to say Hi, or to vent or to bounce ideas off of. It helps ease the stress and tension. I like to share with them because I always get positive and honest feedback. Most of them are Momma's as well, as most of them have full-time 8-5 jobs, so they are very relate-able. But, I do have friends who are single or don't have children. 

14. Read positive notes/Bible- Right now I am doing a 30 days of affirmation challenge on Instagram. So, I try to not only read positive happy notes but also write them for other women and Momma's like myself. It helps. I try to make time and actually sit and read my Bible. I need to do it more often. But, I have several with great devotionals that come to my email and I read those daily. My faith has pulled me through the toughest of spots. It's only fair I dedicate some time to praise and pray for all the good in my life.  

15. Listen to music- I listen to all kinds of music throughout the day. Keeps me motivated and in a good mood. Helps fill the quiet space and even gets my creativity going. I love music. 

I know. It seems like a lot and I do have 2 {dos} kids. We do have dinner around the dinner table every night. I cook almost every night. We also have a semi-strict bed time routine that we follow. My Husband and I usually talk about important things right after work, we vent, let it all out and then enjoy our family time.

So, you see. If Queen Bey can do it, SO CAN YOU!!

How to Walk Away Gracefully... #StartingOver

I honestly don't believe the decision to walk away or leave is simple or made over night. I feel that it's made over time and after a lot of thought. Regardless of what the situation is. Leaving, removing yourself from a certain place, person, situation, area. To me it happens over time. It's something that is planned. You plan in the back of your head. You take all the actions needed to move forward. You take the steps that will allow you to leave with the most respect, most humbleness.  Depending on the situation you want to leave without hurting the other party involved and without feeling guilty or bad about your decision. 

Of course some situations are extreme and you do leave and don't care what is being left behind or who is being hurt. And, you might not care about the ties being broken. Those are different situations. 

For me, it wasn't something that I thought of yesterday or 3 weeks ago or months ago. Unfortunately it happened day one, over 2 years ago now. It was my job. My "career". But, from day one I didn't feel that it was for me. In the back of my head, I have my friends words with me when I told her where I was working and what my duties were. She said to me "Connie, really?! It's like putting the sun in the closet!!" 

She was so right. It was. 

I gave up after a while. Most days, I felt horrible. Because it was my job. I wanted to do my best and did most days. But some days, I just didn't care anymore. 

I looked for a long time and then I let it go. In the beginning of this year I decided to focus on my job and do well. Forgetting about the idea of leaving and even received a promotion. Months passed and I still didn't feel right. From one day to the next at the end of June, I had an interview. Suddenly, it all fell into place.

For the first time after a job interview my Husband said, "do it." If you know my Husband you know that he analyzes everything, within minutes you will know what he thinks and how it will all play out. So, for him to agree with what the new job was offering was a "sign" if you will. 

To me because things happened so quickly and just happen to all work out, it meant something.  I start my new job next week...

Whether or not its a new perfect situation. I don't know. But, I do know it's a new perfect situation to start over. To be myself again. To be renewed in who I am and how far I have come. At 34 being given an opportunity to continuously excel. To find myself again, because along the way, I lost who I was. That creative, happy being that LOVES working and meeting new people. Hence my blog thriving. I constantly seeked to be validated and renewed through my blog and all the events I attended. Filling that emptiness that had been created. 

An opportunity to do my best again. 

I had created a stand still. Filled with excuses and allowing others to lead when I knew I could so much more. But, the frustration set in and I had given up. That was me. How was it possible that everything else had fallen into place but my career had taken a stand still. I applied to so many jobs and received a constant NO.

Today, I am filled with hope and inspiration by the simple and almost silent, yes. 

A strong, resilient YES! Don't give up, ever. Keep pushing forward and working towards your goals and dreams. Follow your heart. Listen to your gut. 

Do you need help keeping motivated and being Inspired? HERE ARE SOME POSTS THAT HELP ME CREATE MY VISION:

http://mommaofdos.blogspot.com/2014/11/time-changeseasons-motivationalmonday.html

http://mommaofdos.blogspot.com/2015/04/a-2015-vision.html

http://mommaofdos.blogspot.com/2015/04/mujeres-legendariashouston-event.html

http://mommaofdos.blogspot.com/2015/05/women-empowerment-series-houstonlatinas.html

http://mommaofdos.blogspot.com/2015/04/vestido-rojo-latinasgored.html

::Hello Monday:: Oh is that you March?!

People often ask me, how do you do it all? I think last week was the most I heard it. I have two toddlers, a Hubby and home to help take care of. I also write this here little ol'blog and a new blog that I just started in January. From about November to March I also volunteer for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Oh yeah. I also have this kind of full-time job, Monday thru Friday 8 to 5pm.

 

My house is never perfectly clean, my kids are wild and we don't mind eating out. I also have a lot of support from my Hubby, my Momma and my Hubby's immediate family. We also often recruit his Aunt and 3 of his cousins; all of who often help us with watching or picking up the the kids.  It's true that it takes an village to raise a child, in my case in takes a lot of family members to help in following your dreams, reaching your goals and yes... doing what you love.  

It's rarely easy and it required a lot of constant communication. Sometimes things work out and I can get it all done. Other times, I have to let go of events, sacrifice time and skip out on family time but at the end of the day, I love my children and my Husband. They love me and we do have a good life no matter how late we go to bed or how hard some weeks might be. 

In all honesty. This has been my life for as long as I can remember. Busy. I do often wonder if it's me trying to fill a specific void, and it does. Can't discuss much but it's mostly to fulfill the emptiness I feel career wise. I also feel that it's part of my sense of purpose and what I was really meant to do. The busy life actually keeps me sane and funny enough happy. I try to do as much as I can and it never seems to bother anyone. I think if I stop, I will stop forever and that scares me. 

Last week I was; on a local television show, I worked my regular job everyday, I volunteered, attended a conference and wrote a blog post everyday of the week. My kids are extremely patient with me and our life. They also love to be silly and are used to me and the picture taking. I try not to pressure them and as soon as I know they are ready to go home, we end our day. 

My best advice for women who just don't know if they can "do it all"? 

First off. If you really want to just do something, DO IT. Nike, really does have a good point. Just Do it. You never know if something will work unless you try it. If you try and you don't seem to have a good feeling or it just never seems to fit into your life, then at least you tried, right? Yes. And, you don't have to keep a certain lifestyle or schedule, it's your life you can do what you want. I do what I do, because I love it and I want to do it all. But, please note, I don't do it all and often I reach my limits and time runs out. I don't ever feel like a failure because at least I tried. 

Secondly, find a good balance and schedule. This includes finding help. You need to have a good strong support group around you. You also want to have people in your life who may not understand all that you do or why you do it but who don't mind helping you.  Because deep down inside those people believe in you and your ability to succeed at anything you set you mind on! I try to do as much as I can and discuss schedules with my Husband often just to make sure we are all the same page. Like I said, some weeks are better than others and if something just doesn't fit in the week, then I simply don't do it. I often pick 1 or 2 events that I know will really be beneficial and go to those. We do make family time and children's activities a priority.   

Finally. Don't compare. Don't compare your journey, your stage in life or career to anyone else's. Just don't. We are all fighting a different battle and what works for me, may not work for others. I do fall into this comparison cycle some times but then I use those moments as inspirations to be better and do more for myself, my family and what I love which is to write and keep my blog up! 

My biggest motivation to do all that I do, my Husband, my kids and my family. I want to be the best me and a good example for those in my community. So, I work hard and attempt to do as much as I can, not just for myself but for those around me. And, in the words of James Brown {cause I saw Get On Up last night, HA.} "If you are gonna do something do it right!" Maybe I should have people call me, Mrs. Gomez. Ha. 

I try to do all that I do the best way possible and in the best time for me and my family. That's all I can do... and I simply do what I love to do! 

Why I don't rush on Monday's...

via Pinerest

Our lives are filled with "hurry let's get this done" and "hurry let's get out the door". Especially over the weekend. A while back I realized that come Monday morning if I wasn't on time I began to get frustrated and realized how things just didn't go my way. I decided that I would stop. Especially on Mondays. 

Our weekends are filled with fun activities, family visits and new adventures for the most part. Come Monday morning even my Husband and I are completely exhausted. Therefore for the following reasons...I don't rush on Monday's. 

1) I Don't like to Yell- When I rush, I get frustrated and become upset. I find myself mad at everyone and raising my voice. I often feel like an awful person when I yell. So, I don't like yelling. I am sure my kids hate it too. Since I do it every other day, why not take a break on Monday. It makes for a much easier day for everyone. No deep heart feeling on my part and no children staring back at me like I am crazy. It breaks my heart, a lot. Plus it proves my Husband's point, that I yell a lot. 

2) My Kids deserve a Break- My kids are little; 5 years old and almost 4. They have no idea what grown-up responsibilities are and in reality at this point in time, shouldn't have to really worry about it. They understand everything and I am guilty of in the past telling them, "hurry cause I am going be late and I will get fired!" NOT at ALL anything a young child should be worrying about, but it comes out when I rush. So, I stopped. Then my heart breaks when I might mention "can we hurry guys" and my son will say "yes, Camila we need to hurry cause then Mom will get fired." At which point the guilt trip happens. 

3) 5 more Minutes makes a Difference- We all need that extra rest, I have found that when I don't rush and let my kids literally get those extra 5 minutes in of sleep, they do better. They wake up and are more willing to participate in our morning routine. If as an adult we are tired and don't want to wake up on Monday, how do we think that these little bitty people feel about it? Who yes are very strong and healthy kids, but how can I expect something from them that I myself don't want to do! Just a thought that sticks in my head. I usually tell them, "I know it's hard but we can do this." It helps. 

4) "It's not that serious!"- When I was in college I specifically remember a Biology teacher giving us her first day of class lecture and ending it with, "This class will not make a doctor, it might not even matter 4 years from now! So, I am telling you right now, relax, enjoy the class, because honey IT'S NOT THAT SERIOUS. Unless you are dead, it's not that serious!" She told us how stress can kill you and how her class was not one to die for. Or many things in general that we feel are "important" are NOT as important as life itself.  As much as I need my job and to get my bills paid... it's not that serious and if I am 15 or 20 minutes late it will not kill me.  

5) Rushing makes me forget- When I rush I end up forgetting things I need to do or grab before I leave the house. I end up having to come back in the house more than once and making me yes, even more late. Or, I would leave the house all together make it to my kids school and work and realize, I didn't leave them blankets for nap-time or my purse was missing. Does not make for a very good or productive morning. Instead I think about what I need, I gather it by the door and take my time. When I don't rush my mind is more clear and I can think better on what needs to happen before I walk out the front door. It's so wasteful to have left the house and to have to come back. I would rather not rush and get it all done right the first time around. 

::2015:: One Word + Goals

It's been days since 2015 began. It has had a gloomy start but nothing will hold us back. Starting the year off by giving myself a "break" from last year. A little break from writing to help me focus on life. I say that lightly. I really don't know how to take breaks. But, I have been, thinking. Reflecting on what's to come and oh yes, focusing. 

Focusing on a life once forgotten. And, the future of what will be. 

::Focus::

It's my word for this year. In an effort to focus I created a new blog. Yes, I know. Hectic. But, we will see how far it goes. It's a focused blog on Women's careers', their passions and community. Latina Momma in Houston.

I also started a Vision Board on Pinterest to help me organize my thoughts. I am de-cluttering my home along the way and creating a better space for my writing and imagination to be more inspired and in tune with what really matters.

Focus, such a simple word. 

¹fo·cus

: a subject that is being discussed or studied : the subject on which people's attention is focused

: a main purpose or interest

: a point at which rays of light, heat, or sound meet or from which they move apart or appear to move apart;especially : the point at which an image is formed by a mirror, a lens, etc.

::Goals::

2015 for me will be one of focus, on not just my blogging topics but my career as well. As many of you may know, this is not what I do full-time and honestly, I like that I have  a full-time job outside of Blogging. Helps me keep a good balance. I discovered long ago that staying at home was not going to be an option for me, personally just can't do it. I prefer the chaos of work/life balance, the nonexistent down time and the network I have created through my jobs. 

Focus this year will be on:

- Obtaining a better full-time job, currently the situation is toxic. Not fun. And very much un-motivating. It just never seems to be enough. I have fallen into this place of complacency that isn't healthy. I am afraid to fall into a normal everyday routine, not because I want to but because I have to. It basically sucks the life and passion right out of me. Finding the best place for me has been a journey worth traveling. I have so far learned what I am truly worth, and I can't accept anything less. I have also discovered that I don't want the kind of job that everyone else has because I know that something better is our there. I truly crave a different kind of life. 

-Attending local and very specific events for my blog. Only taking those jobs I really want and find purpose in. Writing only about the things that motivate me and push my blog to a higher place not just what everyone else is doing because it's good for the business. I don't want to be a part of just anything. My blogging will probably be less and more purposeful and informative {due to prior conversations with other blogging and like-minded Momma's } as well as a journal type style about our everyday life. 

-Working with truly like minded people. That's all. 

-Writing at least twice a week on both blogs, January will be tricky but I think I can do it. 

-Finding a school for my children. My kids will start school this fall. Pre-K and Kinder. We will see how this goes. Lots of research in the works. 

-Attend Mixers and Networking events at least twice a month for personal, de-stressing purposes as well as to grow my network. {This is usually easier said than done.}

-De-clutter my home, very much needed. 

-De-clutter my brain and re-gain focus. Which will help in relieving my everyday life from thoughts and ideas that are not serving much purpose. 

I often find myself sighing at work, feeding off of the negative and frustrated air around me. I don't want that. It's not a good way to feel on a daily basis. I am usually a happy, positive person who wants to love their 8 to 5 job and feel good energy around them. These days , not so much. 

2015 must be one of change towards a more focused life.

Last year I craved peace. I now have peace. I have peace in so many areas of my life that once lingered. Those places that are so difficult you feel like you are the only one dealing with them. Thoughts of what others may think, no longer. I am at peace with myself and the universe around me. Discovered that when people are not at peace with themselves they like to make others think they are the problem. Truth is all they need is peace in order to find peace around them.

In all, I have some work to do and slowly by surely it will get done and 2015 will be amazing. We had a minor set back this week, but nothing our little family can't handle.

What about you, what is your focus this year? Do you have a word that you have chosen to make your focus for this new year?