I haven't written in a really long time, two years to be exact, but I found myself in a little bit of a rut and I have decided that I am going to take this blog in a new direction. This is going to be something much more personal.
Recently I have rediscovered a book that my sister bought for me a few years ago called "You Can Do It! The Merit Badge Handbook for Grown-Up Girls". I've included the link in case you would like to find out more about the book and possible challenge yourself to complete parts or all of it yourself. I am going to take you step by step with me while I start to make changes in my life that I hope will also be enjoyable for others to read.
Basically the book contains a series of "Dare to Dream" type challenges and as you go through completing them you receive merit badges, just like in Girl Scouts. I was never in Girl Scouts myself, just Brownies... something about my mom not wanting to be a Girl Scout leader, hahaha. So, lets get down to it.
The first challenge in the book is Dare to Dream.
"Imagine this... Anytime you want you can leave behind the world as you know it and enter the world as you dream it. Follow your imagination all the way up to the podium to accept your Nobel Peace Prize, or onstage to take a bow with Baryshnikov. You allow yourself to think bigger than life, becuse even the most fantastic dreams have something to tell us about who we are-- and who we may yet become. When you finally let those deep-down dreams bubble up, your spirit soars, and everyone around you is uplifted by your example...." That is basically the first paragraph in the chapter. It challenges you to make 3 play dates with your imagination, answer a few jumpstarting questions and visualize your dreams in reality so that you can watch them come true. This morning I was starting to answer the first few questions. I was about a page and a half in my notebook in when I realized that I type way faster (and with better spelling) then when I write by hand, and that's what brings me here. Ok, lets get started!
- What have been the proudest moments of your life?
The proudest moments of my life have been when I moved on my own to Miami. Also, when I received the Ambassadorial Scholarship from Rotary International, and the fact that I am still living/working in Mexico. I have a lot of things that are on my proud moments list which I still have yet to accomplish, such as
- Become financially independent/free
- Get my Master's Degree Title
- Own my own company
- Land my first consulting client
- Consider myself a successful entrepreneur
Despite these 5 things, I am still very proud of the fact that everything I am currently doing, and the direction that my life is going in is towards making all of these things possible. I am proud of the fact that I never settled or got stuck in a job or town because it was confortable. I may not make a lot of money at this point, but I am 100% the owner of my time. Yes, I have bosses and managers, but I have created a work environment for myself that is exactly how I like it. I don't have to report to an office. As some of my friends in Miami know, getting up on time and getting to the office was one of the most challenging parts of my day! hahaha I am able to schedule my own appointments and manage my own calendar. I know the consequences of not getting the necessary work done during the day and decide for myself where I work, when I work and how long I work. Sometimes the results of those decisions are that I work from 9am until 9pm, and sometimes I am able to have lunch with friends or have a beer at my desk on a super hot Friday afternoon.
But all in all, I am very proud of the fact that I am living independently in Mexico, working towards goals that are my own and will eventually cause me to have the life I want instead of working to make someone else money/success.
- What would you do if you won the lottery and money were no object?
If I won the lottery... hmm.. well I am assuming that since money were no object the sum was quite large. First I would put at least 50% of it into investments in order to secure that the money was going to continue to be around for quite a long time.
Next I would pay off all existing credit card debt, which isn't much, but it would be nice to have it off my back.
And finally I would take about 10,000 dollars for me to spend on whatever I damn well please! Remember, we said this was a lot of money so 50,000 would be like pocket change. I would use that money to plan a vacation for myself (and my boyfriend) in Europe. I want to go to Italy, Germany, England and Spain. I would also buy a couple tickets to Asia and the Philippines because heck, I'm already on that side of the world. I would also buy new clothes. Lots of new clothes! Some really nice bottles of champagne just for the heck of it and I would get surfing lessons. Once my play money was gone, I would get back to normal life working and continuing to grow professionally (and I would be able to check off that proud moment above of being financially free)!
- What did you daydream about as a kid?
When I was little, I wanted to be a lot of things. I was never one of those kids that knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. and then became that. I still don't think I know exactly what I want to be when I grow up but at least now I'm a little bit closer. :)
I always wanted to be an actress. I loved performing, speaking, playing sports and doing all those things were I was in the spotlight. I know it probably sounds very egotistical, but I liked completing and doing things where people were watching me. I think somewhere along the lines I lost that spark. When I was in highschool I always wanted to be the center of attention, and I had the confidence to do that, but as I grew up I started losing that confidence, doubting myself and standing in the background more and more! I am hoping that to try to get that back.
I have my first speaking engagement, in a long time, coming up in August. Maybe, hopefully, that will be the start of me getting back in front of the crowd and not being intimidated anymore!
I have been writing for about an hour now and that is how long I had planned for this first "date with my imagination".
Thanks to whoever is reading this. Please feel free to write comments, I will check and answer them and I am hoping to make this a weekly ritual, so please come back next week to read what date number 2 brings up! Thanks again and good luck dreaming!
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