The past 365 days of my life can best be compared to a kitchen blender. Sometimes life was choppy or smooth but the last two months of 2011 I was going through a few dicey moments. The year 2012 was not going to be too tasty if I didn’t change my situation right away. The recipe to my happiness needed a healthy dose of writing. It is one my passions and when I step away from my passions I am not as fulfilled with life. Of course, I didn’t notice this until after it happened. It took major drama in November to wake me up from my slumber of mediocracy. I was excelling in helping others reach their dreams but I had neglected mine along the way. No more! I had to change the menu around. Too much sour, not enough sweet.
My life was getting choppy. So, the day before Thanksgiving I flew to visit my sisters, brother-in-law and my new baby niece, Bella in New York City. I was wounded by betrayal, the pain was excruciating. I’d invested so much into others with no return at the end. Something had to change. It was a mixture of the air in New York City, the personalities of my two sisters and the innocent face of a baby less than three weeks old that helped me realize that I had abandoned myself. I didn’t return to Miami feeling all powerful. But, I returned a little wiser and more determined to focus on what matters most in my life.
Each sister in her own unique way told me to get it together! Start focusing on myself and forget other people. Be selfish! No one gives up that much of herself for others. Stop sticking your neck out for teachers who aren’t willing to do the same for themselves. Don’t be a mentor to anyone who isn’t willing to work on himself when you are not around. You can’t heal the world but you can help yourself to be a wealthier and healthier person body, mind and soul. Yup! That’s what they said!
Of course, I am paraphrasing because their words were much harsher. All the time I had invested into Voldermort, I should have invested in myself and now I had no excuse. No! I don’t mean the real Voldermort. But this Voldermort is a blog topic for another day. I am to avoid any more Voldermorts in my life. A Voldermort is not necessarily a person. It can be a group of toxic people or a lost cause project sucking the life out of me and keeping me away from my true intentions in life.
I would refocus my attention on www.audacitymagazine.com which had been untouched for almost two years! That’s the exact time when I had started to invest too much into others! My brother who is a genius with websites said he would help me revamp the site and make it better than ever before!
I founded this non profit online lifestyle magazine to empower people with physical disabilities to live an audacious life. It was my baby many years ago and I had neglected it. Now hope was alive again! Check the site out and give me your thoughts on ways to improve upon it.
Did I have enough time to tackle on another project? With my website getting a facelift and teaching full time as at a middle school, I couldn’t fit one more project. Or could I? Turns out I could! My sister, Tanya offered me a part of her company, www.LaCosmopolatina.com . I love starting up companies! It’s a spicy blend of excitement and adventure. The site offers daily tips to Latinas in the United States of America. Turns out there are millions of women like myself who were born and raised in the USA yet, have a connection to their parents’ background.
Two projects! Both involving social media and my writing skills in two areas that strongly shape who I am. The year 2012 was looking good, right? Wrong. After teaching for over 15 years in Miami Dade County Public School system, I can not even afford to rent a one bedroom in a neighborhood I’ve lived in since 1985! Is it my fault that the School Board has not honored my contract? That topic too is for another day!
People have told me that my life is better than a reality show! I wish! At least they got paid for behaving stupid. There is a silver lining in this situation. I might have my own reality show very soon. If I can’t find an affordable place to live in my neighborhood, I will have to live in my car. If that happens, I will videotape it and place it on Youtube.com where several educational and disabled organizations have volunteered to make it viral in their parts of the country. There’s only so much I can take.
Tomorrow is my birthday. That’s when my new year begins. I’ll share with all of you my goals and plan of action for each of them. Join me on this crazy adventure and give me your thoughts. Doesn’t mean I will follow your suggestions but if I don’t and the end looks bad, you can say “I told you so!”