2012: Dreams Come True

One night in December 2011, after a particularly inspiring class of Stress Management, I went home and made a box out of paper. On different colored post it notes I wrote down my hopes and dreams, things that I wanted to accomplish some time in the future. They weren't new years resolutions, they were just goals, it was just a coincidence it was right before the new year that I happened to write them down. I got the idea from a classmate in my stress management class who came to America from Korea. She came here with nothing, had no family or friends. She left her teaching job in Korea to find a better life for herself. She was depressed all the time because things just weren't going her way. One day she wrote down her dreams and put them in a jewelry box. Things started changing in her life. She went back to school, became an accountant, met a great guy. She had forgotten about her box until one day she found it and opened it. To her surprise, everything she had written down had come true. She showed us the box and it was empty. She had tears in her eyes as she told us her story because she was so happy that everything she dreamed had come true.

The point of this exercise isn't that your dreams and goals will be accomplished by some sort of voodoo magic. The point is that, once you have a clear idea of what you want, you will do what needs to be done in order to be happy. The universe will put things or people on your path that will help you achieve your goals. It's up to you, with your new found clear vision and strength, to chose to acknowledge those things/people/opportunities or not. 

I wrote down everything I wanted and the reasons that, at some point in the future, I would be happy. Today, I opened that box and looked at what I had written down 13 months ago.

There are a few things that I still have yet to accomplish and some things that I sort of ignored and slipped on (which makes me feel super guilty!) but for the most part, a lot of the things that I wrote down came true, which is crazy. Obviously, like I said, it wasn't due to any sort of magic! I worked towards what I wanted and took chances that paid off. 

The first thing that started changing was being healthy. At some point in early January I decided to stop drinking sugary drinks because I wanted to live a healthier life. Slowly I transitioned to only drinking water, which was super boring, but whatevs. Around the same time, for some weird reason, Vince decided that he wanted to be healthier. So, coincidentally and inadvertently  he helped me to stay on track with my goal. We started playing basket ball and the weight started slowly coming off. At the beginning of the year I decided to have surgery on my back because it had been messed up for a while and I was in constant pain. I planned on having the surgery in the summer. I had the surgery, had an awesome three week vacation/recovery and once I felt 100% I started exercising for real because, for the first time in nearly half a year, I was able to bend and jump and run! 

The beginning of the year was when I began to make changes, but the summer was really when everything started happening and falling into place. After my surgery it felt like I was a new person. Perhaps it was due to the pain meds, but I was considerably happier! The summer was so amazing, when I think about it it feels like it was someone else's life. The crazy thing about it is that it actually FELT like summer, just like when I was in school. As an adult, we don't really get that feeling anymore because we are always working. But for those few glorious months, even though I returend to work at some point, it felt like I was a kid again; care free and happy. Honestly, I can't remember the last time I was so happy that I would smile for no reason... so happy that my mind would wander into beautiful day dreams, so happy that I didn't even care it was so hot (I hate hot weather!) IT WAS SO MAGICAL. 

But, sadly, the summer ended, life went back to normal and it was as if I woke up from the best dream ever. I returned to school in the fall to start my second year at IVC. Life was average, although I tried to bring back the spark of summer time, it wasn't really the same. Vince and I kept going to the GYM and playing basketball when we had the chance. At some point other people started playing bball with us and we joined the GYM, even though I was against GYM's. I mean, you could just run outside! Or play basketball in the park! But everyone was doing it, and being the conformist I am, I joined too thanks to Vince getting me a membership against my will!! Life was good...ish.

The second biggest thing I wanted to change was my financial situation. I've always struggled with money because I'm horrible at saving, love buying people stuff and waste money like crazy on stupid things I'll never use. I was honestly so tired of being poor, because I truly was poor, that I started looking for another job. It was a scary prospect to leave a job that I was comfortable in but I was done being miserable due to money. And besides, I'd been working for Regal for almost 7 years, it was time for a change, and they weren't going to give me a raise so I applied to different places. Sadly, everyone rejected me. I was a little discouraged but I didn't give up!

 One day, I noticed that Cinepolis was hiring so, after a few emails, I got an interview. Then a second interview. Then I started working for the company in November. I was a little nervous but I was excited that I was getting A LOT more money and that, perhaps now, I wouldn't have to struggle financially anymore! Well, two months later, I am happy to say that I am happy with my financial situation although now I am money hungry and want MOAR. But, I will slowly work towards that. 

Unfortunately, I let school fall to the back burner while I started this new position, since it consumed all of my free time, and that is the one thing that I am most upset about. It's not that I couldn't juggle a full time job and going to school full time, it's just that I stopped trying. That is something that I will definitely work on in the next few months. I decided to take this semester off as I try to re-focus on what I want/need to accomplish.

The holidays this year were pretty great. I was busy due to work but I think that it was one of the best holidays I've had in a long time. I sort of went holiday crazy in November and decorated the apartment like a Christmas fiend! But it added that warmth and happiness that was missing during previous holidays. We had our Christmas party in early December to kick start the holidays. It was SO  much fun because it felt like Christmas morning with all my favorite people. For Christmas, I went to Vince's families house and we had Christmas dinner on Christmas eve. We played games, listened to holiday music, ate delicious turkey, opened presents, ate dessert and passed out on the couch while watching A Christmas Story. Vince and I didn't open presents until the day after Christmas when we came home from work. It was fun opening presents by the tree. I got lots of pretty pink stuff and Vince got lots of dude stuff. 

We celebrated the new year by going down to SD to hang out with the SD crew. Vince, Alice and I went to dinner to celebrate her birthday and we had Menchis after that. We went to Noella's house and hung out with our friends by the fire pit as we waited for midnight. The night was cold but it was a fun evening full of friends, food and fun. At midnight we all toasted, cheered and counted down the seconds until January 1, 2013. Vince and I went home, with super stuffed bellies, smelling like smoke and freezing cold. We started the New Year right. 

So, in a year I managed to lose close to 40lbs, begin a healthier life style by eating right, get a new job so that I'm not always struggling with money and with all that came happiness. I think it's important to be happy with yourself before you can make others happy and yeah, I'm pretty happy. I know that there are a lot of things that I have yet to accomplish and I am adding new things to my box. You must have a positive attitude so that you attract positive people and positive situations to your life. Negativity attracts negativity. So my advice: no matter how low you get, keep on moving forward with a smile on your face. YOU have control of your own destiny (Prince Zuko) don't let others dictate how to live your life. Break free! Be happy! And don't care what others think! 

Sincerely,

Maritza (sittin' in this chair wearing no pants cuz IDGAF)