I’m focusing on relationships that feel authentic and expansive. The kinda relationships where we can show up 100% ourselves and still feel loved. Fabulous or messy. Winning or losing. We lean in, listen, support and encourage each other through the best and worst of times. We know the backstories of each other’s lives. The ones that shape our opinions, beliefs, and choices. Compassion and understanding live here. We respect our differences, and have fun exchanging our own unique perspectives on just about any topic under the sun. Our relationship is uncensored but respectful, full of forgiveness (when needed) and love.

I know I wanna keep diversifying my income streams with in-studio and virtual Pilates, plus writing and speaking opportunities. But here’s the thing: whereas I’m usually really clear about my career vision, the pandemic has made my dreams a little blurry. I’m in limbo. Like, I know what I wanna be when I grow up and why. But I’m not so sure about the “how” anymore because the world has changed and so have I. Nevertheless, I trust the “how” will come as I keep leaning into curiosity and saying yes to unexpected opportunities despite the internal voices telling me I’m not “______ enough”.

Success, to me, starts with a strong self-identity; knowing who I am independent of familial, religious or societal expectations. It’s knowing my core values and maintaining integrity to them in any environment. Success is quieting all the mental chatter and being still enough to hear my intuition. And then make choices in alignment with it. It’s also being able to recognize how the consequences of my choices reflect my strengths and weaknesses. And using those experiences as a catalyst for personal growth.

I believe that authenticity is the foundation for everything. I’ve gotta feel comfortable in my own skin; knowing who I am, what I believe, and what I stand for. Plus what I want, need, and desire to feel successful and fulfilled. And those things shift because life lessons build wisdom, life circumstances show me the impact of choice, and relationships serve as mirrors. So it requires constant self-awareness. But without being grounded in my truth, I have no integrity or sense of direction. And as someone who was raised in a cult, with a value and belief system forced upon me, I know how disempowering that feels. Because I was raised in a high control religion, I believe

As soon as I hear the word “accomplish” I think of my career. How narrow minded! Because, inside I know, there’s so much more to life than building a successful career. So it forces me to ask myself, “How else am I spending my time?”. I don’t want my life to feel so linear. I want it to feel adventurous, exploratory, creative, and as spontaneous as my introverted self can handle. Most of all, I want to create rich experiences for myself. So, what do I wanna accomplish by 2023? I want to REGAIN MY FLUENCY IN SPANISH and return to Mexico for an extended period of time.

In 2022 I will do a much better job at supporting small businesses because the economic wealth gap in this country is terrifying to me. Call me naive but, I still wanna believe in the American Dream. I still want to believe that ownership and upward mobility can be possible for anyone with innovative ideas, vision and determination. But over the decades I’ve watched NYC, one of the most spectacular cities in the world, systematically devolve into Every City, USA. Once characterized by distinct boroughs with unique neighborhoods, New York has become overrun by big box stores, chain restaurants, banks, and CVS pharmacies. It’s losing its charm and character as small businesses and mom & pop shops can’t withstand NY’s exorbitant rents. Nor can they compete with the one-stop-shopping of, say, Target or the ease of doorstep delivery from Amazon Prime;