Five things that make me happy? Easy-peasy.
1.) Learning/Teaching: When it comes to learning, I’m like a 2yr old who constantly asks “why?”. Not to be a brat but, if I’m intrigued by something, a superficial overview simply ain’t enough. I got questions. I wanna dig deeper. I wanna understand the nuances. And the more I understand something, the more excited I get about sharing it with others. And that’s why I love teaching so much. I love the challenge of finding effective ways to communicate concepts, ideas and skills to others; especially in ways that inspire curiosity and excitement in them too.

I started upgrading my self-care during the holidays with REST. Like, the stay in bed all day kinda rest. Like, the Netflix, nap and repeat kinda rest. Over the past two years I’ve been highly productive but also overworked, full of anxiety and totally depleted. My weekends? Gone. My 2hr bi-monthly manual MFR treatments? Gone. My sanity? Gone. What did stay consistent was my Pilates routine. Five days per week! That’s the glue that held me together; physically and mentally. That, plus journaling. But even that suffered. And when I’m not journaling, it’s usually because I’m avoiding the truth of my current emotional state.

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.

Never in a gazillion years did I ever think that this was #goals but… I’m going to make it a habit of going outside everyday. The pandemic shifted my life to the confines of my apartment where I teach Pilates – virtually. I take Pilates and Spanish lessons – virtually. And I get my arts and culture – virtually. And if I’m too lazy to go grocery shopping, it’s Seamless.com to the rescue! I only need to go outside on Tuesdays and Thursdays because I recently started renting space at a Pilates studio to teach a limited number of students. This is the polar opposite of my pre-pandemic life.

In 2022, my biggest priority is to nurture my mental health so I can live the fullest and most vibrant expression of myself. My inner-strength, inner-confidence, & inner-peace are non-negotiable at this point. They’ll no longer sit on the back burner while I give every ounce of my soul to my career with a mix of relentless ambition and fear-based survival mode. F**kcovid and f**k past experiences that have molded me into the work robot that I am. I see you and rebuke you! I’ll also avoid toxic relationships or conversations that weigh heavily on my spirit and fill me with anxiety.

A birds-eye view of my life would indicate that I only care about work and Pilates. And I just so happen to teach Pilates for a living, so my life appears to be rather monotone and unbalanced. It is. Thank god I love teaching, studying, and practicing the Method! But my other interests got squeezed out by Covid shutdowns, my relentless work schedule, and – the real culprit – anxiety. Once my personal and professional life became confined to my NYC apartment, my spirit simply shut down and I went into survival mode. So in 2022 I plan to pursue some of my former passions, because I know I deserve to live more than just this abbreviated version of myself.