Forgiveness is Hard Enough, but is it?

I have been doing a lot of reminiscing and thinking back to situations when I was younger that use to make me mad. No matter what the situation is, I know now we have no control over what and how people react and do things.  Because at the end of any situation in life we always have a choice.

Yes, i said it. A CHOICE. A move we can make.

I am an analyzer, and also a libra lol. So before I make any move I really have to think about situations.

But this isn't about me.  It's more about forgiving yourself after an argument or something you did that hurt another person.

You must be thinking, "Forgiving yourself? Alba don't you mean forgiving the other person that made you upset?"

Well yes, you have to (or choose to) forgive them, but before you forgive them, you MUST really forgive yourself. How can forgiving yourself help you?

Lets first start with letting that tension go.  Getting angry takes away more energy than being happy. Its a fact.  So while your upset about a situation that you can't really control or if its not going the way you planned, you are already wasting your energy mad about it then really trying to solve it or let it go in its own direction.

May sound a little confusing, but observe another fight or situation you or someone else may be in, and you will see! I promise.

I am going to share with you a VERY personal story, that made me feel mad, upset, angry, pissed, sad, ... EVERYTHING.

I was a senior in high school, and graduation was coming up. In about 4-5 days. My class and I were going on senior trips, excited for the big day. That Wednesday our class was going paint balling. While everyone was outside getting their cars ready, some one told me my principal was looking for me. I got called into the principals office to face the worst news of my life (at that moment).

*Mind you,  during my college application phase earlier that year, I literally kept receiving rejection after rejection. No acceptances, but 2 out of my list. I was frustrated and depressed. Seeing all my friends get acceptances while I was getting rejected was probably the hardest. Going to a College Prep school wasn't helping the situation in any way.  I ended up getting a full scholarship to do a gap year in Brazil (which was my life saver at such a down peak). *Happy dance*

But back to the story. My principal told me I wouldn't be graduating with my class (which was 2 days BEFORE graduadtion).  Because of an end of the year research paper in which I failed by TWO points. (I never failed a class in my whole middle-high school life)... I broke down, I pleaded to just walk on the aisle with an empty diploma and make up my paper.

She didn't budge. What I wanted most in my life at the time was my dad to see me cross the stage. He moved to Florida when I was 11 and he was traveling to my hometown, Boston for my graduation. I kid you not, that is all I wanted, to hear the words "I am proud."

I committed to my middle and high school so much; throughout my passion of clubs and any leadership roles I can grasp. And I never failed a class before! Never would I have thought I wouldn't have walked with my class.

The point? Well after that situation, I HATED every teacher in my school that existed. I felt like they looked down on me because:

 a) I wasn't going straight into college
 b) I didn't graduate with my class

I felt like everyone was against me. My parents didn't understand, my family was not really supportive of me going off for a year out of the country. It felt like everything was just going down hill.

But once I left the U.S, I realized I still held a lot of that hate within me. And I kid you not I felt it in my chest like a big ball wanting to just explode. And thats exactly what I did.  I talked about the situation with my friends abroad and just cried. I yelled, I swam in the water to let all that held in energy completely go...FREE. But what really helped me was writing.

I chose to forgive myself, and remind myself that I did nothing wrong. That I am valuable and I am unique. Remind myself, that my path may be the one I hadn't planned, but it sure was going to make me happy no matter what problem came across.

Then little by little I began to forgive everyone else. Not like I told them "I forgive you".  But in my sanctuary place. Where only I knew.  I had truly forgave them and did not keep ahold of any sort of grudge. Didn't happen over night, but over months.

There is always an outlet. You just have to find your own outlet, the one that truly frees you from any sort of negative energy that YOU do not really need in your life to truly be happy.

The challenge is to be aware and consistent with forgiveness. There is always a challenge you can over come.


Peace&Love,

Alba

Want Success? Go and get it..NOW

Hey dolls!

You know the feeing of WANTING to do something, but you just feel so lazy? My favorite Example: you want to watch tv but the remote control is alllll the way on the other side of the room, but you are to comfortable laying there on your sofa. BAM! If only we had a magical wand to do as we command? Yes we all dreamt of it.  Sorry this is not Hogwarts :(  

"We want everything now and we want it without earning it" - Rory Vaden

We all want results, but forget it really takes time, consistency, and dedication. One You Tubber I follow: Spoken Reasons, made the perfect slogan that everyone can apply to their life every day!!

FCHW : faith, consistency, and hard work.  IT MAKES SENSE RIGHT?! Yes indeed it is true. 

You all know Michael Jordan, the best basketball player of all time. But have you tried to figure out HOW IN THE HELL DID HE GET THERE? Did he just wait for someone to scout him or just loved basketball and played well? Ummm sorry to say it did not come to him, he went to it.  Here is a quick 10 must-read Success Lessons from Michael Jordan I found online from his Auto biography.

http://www.mrselfdevelopment.com/2013/02/10-must-read-success-lessons-from-michael-jordan/

But doing things we don't feel like doing is not as hard as we perceive it.  In fact its easier than we think, we just got to do it and start thinking differently.  

"Successful people have all had to do things they didn't feel like doing in order to get where they are" - Rory Vaden

Peace&love, 

Alba 

A little twist is all you need

Hey dolls!

Holy cow can I just say I feel like a kid getting reading glasses for the first time, relieved! 

So I signed up for a free acting workshop about three weeks ago. Apparently the workshop was today and I was rushing to get to the workshop, (hey it was free!) I wa super excited even invited my homegirl but she already had plans :( . So I am looking for the workshop in the building full of tons of other studios and asking everyone in the elevator if they where there for the workshop too; but everyone gave me a face. Not a mean face but a " i don't know what you are talking about, I am in a rush to my class, hope you find wherever your going" face. You know what I mean? 

I get to the 4th floor because security said it was there, and it's a dead space. On my left I see people giving hugs to eachother and I am like ; hey I don't know you guys and it feels like I am lost :'(. 

I ask a girl on her laptop if she know where the workshop was and she's like "ummm.." And on my right there is  a teacher trying to open her studio room fidgeting with her keys. She turns around and asks me, " what are you looking for?" And I tell her the whole story and she tells me it's on the 5th floor and to have fun! 

So here I am on the elevator trying to hurry up and get to the workshop. I get to the fifth floor and everything is empty, well the hallways are. But I hear classes going on. I see one studio door opened and I am thinking, how very welcoming (thinking this is the studio for the free workshop). I walk into the room to find a guy with his legs up on a chair, chomping  on ice, typing on his laptop. I ask him if this was for the workshop and he's like that studio is not in this building. I am freaking out thinking it was a scam (beware!) 

But it turns out he was a teacher and the owner of the acting school we were standing in. He was explaining to me how the school came about. And I really was agreeing with many facts and scenarios he was bringing up. He even showed me a small clip of how the school came about. He explained to me that acting is not to act or learn how to act. He said it is about really living your life in any situation. That usually actors are told to do an action or to feel from a similar situation and most of them get stuck and hit a wall; beause they are not really feeling what they REALLY feel at that very moment. (Sounds like meisner, but totaly different). He kept going into detail about what I should be looking for within training: I should be looking for professional training and trying to master being free. He wasn't trying to sell his school so much but he was really feeding me this interesting knowledge that I have thought about but was very unclear.

THIS WAS CRAZY, because it felt like it was what I needed, he laid the clarity that I really needed to hear! (Since it was very fuzzy in my cute brain) ha!

Let me tell you, I came out of tht studio feeling a little brand new, (strange must I say!) as if my perspective was changed, as if a big weight was taken off my shoulder. I felt amazing! (Of course I took his card!) but what does this even mean? 

I guess I gotta figure this out for the next part that connects to this puzzle piece!

Who would of thought a city so busy could give you clarity?

Peace&love,

Alba

Success is earned

Hey dolls!

Its been too long! Hope y'all are doing great!

Lately I have been doing so much thinking, that if my brain was a volcano I am pretty sure it would of exploded already. You know, the kind of thinking you do when you start questioning where are you in life and are you doing the right things? The thoughts just flutter around like a group of birds flying in the sky.  .. Since I am always trying to stay positive, even when I think negative sometimes (hey we are all human!)  I seek for books to be my personal mentor.  <3 #NERD lol

The one book I can read over and over (and I tell you it will never get boring) is Take the Stairs by Rory Vaden.

This book is a constant reminder that success does not come to people that do not work towards it. I mean yeah there are those LUCKY people that win American Idol and win the lottery, BUT think about it.  Millions of people audition or play the numbers and all hope to be the "next star" or be the next millionaire and have no worries! (hakuna matata)  <--- we all want that

Americans have been brain washed to take short cuts in life. Really, think about it: No offense to the people that have gotten these surgeries done; but if women now a days are constantly searching for skinny pills, strict diets, and are getting lipo- sections done instead of setting a goal to eat healthier and work harder in the gym.. does that not prove that there is a real issue on our influences around us?

And from my experience in Brazil, apparently America is are also influencing them to use credit cards.  Since it is recommended to get one to start your freaking credit (WHYYY). I remember talking to many Brazilians, asking them why they even had one because I don't and one answer I got was " If all the Americans have it and use it to buy anything they want with out really having the physical money why can't I have one?" RESULTS.. most likely big fat pool of debt.

To be brainwashed or not to be, that is the real question?

We all are very capable of learning the real facts. Most of us have smart phones or a library with internet access and can start changing the way we think and perceive life. If you really want to make a difference, we first have to start with ourselves so we can create the domino affect within our family and friends.  Abetter place starts with a better you. Just take action!

I highly suggest you get this book!! It is the best book that has landed in my hands, you won't regret it!

"Success is never owned, it is only rented, and the rent is due everyday." - Rory Vaden

Peace & love,

Alba

Communication, really is KEY

Hey Guys!!

So I am not sure if y'all remember, but I got hired by a salad company about three weeks ago. Let me tell you something! The manager left off that he was going to contact me to let me know my schedule. Two weeks fly by, and I have not heard a ring on my phone from him.  I called him a couple of times and left a message and got nothing.  What do you do when your anxious to work right? You want the job so bad for whatever reason you need the money for. My reason is to save and invest in my career. And I think thats pretty important! Well at least to me :)

Anyways, I call again and he answers, I say hello and say my name again incase he has forgotten my existence and he yells with surprise " OMG I forgot to call you back!" And from there we move forward and agree to meet up at one of the stores. But really inside I was saying, "What kind of manager are you?! I wonder how many other people have been put on hold just because he was on vacation...not professional at all!" 

I had the meeting with him, he makes me sign a paper saying I will get paid for the training hour I did, etc. So why does he wait until the end of the conversation to tell me that my schedule is too hard to work with.. PAUSE. What kind of sense does that make? First of all a JOB is suppose to work around you're schedule. I am sorry I am a full time student and committed to my main priority. A job comes after that. Second of all, I don't recall you saying that when I had my interview, because my schedule has been the same for months sir. So the fact that its the managers job to make it work out.... I am gonna say ya didn't pass. But I am still getting paid for training. I better be lol. But he left off, telling me he will continue to try to find a store that can work with my schedule that he has been doing that all the time we haven't spoken....WHY didn't he communicate this with me since the interview? I would have kept it moving and applied else where.

Life lesson- Even if you score an interview and make it to the next level, pretend you never had that interview and carry on with applying to other places if you are still looking for a job.

On higher positions part, please do communicate with any employee what you are doing or what is really going on because honestly, "AINT NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT". People just want to get hired and carry on with their lives.  By not communicating in general makes situations become problems that can't be solved until later on, which is worse. Just lay the cards out, be honest, real and let people know what you think or know. 

How wonderful would the world be if everyone communicated what they really felt? I can tell you, it would be a better place with less people being "offended".  It all starts with comminicating with people in you're life, people that you have relationships with, etc, if everyone puts in their part the outcome would be beautiful. Don't you think?

Peace&Love,

Alba