“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” —Dr. Seuss
This past year has been one of the most trying moments but also the most rewarding. Abruptly ending a chapter of my life that was expected to be part of my entire book, I was forced to start over.
Through the process, I had to accept where I was, recognize who I wanted to become and plan how I was going to get there. Looking back on my goals I set out last year, I remembered a glimmer of the previous me and smiled at the person that I was becoming.
“You can’t connect the dots moving forward, you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that somehow the dots will connect in your future. You have to trust in something—your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well-worn path.”— Steve Jobs
You must endure loss to experience success. And the journey continues… That’s the beauty of life, it is ever evolving. Nothing stays still.
This is what I’ve learned on my journey so far:
- Don’t assume or expect anything. Nothing is guaranteed in life.
- Be your own change agent—things only happen with action.
- Have strong self-belief. Don’t settle for mediocrity.
- Live with passion. Wake up with excitement of the unknown.
- Set goals that make you scared. And just do it.
- Put a smile on someone’s face by having a positive mindset.
- Live a simpler life because purpose, passion and love don’t have a price tag or expiry date.
William Purkey said it best. I always read his quote to remind me of what life is all about, “Dance like no one is watching, love like you’ve never been hurt, sing like no one is listening, live like it’s heaven on earth.”
Mishka Alarcon 