The Self-Care Tag

As you may have noticed, I have been away for quite some time over here.  I have been kind of active on my Instagram but I haven't really been blogging blogging.  Why?  I'm not entirely sure.  One thing I do know is that I (still) don't have the internet hooked up at my place - and as much as I thought it was going to suck all the time, it doesn't suck that much.  I don't need as many distractions as I thought.  No TV has really gotten me to focus on other things.  Though I admit, I miss my stories!
One thing I did was get wrapped up in the "Goodbye 2014, Hello 2015" hullabaloo of writing down goals, intentions and manifestations for the new year.  Check out Louise Androlia's post about it (which was what inspired me to get writing)!
In that hoopla, I resolved to get my 2014 Show Reel DONE.  Did I get it done?  Absolutely!  In fact, I just uploaded it to various social media outlets yesterday and this morning, so watch it, like it, reblog it,  embed it, share it, and all that good stuff, please!  Thank you in advance :)
Okay, okay - so what the eff does that have to do with anything?  The fabulous Ellie at 30, Fabulous and Broke has tagged me in the Self-Care tag.  What the heck does that mean?  Well...you're about to find out!

1.  What piece of advice would you give a child about to grow up with the pressures of today’s media and its crushing expectations?

I admit, I've been thinking about this one ever since my nieces were born.  Every time I see them, I feel like I need to instill what I feel like my mom instilled into me about being a strong, independent, Latina woman.  I always tell them to never be afraid of what people think of them - good or bad.  Since they're young, they're still at that "IDGAF" stage kids are at with clothes and saying stuff they probably shouldn't but do anyway and I hope it stays that way.  They're lucky though, because they live in New York.  I only say that because they get to experience many cultures, people, races, body types...anything and everything goes and I think that's good so that they can keep an open mind about everything.  They're got a good family foundation, so I think they can maneuver just fine.  As for other kids, I think it's important that the be exposed to lots of positivity via the blog-o-sphere.  Tumblr is a great place of acceptance and I always get teary when I see beautiful posts on acceptance blogs.  I follow all kinds because they're wonderful and I wish I had that growing up!

2. What song puts you in a good mood every time?

Oh goodness.  There are so many.  It changes with the seasons, I think haha!  Here's my Top 5 for this particular moment:

"Come Get It Bae" - Pharrell Williams

"Walking On Air" - Katy Perry

"I'm Off That" - Pitbull

"Do My Thang" - Miley Cyrus

"F***U I'm Famous" - Bleona (my new woman crush forever!)

3.  What is the best advice someone gave you or you realized about life?

My mom always tried to get me to quiet my anxieties.  She used to say I was born anxious and experiencing my mid-life crisis from the get go.  What caused me to be so...antsy?  I was always afraid: afraid of upsetting people, afraid of what others thought about me, afraid of the unknown.  So I shrank deep into the background.  I joke around about why I became a video editor / behind the scenes person for my career and that's because I like prefer the spotlight to be on others instead of myself but I like to know that I helped them look good.  Ha!  It has been a hard road.  Last August, I did something that was really REALLY hard and in November, I moved out on my own - no roommates, no companions...my own space.  It's weird.  It's wonderful.  It's peaceful.  It's anxiety-inducing (at times).  But it's insanely satisfying.  One thing that helped was reading Freedom from Fear by Paramahamsa Prajnanananda.  I read it in the space between my break up and moving in to my new place...TWICE.  It was very eye-opening and heartwarming in that I realized a lot of my fear was based on the unknown.  But we can't control the unknown, we can only follow the paths that have been laid out for us to choose.  I have experienced destiny changing before, so I don't fear it any more.  Nothing is set in stone - your life is yours and you have the power to make it whatever you want!  :)

4.  Who makes you giggle like a giggle monster?

OMG - when am I NOT giggling?!  Almost everything makes me laugh/giggle/smile!  There isn't a particular person, it can be anyone or anything that can put me in a fit of giggles!

5.  What is something about society that bugs you that you wish didn’t?

There are too many things, I think, but I'll have to focus on the male-centric view of the world.  In my male-dominated field, it's tough to get taken seriously.  Add to that the fact that I'm Latina and that means I get pushed further and further back into the shadows.  Sometimes I feel like I have to work a million times harder than everyone else because of my race and gender and I would love it if we could just STOP.  I know I'm not the only one...

6.  What is one of your favorite things to do on the weekends?

So many things!  I love to relax with my bae and watch my stories (at his place, of course), spend time with my friends - though I admit, I have been neglecting them lately, and play a new-to-me card game.  I forget what it's called but my Brazilian friend taught it to me and I can't get enough!  We recently started playing couples: the BFs vs the GFs and boy does it get heated (in a good way)!

7.  What is something you’re really proud of that you’ve done?

Though it doesn't seem like it because I've been neglecting them, I'm really proud of the Creepy Hearts Club.  I'm hoping to iron out a solid plan with them so I can get them back up and running properly this year!
I'm also really proud of myself for making really rough decisions (you know Libras and their decision making skills) and taking that leap of moving out on my own.  It was hard but I'm glad I'm doing it.

8.  What is one of your favorite memories with a friend?

Oh dear - another tough one.  There are so many favorite memories!  I have such a great time with my friends and I love them all!

9.  What advice would you give to someone who needs a boost in confidence?

I'd have to agree with Ellie on this one: Listen to your favorite song. Scream it as loud as you can. Then kick some ass (not literal ass, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN).

With that said - always know that you are attracting what you put out: if you're feeling down, you get bad stuff in return.  Hold your head up high and think of yourself like rockstar and you'll be surprised at what happens.  I'm not saying to treat people like shit or anything, just change the air about you.  If you radiate confidence (even if you're not feeling 100%), it will still make a positive change.  Even something as small as how you dress will help your mood.  Remember: You are amazing!

10.  Lastly, how do you plan on investing in self-love?

I plan on taking better care of myself.  I slipped on my diet last year (sorry not sorry), gotten into some bad-ish habits and somewhere in there, I forgot about myself.  I plan on speaking my mind more, being more honest with my feelings, letting my feelings wash over me instead of letting them sit in my heart, being more confident in my work, letting go of A LOT, and trying to exercise non-attachement.  It will be hard but that's all part of the journey, right?  Nothing is supposed to be easy!

Thanks for the tag, Ellie!

I now tag the following lovely gals:
Jess
Marisa
Fab

I hope you're New Year is off to an amazing start!