Skip The Resolution This Year

Whether it's January 1st or July 23rd, there's always going to be something we'll want to change or improve about ourselves. If there wasn't, we wouldn't be growing.

Having goals is an essential part of life, but setting (the same) goals year after year and beating ourselves up for not accomplishing them is - I think - a failed strategy.

Let's try something new!

Here is simple mind shift for 2017: This exercise will amplify how balanced you are in life, as well as what's working and what's not:

Circle of Life Exercise 
click to make your circle

Once you've completed the circle, step back observe how you're preforming in each area without guilt or blame. Just observe.

What are you excelling in? What could use a little more work?

Now, let's set the "needs a little work" aside.

How can you experience more of what's working for you?

You know the saying: "how you do anything is how you do everything"? It's something I truly believe in. If you want more of what you have - you need to focus on what's working -so that it can trickle into the other areas of your life. If you're like most of us - you're probably not where you want to be- and that's okay.

What you focus on e   x   p   a   n   d   s   so rather than making a long list of things we need to change, let's start 2017 with a list of things that are working in our favor and make it a goal to do more of that :)

How does that sound?

I challenge you to share this exercise with someone you love and create an accountability buddy out of it! Accountability is definitely something that worked well for me in 2016.

What worked well for you this past year?

The circle of life is something I use regularly with my clients. If you'd like to dive in and create a purposeful 2017, schedule a free session with me and we'll do this exercise together. Gifting free consultations is another "win" on my list :)

For a turbo boost of accountability -- Register for the Let's Play - Mom's Only series! This in-person coaching workshop promises intentional goal setting and tools to help you become the mom you want to be.

In health and love, d.

Honor Generations Before You With More Than a Diploma

Last week, my husband came home from a financial conference, eager to share his new found knowledge. As I listened to all of this great information pour out of him, one powerful quote stuck with me and I can’t shake it off. He said “...Why is it that a single mother can raise 3, 4 or 6 kids, but 6 kids can’t provide for their mother." Shit. How’s that for a rude awakening?

I’m going to let my husband chime in here and tell you the rest, it's pretty good stuff so pay attention:

As second generation Latinos, we are greatly indebted to our parents; sadly, many of us think that debt can be repaid with a diploma and career. This couldn’t be further from the truth and here’s why:

Can you imagine leaving everything you know, to move to a foreign country where you don’t speak the language, many times – completely alone, with a sack full of clothes, risking your life for just a glimpse of what you imagine could be a better life for your family? Many wouldn’t dare entertain the thought. Our parents came here with a vision of freedom and prosperity, and were ready to literally break their back so that their children and children’s children wouldn’t have to. When you think about the perseverance, resolve and selfless-love they have - it becomes clear - a simple diploma couldn't possibly do any justice, but it’s a start.

Changing your family tree and creating a legacy continues with you and me. The journey of freedom and a better life didn’t end with our parent’s arrival and sacrifice; we have to continue to build that empire they envisioned decades ago. This is no small task. In order to provide for previous and future generations, we need to be purposeful in gaining financial, spiritual and psychological freedom, in order to pass along fruitful resources. How can you justify living paycheck to paycheck? Are you investing in your future? How are you gifting financial freedom to those you love? Snapchat, Facebook and Twitter don’t have the answer. That old and tired song "the rich keep getting richer" is just an excuse; surely you can learn what they know about money if you really wanted to, right? It's one thing to ride the "you don't know what you don't know" wave.  It's another to be lazy.

Follow the ambition of the trailblazers before you. Think of this as a never ending relay where the baton is passed on from generation to generation; we have to start taking massive risk like the generations before us. I truly feel that, if you don’t take a big chance on life, you're not only doing our Latino heroes a disservice- but more importantly you're putting your own family at a disadvantage to achieving true freedom.

We also have to keep in mind that if we don’t pass down this champion mentality, this cycle of conformity will continue. How do we expect our own children to look out for us or others if we're not doing the same? Do you think this is something they're going to learn with their heads buried in their electronics? I'm sorry to disappoint but it's not likely to happen. We learn behaviors from those we admire. (And those we influence are always watching).

Start thinking and acting with the big picture in mind, take large risk in your professional and personal life to become financially independent but more importantly, be intentional about changing the path your family is on- just like your parents did before you. For my wife and I, this currently means guiding our parents into retirement; their golden years! For most 1st generation immigrants in this country – it’s safe to say they don’t know the first thing about receiving their dues. Who’s going to teach them? That is up to you, my friend. Set them up for success. They’ve done it for you, now it’s your turn.

Knowledge is not power. Knowledge is potential power; what you do with it is up to you.

-Osbaldo Alonzo
Twitter: @ozz_ito

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Ummm, how amazing is he?! And how luck am I?! Honoring generations before us can be as small and simple as: helping them use technology, guiding and connecting them with relatives on social media, using Google to search for a recipe, something they saw on Univision or whatever they want.

To share more profound knowledge, learn and teach them about investment opportunities, how to maximize their 401K, stocks, bonds... The beautiful thing is that - all of this information is good for you and your children, too!

Love your parents beyond words. It would be a pity to regret when its too late.

If you'd like to know more about investments, 401K, life insurance, etc. contact me and I can put you in touch with this savvy man right here.

-Daisy De La Cruz de Alonzo
Twitter: @hey_dais

Mis dos amores

The first step is always easiest after its over.

So here I am. My first blog post.

I'm 28, venturing off into a new phase in life; I'm engaged to a wonderful man, slowly easing out of my 20's, changing my lifestyle for the better and constantly trying to find the right balance between this and that.

I've been part of this social-sphere for a little over 7 years now. Facebook started it all for me, then I deleted my account and moved to MySapce- quit that and went back to Facebook and added Twitter, FourSquare, Yelp, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest to my repertoire.

So, why start blogging now?

I've always wanted to do it. Over the years I half-ass attempted to blog and never followed through. I am determined to make this a year of accomplishments. I feel there is no time like the present to share my thoughts, transformation, tips and anything else I find useful along the way. Above all, I find writing theraputic. And that is just what I need in my era of change. All are welcome to follow- as is your feedback.

I apologize in advance for my typos. There will be many.

-Dais

My dream come true | Visiting rice paddy fields in Bali, Indonesia Oct '12