So Why Now?

So yesterday I talked about the plan and a little bit why I thought it would be interesting to take this journey.

Why now? While each person has a different reason to make changes in their lives but for me right now seem like a great time for a couple of reasons.

It really all starting a couple months ago, in April I turned 26^th as I said in my last blog. However I hadn’t given much thought to this birthday leading up to it. My fiancé planned a big wine tour for me and I was so excited about getting together with so many of my favorite people, I didn’t really think about the number. However it was after my birthday and all the fun I had that it really starting to sink in that I was well…not a kid anymore. I started to do the math and realized that I was four years away from my thirties. I wasn’t completely sure what that made me feel like till awhile later.

Birthday Wine Tour Group!

Last year I graduated with my Master’s degree and was honored and called to accept a job as the Director of Youth Ministry at a parish in Rochester, NY.  It was a job I was excited about, but also required a ton of work to really get myself caught up to what had been happening at the parish, knowing more about the community and finally figuring out what God was asking me to do in that community.

However , the busyness of trying to play catch up and trying not to miss a beat in the parish also lead me to really neglecting the last part of what I just said, I was so busy doing that I started listening to what God called me to do in that community. This all really started to hit me after my birthday. The end of April is always a hard time for me. Every year my birthday is followed by the anniversary of my mother’s death. My mom was only 42 when she died, so even more the closer I get to that age the more and more fearful I get about not leaving a legacy behind.  Really that is a blog topic to come in the future but however let’s just say that also began me thinking about who I am now as a young women and not a college student.

I started to see that I have a very different role and needed to start redefining myself in this new stage of my life. I knew who the Vicky of undergrad and graduate school was; I can still even remember what high school Vicky was like (or the multiple different version of me that happen during those times of my life). But I didn’t know who this professional, engaged woman was that I had become. In reality and truthfully the 26^th year old Vicky kind of came on me without me thinking about it.

In June more changes happen, a dear friend passed away shockingly and left me really in a spot of seeing many people from a very different period of my life. Nothing makes you really question who you are as losing someone or being remind of who you use to be. So dealing or my lack of dealing really with these question lead to me stress eat and as I got on the scale at the beginning of July I was 20 pounds heavier that October. I knew I had to do something and I also knew that my spiritual questions, mental struggles and my physical challenges were really all tied to one big issue….I didn’t know who I was at this stage and I was just piecing together things without a direction or confidence that I once had in my life.

So here we are my goal is to start doing small changes and as I try things, to talk about them in this blog. I hope that I help you see how you can really take control and redefine yourself. My goal to create a confident, fun, and centered life for myself and through it helps you.

So, why 90 days? While it takes 21 days to make a new habit so first I figure I have three areas that I need to make new habits in, I better give myself more time. Plus I have a lot of work and as a very smart women once told me, you can eat an elephant (or a lot of stuff!) but you can only do it one bite at a time. So looking at my really big goals I wanted to give each small thing the time it desires. But I know by doing so I will have better clarity and confidence in the end.

So what is next? Do any of my problems sounds like something you have heard yourself say? I’d love to hear your story! Has what I need to work on inspire you to take up something for yourself? Hop over to the Facebook page and let me know!

Tomorrow is kick of day and I will start it off by sharing some of my measurable goals for this 90 days. 

90 Day to Transform Me

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. ~Melody Beattie

Greetings everyone!

Those who have read some of my past blogs know that for me I view life as a series of changes that we go through. Some are energizing and wonderful while others are unexpected and not so great…and of course there are ton in-between ones also! Since the last time I wrote here, I went through a couple huge life changes. I finished up my Master’s degree from The College at Brockport in Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Management. I got engaged to my boyfriend of three years, I moved out of my “small town” to the City of Rochester and I started a new job as the Director of Youth Ministry for a catholic parish here in Rochester. All of this while retiring from pageants and turning 26^th.

Turning 26^th as had a huge impact on me, and I am still starting to understand and sort through the impact of this new stage in my life. This birthday symbolized for me the end of my “college career” and starting my real life as an adult in a way.  And it has been a very odd feeling, for someone who felt like they matured pretty quickly growing up the idea of being so resistant to becoming a “real adult” seemed odd and confusing to me.

On top of all that, no one tells you how your body starts to change in your late 20s! Those who feel the desire can flip back through some of my old blogs and see that battling my weight has been a struggle throughout my life and it has seemed to get harder the older I get!

I have been lucky enough to find a really great transformational approach to food and also helping to recharge my body called the Advocare 24 Day Challenge. I will speak a lot more about that in my next post however I am on day nine of my 4th time through the program and it really has helped me start to look at food, eating and my body in a different way.

The change at how I look at my body really made me starting thinking about my life in general.  No one tells you what this stage of your life is going to be like, because for everyone this is a stage of true personal journey.  Just think about how at the same age, people are at such different stages. People I graduated high school with for example, some are married with children, some single, some traveling and some are still living at home! So this is defiantly a time where there is not road map for me to follow in my life and I need to make it up as a go.

In the middle of all, I also am struggling starting in a new profession and learning what my life is called to do. I am a big believe that I never what to do something because it makes a lot of money or makes me famous but rather because what I am doing is meant for me and also will positively impact others. I don’t want to be famous I want to know that my life and what I do creates meaning in the world. Now how am I supposed to clearly do this for others, when truthfully I am not sure where I stand with myself right now?

So all this lead to a breakthrough (or crazy depending on how you look at it) idea, why not devote 90 days to myself, improving myself physically, mentally, emotions and spiritually?

Novel idea, I mean how many self-help books, coaching programs and day time talk shows deal with this topic? For me it means it’s something people are interested in and if I am searching for a way to figure out who I am, and all these books are about it I can’t be alone. So then I thought, why not start blogging about this?

So now to come up with what I am going to do? Here are the areas I want to focus on over the next 90 days:

Physical Transformation: Some of my major goals in this area are to tone up, lose body fat and also start transforming how I eat. I am really concern with the amount of chemicals we put into our bodies and want to dedicate myself to making positive changes in this area as much as possible. Small Goals: Drink 8 glasses of water a day, track and start getting the proper amount of sleep of 7-8hours whenever possible

Mental Transformation: I know I kind of mocked self-help books but I think coming to terms with where I am at this part in my life and who I am is very important. I am becoming a different and new “me” if you will so I need to start figuring out what’s important to her. The purpose in this area is to allow for emotional healing, reframing my thinking and moving forward. Some steps towards this? Daily Affirmation, I am a firm believer in needs to reinforce daily in your brain what you want to be. So over the 90 days I will not only create an affirmation for myself, I will say daily and I will back in up with journaling and other ideas I find along the way.

Spiritual Transformation: I truly believe in the power of God in our lives and have my own personal practices as a Roman Catholic. However I feel like being so involved in planning and making spiritual awakening open to others, I really have started to let go of focusing on me. This is one area I have a pretty developed plan on, I took spiritual formation as a class last semester and tomorrow will post my promise to myself that I will follow through with over the next 90 days.

So come along the ride with me, the office start date is August 1^st, stay tune for more information and this crazy journey.

School Days

      So I have started my last semester of school last week. It is hard to believe six years of college have gone by so quickly. At points it seems like I never imagine being so close to having my masters, however on the other hand is the realization that I am not going to have to be a real grown up.

That seems such an odd thing for me. For such a long time I felt as if I had always been a grown up, and in some ways I was. I was force to grow up faster than some kids. However what I lack from circumstances, I made up for with drive to get to the next level.

      Never let where you start determine where you can go. If I did I would have given up before I started. Life is not about the easy points but by the times of struggle, the times you really dig deep and go father. I am not a perfect person and I have so many more challenges to go.

Are there times I want to give up? Of course, if any one tries to tell you their aren’t times that it seems impossible to keep going, I don’t know if they are someone I would take advice from. Why I say that you can’t reach your highest highs, until you reach some lows.

        I was on a conference call the other day and I heard something I keep trying to remember during the most stressful times. Like right now when I am trying to figure out how to get all my papers done, eek. Anyways I really enjoyed it and hope you will too.

All successful people have four things in common:

              1)      They Take Risk, they don’t do what is safe

              2)      They are different, there is something about them that isn’t like everyone else

              3)      They are reserves of ridicule

              4)      They don’t work 9-5 jobs  

      I will have some great blogs to come soon I promise…Upcoming events: Miss Finger Lakes Pageant, Valentine’s Day, Our Leadership Genesee Class of 2011 reunion J

Miss Niagara

I attended my first ever pageant as a retired pageant girl! Without a doubt it was much less stressful watching a pageant then being in a pageant! It was a really amazing show and a great time with some of my pageant friends.

Life as be crazy lately, I started back to my masters, working two jobs and putting together some major fund raising events for local organizations.  It was great to take some time out and spend the event at the pageant. Congrats to the new Miss Niagara Desiree Wiley! All the girls were amazing first runner up was Julie Lamping and second runner up was Jasmine Juliana.

This organization truly impacts all the women who compete and helps take them to the next level. I am so lucky for my experiences and lessons I learned in the organization and feel blessed that I have been able to continue my involvement.   

 

 Miss Niagara Pageant 2012

 I also went to see Disney On Ice with my best friend Kelly :) It was awesome

Opposites Attract

I was looking on YouTube for ideas for the opening number of Miss Finger Lake's Pageant. I am so excited to be able to help out this year at the pageant, now that I am a retired pageant girl. While like everyone else once I was on YouTube I started to get sidetrack to a lot of things.

I ended up on this video, Opposites Attract by Paula Abdul. I was in love with Paula Abdul growing up, and I can remember this being the video that made me want to be a dance. I always was amazed by her skills. Truly look at this video and all her dance heavy videos. Say what you want about her but she can dance.

I was never as good as a dancer as her but I did love it. It's the best release you can have. There is nothing like walking into an empty studio, putting on music and getting whatever you are feeling at that moment out and express it.

Dancing was so important to me my whole life but became my life line while going through my mom's death and all the issues I had growing up. I truly think the arts can have a huge impact on one's life...even if you don't make it to Broadway.

So enjoy my inspiration :) And encourage the people in you life to try one of the many arts. It might be what they need to really grow into their true self

This Year-By the Number

A personal year 9 can have the following meanings for you: Death, Taking Personal Inventory, The End of an Era-The number 9 year is one of completion and marks the beginning of the ending of everything you have managed to accomplish during the last decade. This is an uncomfortable year for many individuals, especially if they are unable to embrace change. You may feel restless and things that used to interest you may be replaced by new desires. If you are not able to let go of the past willingly, a situation may manifest that forces you to change. This is the year you reap what you sow.

So I was watching Dr. Phil on Tuesday and they had a lady who does Numerology on it. So over the past couple blogs I have been showing what my birthday and name mean. Kind of cool right? I totally think my mom picked the right name for me after readying about it and I also have always known I had a cool birthday lol. 

Anyways I found a site that shows by when you were born what this year will be like for you...talk about dead on! I think this will be a very big year. I am finishing my master's degree in May and I will be exiting the world of school and entering the world of work and "adult" life. 

Its a weird sense of joy, excitement and also fear. It seems odd that I should be a real grown up, I feel like I have so much to learn and so much more to do before I am an adult. Life doesn't just start a new chapter and stop an old one. Its more of a book where the chapters flow into each other and never ends. I guess we will all see, as always I will keep you all posted.

Stuff About My Birthday

9 April 1987

Your date of conception was on or about 17 July 1986 which was a Thursday.
You were born on a Thursday
under the astrological sign Aries.
Your Life path number is 11.

Your fortune cookie reads:
Ideas are like children; there are none so wonderful as your own.

Life Path Compatibility:
You are most compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 2, 4, 8, 11 & 22.
You should get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 3 & 6.
You may or may not get along well with those with the Life Path number 9.
You are least compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 1, 5 & 7.
The Julian calendar date of your birth is 2446894.5.
The golden number for 1987 is 12.
The epact number for 1987 is 0.
The year 1987 was not a leap year.

Your birthday falls into the Chinese year beginning 1/29/1987 and ending 2/16/1988.
You were born in the Chinese year of the Rabbit.

Your Native American Zodiac sign is Hawk; your plant is Dandelion.

You were born in the Egyptian month of Paony, the second month of the season of Shomu (Harvest).

Your date of birth on the Hebrew calendar is 10 Nisan 5747.
Or if you were born after sundown then the date is 11 Nisan 5747.
The Mayan Calendar long count date of your birthday is 12.18.13.16.10 which is
12 baktun 18 katun 13 tun 16 uinal 10 kin
The Hijra (Islamic Calendar) date of your birth is Thursday, 9 Sha'ban 1407 (1407-8-9).
The date of Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 19 April 1987.
The date of Orthodox Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 19 April 1987.
The date of Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent) on your birth year was Wednesday 4 March 1987.
The date of Whitsun (Pentecost Sunday) in the year of your birth was Sunday 7 June 1987.
The date of Whisuntide in the year of your birth was Sunday 14 June 1987.
The date of Rosh Hashanah in the year of your birth was Thursday, 24 September 1987.
The date of Passover in the year of your birth was Tuesday, 14 April 1987.
The date of Mardi Gras on your birth year was Tuesday 3 March 1987.

As of 1/10/2012 3:36:56 PM EST
You are 24 years old.
You are 297 months old.
You are 1,292 weeks old.
You are 9,042 days old.
You are 217,023 hours old.
You are 13,021,416 minutes old.
You are 781,285,016 seconds old.

Celebrities who share your birthday:

Jesse McCartney (1987)	Keshia Knight Pulliam (1979)	Rachel Stevens (1978)
Austin Peck (1971)	Cynthia Nixon (1966)	Paulina Porizkova (1965)
Dennis Quaid (1954)	Michael Learned (1939)	Avery Schreiber (1935)
Jean-Paul Belmondo (1933)	Hugh Hefner (1926)	Ward Bond (1903)
Paul Robeson (1898)

Top songs of 1987

Faith by George Michael	Livin' On a Prayer by Bon Jovi
Alone by Heart	With or Without You by U2
La Bamba by Los Lobos	I Wanna Dance with Somebody by Whitney Houston
Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now by Starship	I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For by U2
Didn't We Almost Have It All by Whitney Houston	I Knew You Were Waiting by Aretha Franklin & George Michael

Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 3.53894324853229 years old. (Life's just a big chewy bone for you!)

Your lucky day is Tuesday.
Your lucky number is 9.
Your ruling planet(s) is Mars & Pluto.
Your lucky dates are 9th, 18th, 27th.
Your opposition sign is Libra.
Your opposition number(s) is 6.
Today is not one of your lucky days!
There are 90 days till your next birthday
on which your cake will have 25 candles.

Those 25 candles produce 25 BTUs,
or 6,300 calories of heat (that's only 6.3000 food Calories!) .
You can boil 2.86 US ounces of water with that many candles.  

In 1987 there were approximately 3.7 million births in the US.
In 1987 the US population was approximately 226,545,805 people, 64.0 persons per square mile.
In 1987 in the US there were 2,421,000 marriages (9.9%) and 1,157,000 divorces (4.8%)
In 1987 in the US there were approximately 1,990,000 deaths (8.8 per 1000)
In the US a new person is born approximately every 8 seconds.
In the US one person dies approximately every 12 seconds.

In 1987 the population of Australia was approximately 16,394,641.
In 1987 there were approximately 243,959 births in Australia.
In 1987 in Australia there were approximately 114,113 marriages and 39,725 divorces.
In 1987 in Australia there were approximately 117,321 deaths.

Your birth flower is DAISY

Your birthstone is Diamond

The Mystical properties of Diamond

Diamonds are said to increase personal clarity to help one see things clearly as well as be straight-forward and honest. Supposedly, the higher quality the diamond, the better it is supports these qualities.

Some lists consider these stones to be your birthstone. (Birthstone lists come from Jewelers, Tibet, Ayurvedic Indian medicine, and other sources)

Opal, Quartz, White Sapphire

Your birth tree is

Rowan, the Sensitivity Full of charm, cheerful, gifted, without egoism, likes to draw attention, loves life, motion, unrest and even complications, is both dependent and independent, good taste, artistic, passionate, emotional, good company, does not forgive.

There are 350 days till Christmas 2012!
There are 363 days till Orthodox Christmas!

The moon's phase on the day you were
born was waxing gibbous.