SLOW DOWN

Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast – you also miss the sense of where you are going and why. -Eddie Cantor

When was the last time you called a time out in your life? You know, time to slow down and refresh so you can continue playing this game at your highest level. Society has told us that we must get to the next level, find the next job, or just simply hustle more. While it is true that it is important for us to have a plan and vision for the future, we can’t let this vision steal us from living in the present. I am all in for investing in yourself, making yourself better, and being the best version of yourself, but somewhere along this journey these aspects became such a thing in my life that I forgot the most important principle for me to become better; “be before do”. We think that if we do more we are going to become more, but reality is that no matter how much we do, if we don’t work on being, before doing all we are going to become is the same person we were before, but with a busier schedule.

I just came back from a trip to Atlanta with my school. To make the story short, I was blessed to win the FBLA (future business leaders of America) State competition for public speaking and client service. This allowed me to advance to the national competition where students from all over the U.S who also won in their events, gather to compete and become national champions. This time the national competition took place in Atlanta Georgia. I had never been there before, and if you haven’t been let me tell you that if the opportunity present itself you must go! It is such a fun city to do things. However, even though Atlanta was such a great opportunity for me to seek the “next level” that was not my mentality at all. See, a couple months ago I’ve been working on being as real as I can with the people who surround me. I do not want to miss a moment in my life because I was too busy focusing on the next one to come. I used to be the type of person who always needed to be talking to the right person, I was always too busy to stop and have a conversation with a stranger. Unless this stranger benefited me in some way, I needed to be moving! I know it sounds horrible, but it is the plane truth, and I am not here to lie to y’all because like me, I know there is many people out there that are going through the same thing. Reality is most of us weren’t born this way, remember when you were little, and another kid would walk up to you in the park asking you to play? Without hesitation you would play with this kid even if you didn’t know them before. It didn’t matter if this kid could hook you up with other kids, or let you use their toys in the future. You were just there, fully present and building a genuine relationship. However, society has taught us that we need to benefit in some way for us to build a relationship. That is messed up! We no longer get to build real connections because all we are seeking is something in return. We pass up on good people, overlook potential mates, and without even thinking we shoot the door of our heart right on people’s faces. It was never supposed to be this way. All over the bible we are commanded to love others. No matter who they are, where they come from, or their social status. I t doesn’t say love your neighbors if they can benefit you! It says, “love your neighbor as you love yourself.” (Mark 12:31). Why aren’t we applying it? When did we forget that in order to receive, we need to give first and not the other way around?

Atlanta thought me way more things than what I expected. I used to think that I needed a big platform for me to impact people, so I was always busy seeking for people that could help me build this platform. The idea was that once I built this big platform then I would have time to help those who needed it, but reality is that I don’t need a platform for me to impact people. There are many around me who need a friend. It wasn’t until I discovered this, that I realized the following “where there is a human there is an opportunity for me to leave a mark.” So, that’s how I’ve been trying to live for the past few months, and Atlanta gave the opportunity to see what a blessing it is to live this way. The times I went up to somebody never in my mind did it cross “what can I get from this person” instead, all I wanted to do was to love them. Like the time when I got to the airport and without hesitation, I just started talking with my man Sebastian, or that other time when I was in line to get my food and next to me was this stranger who later I would find out his name is Briston, and when I went to support these random students from Arkansas that I had met the day before. Every time I was just wanting to love them! Even though I didn’t know them, I knew I could leave a mark on them. Little did I know that the one being impacted would be me! See, we receive what we give, and when you are acting with a genuine heart God will make sure you meet the right people. He will put you in front of the people that he knows you need, but when we try to do it our way, that’s when we start missing out on the beauty of life; the little moments. You may think that what you need is to meet the next person who will help you grow your business or find that person who will help you have a better social status. Nonetheless. While you are worried about these superficial things, your creator is worried about what matters; your heart. If we could only apply what he desires for our relationships, I am sure never again would we need to try to find the right people, because the right people will come to us.

I could’ve taken this trip as an opportunity for me to find someone who could help become a public speaker, or someone who could help me grow my website. However, even though these things sound great, I could never be thankful enough for not seeking this! Would I have had this mentality I would have missed these angels that God put in my path.

My desire for you is to slow down a bit, take in every minute that you are alive, and allow yourself to pour love on others, because the secret is that when we pour love on others, others pour love on us. Don’t rush your life trying to meet the people who will benefit you, instead may you be a blessing for others. I promise you if you start living this way, you may get to be as lucky as I was during my trip, and in your journey, you may cross people like Sebastian, whose charisma and joy are unique. People like him will teach you that no matter what the situation ahead of you looks like you are always enough to overcome it. You may have the luck to cross paths with people like Briston, who will show you that you are never too old or too young to follow your dreams, people like him inspire you to be better. You may also cross paths with people like Eric whose humor sense is a little difficult to understand, but people like him will show you that there is always time to laugh. People like Tag, who their background is completely different than yours, but people like him show you that we are never too different to connect. Finally, you may be lucky enough to cross paths with people like Brenna, she was one of those who carries light in her, she shines and is selfless enough to share her shine with you, people like her fill your heart with joy, and keep you believing that no matter how many people have hurt you there is always someone out there ready to love you. So, please next time you find yourself rushing, remember that the person standing in front of you might be what you need in your life. They may not stay forever, or they might become a lifetime! Whatever the case is, it is worth figuring it out.

As I always say, I am happy to be growing with every person who reads my posts! Remember that we are not in this journey alone. God is here for us, so if you haven’t, I want to invite you to seek a relationship with him. If you already have a relationship, then keep pursuing him! You won’t have a perfect life, but it is the key to live a meaningful one.