A week ago today I celebrated my 22nd birthday in the best way possible: at the ballpark!
The Houston Astros 2017 and 2022 World Series banners above the home run train in left field of Minute Maid Park.
When I saw that the reigning Word Series Champions were going to be playing at home on my birthday, I knew I had to grab tickets to go. Once I secured my tickets months in advance, I then wanted to find the perfect game day outfit.
This bling Houston Astros logo v-neck was perfect for a casual and stylish look to don at the ballpark.
Upon entry to the game, everyone in attendance received a Jose Altuve 2022 World Series replica ring.
Before finding our seats, we visited the team store. There I was able to get a Jeremy Peña World Series white and gold jersey (thanks Mom!). I chose second-year shortstop Jeremy Peña’s #3 jersey to represent the day of my birthday on the 3rd of May.
Our seats gave us a perfect view of the field, in line with third base and home plate.
Even though we lost, we still had a great time at the ballpark. We were even witness to an Alex Bregman two-run home run, his first in Minute Maid Park this season.
Today marks the start of the third year writing for this blog site. For the past three years I’ve learned so much about myself through writing and sharing my words with the world.
This year l put out some of my favorites pieces to date. At the same time, I faced some of the toughest times creatively. I came to a point where I felt stuck, completely sucked dry of any ideas. I felt burnt out on the one thing I love to do the most. As a writer, it is the scariest feeling to feel like you have nothing left to say. There is no doubt in my mind that writing is what I want to pursue, therefore I vowed to myself not to quit. I think the first step in following any personal passion is to be your own biggest supporter. When your efforts seem futile, you have to keep moving.
Oftentimes I find myself revisiting and reading over works of mine as a reminder to myself of my potential. In the name of recognizing my own personal growth through my writing journey thus far, I want to take a look back and proudly showcase some of my favorite pieces I have written within the past year.
I think it’s fitting that one of the first times I felt truly proud of a work that I put out came earlier this year when I wrote about my love for writing.
As mentioned previously, this year met challenges that I had yet to face so intensely before. Just when I thought my creativity was all used up, I decided the only way I could accurately portray such daunting feelings is to write about them, so I used them as inspiration and turned them into one of my favorites pieces I have released to date.
The dichotomy of these two works is distinct, but I now realize this is the reality for many creatives.
Since the start of my pursuance of writing, and this year especially, I turned to words directly from various writers in order to stay inspired and driven to keep moving with my passion.
In the notes app on my phone, I keep a list of quotes that I feel I can relate to or that motivate me. These are just the quotes I added to the list shortly before the new year.
Inspiration is all around us; in the busy streets, on our televisions. It’s potent in every melody of the songs we play and in the lines of every book we read. It’s abundant in all aspects of art, we just have to open our eyes and recognize it. I personally am guilty of not searching for it enough. This year, I owe it to myself to seek inspiration. I will read more, observe more. Only then can I write to my best ability.
As a firm believer in manifestation, in every article I have ever written for New Year’s Day, I typically speak on my goals for the coming year. I’ve come to learn that goal setting or the trendy idea of “New Year’s resolutions” are merely wishful thinking without progressive action.
While we all have the capacity for our words to become our truth, sometimes the things we wish to manifest for ourselves are material possessions we expect to acquire immediately. These expectations only lead to despondency and reduced ambition. As of recent I’ve found solace in positive affirmations. In your daily life, you must speak with a positive attitude as if you already have everything you could ever dream of. Rather than expect to receive anything you want, truly believe that you deserve it and actively put your efforts into making it become a possible reality.
You can’t put a measurement to success, nor can you compare each of your own achievements to those of someone else. There is no timeline to when you will see your wildest dreams come true. All you can do is hold yourself accountable under your personal goals and pursue them with tenacity.
2022 taught me about patience and approaching each day with optimism. I can’t be certain what the future holds for me and my journey through writing, but I do know I am full of creativity and with it I will achieve big things someday. Until then, I just have to keep moving.
~~~ Happy New Year! Here’s to a happy and prosperous 2023! 🎆🎇
》 Faith It ‘til You Make It 《 