Have you been able to reflect back on the last decade of your life? On the decisions you've made? Your career? Your relationships? Did you make a ton of mistakes but grown stronger from the choices you've made? Are you living your most authentic life and being true to yourself? Have you learned the power of saying no and create boundaries with people, places, and things that don't serve you in your purpose? Take a look back on your life to see how much you've grown and how your life has changed? Are there things you still have not done but have been wanting to achieve? It is never too late! It all starts now!
A new year in a new decade and a better version of myself. Let's go back into time and reflect on the last 10 years with memorable highlights. Personal growth, trusting the process, having faith, sudden changes, transformation, evolving... out of a long term relationship, replaced one career for another, traveled to 41 countries on 4 continents with a new perspective, mourned the loss of my beautiful mom, and became more self-aware of my existence on this earth as a spiritual being living a human experience.
2009 - My boyfriend and I dated for almost 3 years and decided to move into a 2 bedroom house for rent with a lovely backyard. Then we got a fur baby together from a french bulldog breeder and named him King Louis aka "Loubear" aka "Louballs". I thought I had it all, a good job, a great relationship, and work/life balance.
2010 - I lived a normal everyday routine from week to week, worked mostly 7 to 4 Mon - Fri, happy hour(s) with coworkers, indulged in delicious brunches on the weekends; quality time well spent with my ohana, friends, King Louis. I miss my pup dearly! My life was like a broken record on repeat. The passion and zest for life to conquer my goals that I set out before jumping into this relationship was on the verge of depletion.
2011 - My relationship was troubled. We both were growing but unfortunately apart. Looking back at my previous relationships, there was excess baggage that carried over into this relationship. I learned so much of myself of my insecurities, patience, understanding, what love is and isn't. I got so complacent in my life and all the goals I wanted to achieve were put on the back burner. I needed to let go of what no longer added value in my life (my relationship was questionable, old injuries kept flaring up on the job, and my health was dwindling away). Something needed to change!
2012 - My boyfriend and I broke up. I quit my job as a stylist in visual merchandising of 16 years in the industry. From fashion to food, I decided to go back to school in culinary arts. My life changed complete 180. I got certified as a hot hula fitness instructor because Polynesian dancing has always been a passion of mine. I had the best opportunity to work on set behind the scenes as an intern prep cook for Chef Ron Bilaro (past personal sous chef to Oprah Winfrey) of his cooking show, Ooh La Lam, which I eventually turned sous chef behind the scenes for a few seasons of his show. I became a certified natural chef in holistic nutrition and so fortunate to have my ohana's support. I have always wanted to travel and experience the world with a new outlook on life so I got a 1 way ticket using my frequent flyer miles to Milano, Italia. I paved my way thru 72 cities in 17 countries on 3 continents in a span of 23 weeks. I had no set itinerary, places I wanted to go with some historical landmarks to see, new foods to try, and unexpectedly planned spur of the moment country to country visits that I'd book the night before with new friends that I met along the way. So I hopped on their travel plans, really trusted my intuition, and it has not failed me. I sprained my ankle the 2nd week traveling while walking along the sidewalk in the Amalfi coast but missed the curb because I was too tipsy from many glasses of vino. This was not going to derail my plans of backpacking solo so I kept on trekking through the duration of my wanderlust! I had the pleasure of meeting so many wonderful souls that touched my life showing me how to slow down, go with the flow, disconnect from social media to stay connected in the present, to take everything in from all the sights and sounds. I started to realize I didn't have to see and do everything on my bucket list on a one stop shop. I loved everything about the diversities between the cultures of every country, the eclectic music, the delicious food I got to taste, the people that I met from so many ethnic backgrounds that I started to fully live in the moment. But then I got pick pocketed in Barcelona, Spain in front of my hostel right before I had to get ready to leave to fly to Morocco, Africa. This was after a fun night full of dancing until the wee hours of the morning and had to go to the police to try to report my stolen phone. I then headed to the airport looking on the brighter side of things because I knew I was going to experience riding a camel in the Sahara desert and camp underneath the stars in a surprising new country. I am so grateful that I had the chance to spend the holidays with old and new friends. My Thanksgiving week was with my friend who visited me from back home; we adventured into Seville + Granada, Spain. I felt right at ease spending Christmas with new friends and their families in Basque country. Ringing in the new year in Paris, France in front of the twinkly lights of the Eiffel Tower was everything and more. Overall, this was my most momentous year with so many challenges that I overcame, blessings in disguise, and personal growth of mind, body, & spirit.
2013 - I came back home from my backpacking trip through Europe mid March but needed a vacay from that vacay. I decided to visit a friend in Miami, a kindred spirit, who I met from the beginning of my travels for a couple of weeks before heading back to the bay. His mantra for me is something I will never forget, "Present Leilani shouldn't worry about future Leilani. Just enjoy the moment." Returning home, I did some catering work for about 7 months until my intuition spoke to me that I wasn't quite done yet to wander the world. I bought another 1 way ticket to Seoul, South Korea in October but sprained my ankle yet again on day 3 of my trip because I was rushing to the train station to try to make it on time and missed a step yet again. This was surely a sign to make slower conscious decisions and move at a glacial pace. So thankful for my bay area friends and the Halloween spent in Tokyo, Japan which was a blast! Thanksgiving Thai dinner in Bangkok with another friend visiting from back home was such a treat. I got so much love for Thailand from every good and bad experience... riding an elephant, taking a cooking class followed by food poisoning, getting lost then finding my way, feeling zen of all the temples I entered, having my luggage broken into and my hidden money of all the other currencies taken out of it while traveling on a bus from Chang Mai. I learned to be more mindful of my belongings, my surroundings, to trust when I felt safe or when I needed to leave a situation, and pray when I needed guidance. Christmas season in the Philippines was magical spent with extended family, seeing all of them in the motherland was extra special. I loved meeting more family for the first time in over 28 years on my return to P.I. and discovering my roots from my mom's side. For NYE, I headed back to Seoul for my heart and soul to spend it with a friend that I met in Singapore for some good cheer. My backpacking adventures led me on my spiritual path to 8 beautiful Asian countries for 7 months.
2014 - The lunar new year spent in Hong Kong and Taiwan was everything and more. This was the year of the horse which is my Chinese zodiac. I read that my destiny for my birth month stated, "May inherit a little from ancestors and live a difficult early life. In their 30’s, may start their own business totally relying on themselves. In 40’s, the career develops fast and smoothly and in their 50’s, the career turns stable and may live a happy life since after." So far all that is true and only time will tell what the future unfolds in the rest of my 40's and 50's. I know in my heart's core that only great things lie ahead all while pursuing my passion and purpose. I loved being in Pingxi, Taiwan where I got to write well wishes and release my lanterns up in the sky for their festival which actually this year coincided on Valentine's day. My journey led me to volunteer for this non-profit for a few weeks back in the Philippines after typhoon Haiyan but this adventure had to come to a halt. My heart knew I found my calling thru volunteering. My soul felt at peace being in service to strangers in need which began my attitude for gratitude with everything in life; finding the beauty in all things. It was such a delight to work with people that taught me so much about humility and a greater sense of what humanity is. But all good things must come to an end and return home to help take care of my mom because her health was in great turmoil. Just as I was figuring out my passions, I abruptly ended my trip only to surprise my mom and arrived back in the bay right before mother's day. That moment when I walked through the door and said, "Hi mom," she instantly wanted to give me the biggest brightest hug. It was truly a special moment in time that has been forever engraved in my heart. After experiencing third world countries who don't have much, I realized that materialistic items are not important and that they are just stuff boggling us down. It took me about 5 months to sort through my parent's stuff to organize, clean, and make their home more livable. While decluttering, I found a program from my 5th grade graduation. In this program, everyone wrote what they wanted to be when they grow up. It read, "I want to travel to many countries across the globe and visit family near and far from Hawaii, Philippines, Alaska, Israel, Guam, Canada. ~Leilani Salcedo." I was so surprised with my 2 eyes that I wrote this at such a young age about something I actually accomplished. Finding it and knowing that I achieved my goal I set out when I was 10 years old still amazes me. A trip back to Hawaii to visit extended ohana with my sister (for her birthday), my niece, and my nephew was so necessary... living aloha is life. I feel blessed that I got to experience the first ever MasterChef cruise for 1 week to the Caribbean islands all by myself. I learned so many techniques, cooking tips, and tricks from my favorite master chefs. Meeting past season masterchef winners was so inspiring. Oh what a year!
2015 - Taking care of my mom was the most difficult time in my life from being in and out of the hospital, watching her go through multiple tests/scans saddened me so spreading aloha + kindness to complete strangers in any way I can helped me cope. The month of June came so fast for my birthday, I decided to do 37 acts of "Lei Living Aloha" aka acts of kindness for my 37th but I did not get to finish during my birth month due to my mom's health. She had digestive issues and ogilvie syndrome which was a rare disorder. The nurse that came to do home visits said she had about a week to live and to call all our family to be together. Thankfully, we had our closest ohana and friends say their goodbyes because she was on hospice care the final week before she passed away and died peacefully in her sleep. I can still remember praying over my mom with my niece that final day together opening up to her for the first time with all my struggles, heartache and thanking her for giving me life. Unfortunately my mom passed away in our home in the summer a day before my sister's birthday on July 18. This was a tough year for our family as a whole. Coincidentally, I still wanted to continue to learn more about health and wellness. I studied online for the year to become a integrative nutrition health coach and got certified later in October. I was in need of mother nature in all its glory to reflect and unwind so my first ever 10 mile hiking trip to the luscious blue waters of Havasupai Falls with old and new friends was truly an unforgettable experience. During the holidays, I made it a point to finish my acts of kindness and now it is a ritual to give of my time during the holidays as well as my birth month. NYE was spent in Calgary, Canada for the first time where my friends and rang in the new year hiking up to an ice cave which surprisingly was the most amazing time!
2016 - After the death of my beloved mom, (actually 4 deaths: 3 family members, and 1 friend in a 10 week span was heartbreaking) I still had to grieve. But my mom's death gave me strength, courage to live full out, and persevere to make my dreams a reality. This was the evolution to my personal healing and inner soul work. I learned the power to say "no" when something or someone didn't add value in my life. I started to follow entrepreneurs, creatives, mentors, influencers, coaches that were motivating the masses by living their dreams and I knew I wanted to pursue that. Catering and working freelance behind the scenes in the kitchen especially for a cooking show had the wheels turning in my head to want that. My best friend invited me to Oprah's Super Soul sessions, a one day seminar talk full of knowledge from change makers passionate about their work that they do best and listening to their words of wisdom was renewing my spirit. I continued my 38 acts of kindness aka "Lei Living Aloha" for my 38th birthday. For my mom's 1 year death anniversary + sister's birthday, my ohana went back to Hawaii nei, the birthplace of my dad and sister. We celebrated my sister's special day and the memories of my mom by laying the flowers from our leis in the Pacific Ocean. August 27th is my mom's birthday and every year since she passed away, my ohana releases balloons at her grave in her honor. I learned that sometimes going off the beaten path, your journey often leads to beautiful destinations even through the hurdles and obstacles along the way.
2017 - This was the year I attended many conferences/retreats meeting individuals who were also entrepreneurs, creatives, coaches of different niches, and people that just wanted to live a healthy lifestyle. This motivated me to start my business slowly and surely so I became an entrepreneur. For my 39th birthday, I wanted to keep the tradition going to do my 39 acts of kindness. My ohana started a new tradition to be back on the Hawaiian islands to lay flower petals in the ocean for my mom's death anniversary and celebrate my sister's birthday. One hot August weekend, I presented my first health nutrition talks at a dance retreat a day before my mom's birthday, and it felt like her spirit was there with me. I was taken back to Europe to visit Athens, Greece in October to support my friend at her yoga retreat in Santorini and had to end my trip where it all began in Roma, Italia. I truly love Vatican city! There is so much beautiful, rich history, culture and visiting St. Peter's Basilica filled my heart up with so much love yet again. Traveling clears my head and opens up my heart to the endless possibilities in this lifetime.
2018 - This was a transitional year for me. So many challenges and changes for more personal growth. I turned 40 this year and for my birthday, I took in toiletries in lieu of gifts to donate to Project Open Hand; a local non-profit here in the bay area who serves meals with love to seniors and persons with disabilities where I enjoy volunteering my time. I overcame my struggles with grace and ease. I practiced mindful meditation. This allows me to focus only on my breath which calms me down whenever I feel pressured. I traveled back to Europe mid June for 6 weeks for my milestone birthday. I kicked it off in Iceland for the secret solstice 4 day music festival where I got to volunteer, attend for free, and met musicians back stage from around the world. Iceland's summer solstice with 20 hours of daylight to the sun setting at midnight and rising at about 4am was astonishing to take in all that Vitamin D from dawn to dusk. I loved visiting extended family in Ireland and then met up with my friends from the bay. We traveled to Basque country and spent time in Pamplona to experience the 'Running of the Bulls' which was exhilarating to watch. Wine tasting and a stupendous cooking class in Bordeaux, France with old/ new friends and then partying it up for the FIFA World Cup win in Paris after their national holiday full of firework displays was outstanding. Since I was missing my ohana while they were in Hawaii, I kept the tradition of laying flower petals to rest in the lake when I was in Zurich, Switzerland for my mom's 3 year death anniversary. My escapades led me to Poland to reunite with my friends who I met while volunteering in P.I. We drove through 12 countries which led us to the clear, aqua blue waters of Plitvice Lakes national park in Croatia. Another remarkable, epic trip to refuel my heart and soul for the books.
2019 - I had to do a spiritual, physical, mental, soulful cleanse to define what I really want in my life: for my career, my relationships with my ohana/ friends, and to create healthy habits that are sustainable. I found a business, leadership, health coach to work with and built a foundation for my career and life development. My business instagram account got hacked and I couldn't retrieve it so I took it as a sign to start fresh which I wanted to do anyway. My coach reminded me of my inner strength and guidance to follow my heart to do the work. I pushed myself to the point where I got sick because I wanted to attend the Wanderlust yoga experience one weekend when it was here in the bay. A cough turned bad led me to the doctor with a possible rib fracture and had to take it easy for 2 months. I slowed down and focused on my spirituality, meditation, my health/ well-being. I was still able to curate a health talk for my fitness gym for the active aging members, collaborated with fellow chefie friends and presented cooking classes while I was healing slowly. I did not break tradition and continued to do my yearly 41 acts of kindness, 5 years running in tradition. My ohana and I went back to Hawaii nei to celebrate my sister's birthday, my mom's wonderful life that she had lived, and tossed the flower petals in the ocean once again. I danced an impromptu hula in my mom's honor in a relaxing botanical garden. We had to return to Hawaii back in October for only a few days because my uncle passed away but so pleased we visited him at the care home when we were last there. It was a sad occasion but so nice to see my dad's side of our extended ohana. This year, I found my happiness within again.
"Every story has an end, but in life every end is just a new beginning." I look forward to what 2020 brings along with this new decade to come. Cheers to the new year because the possibilities are endless. The spirit of aloha and spreading kindness in any way I possibly can is my mission in life and share it with the world. I am putting it out in the universe that one day I am gonna finish writing my best selling books based on my travels, my recipe cook books, and a self help book: how to deal and heal from loss. There is something so beautiful when you have the opportunity to travel, big or small, it leaves a mark in your memory, in your heart, on your body; the road isn't always pleasant, it trains you to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations, and sets your soul on fire. “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page." I am always in awe of what the world shows me in my self-discovery. My goals are limitless and my life is finite so I am gona live it up the best way I know how. I never thought in my wildest of dreams that my life in my 40's as a single entrepreneurial woman that sought out a career in health and wellness would be my cup of tea but I am so happy and back in love with me.
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