2015: Time To Prioritize

As I enter 2015, the 15th birthday of the 21st century, I was prompted to think about the "Quinceañera", the momentous 15th Birthday of a Hispanic girl.  The 15th Birthday, commonly referred to as "Quinceañera" or "Quinces" is symbolic of a girl's transition from childhood to womanhood. Back in my mother's time, girls didn't wear makeup or high heels and didn't date until they turned 15. Things have changed and many girls do all that and much more before turning 15, but it still remains a pivotal moment in a young Hispanic girl's life.  Free dictionary defines it as a Mexican celebration and I must say its definition is inaccurate. It's a Hispanic tradition celebrated in all countries where Spanish is spoken and celebrations are as varied as the Spanish dialects themselves. For instance, for Mexicans it is both a religious and social event, whereas for Cubans as myself and many other Hispanics, it is merely social.  Regardless of background, it's a memorable occasion for the birthday girl as most families splurge on an elaborate party, exotic vacation or a lavish gift.

So what does this have to do with 2015? Well, last week I read this blog post about One Word. Instead of coming up with a long list of resolutions which will likely be forgotten before January is over, the One Word concept suggests that if we select one word for the year and focus on it, we will achieve real transformation. In my search for that one word, I reflected on my professional growth during 2014.  Last year, I discovered the world of Twitter and was greatly impacted.  Thanks to this social medium, I am now more connected, more reflective, more inspired and most of all more intentional in my instruction as well as my professional development.  Like a child in its first year of life, I grew tremendously.  However, after a year of milk, I am ready for some solid food and just like a Quinceñeara, I am ready to move into a new level.

At this point, I'm not sure what all that will mean, but I'm open and attentive to opportunities that will come my way.  One thing I do know is that I need to prioritize so that I can be productive and fulfilled, both professionally as well as personally.  Like everyone else, I want to lose weight, grow spiritually, read more books, spend more quality time with family and help those less fortunate, all that while I continue my growth as an educator.  And how in the world will all that get done?  By prioritizing of course.  I considered choosing focus as my "one word" but what I really need to do is prioritize and then focus on my priorities.  There are activities I will need to shed or cut down on and take on some new ones, but in order for my life to be complete, I will need to keep my priorities straight.

It's been quite a few years since I celebrated my "quinces" and life's ups and down have matured me lots since then, but I'm taking 2015 as a rite of passage.  Even though I have no idea where I'm headed, I know who holds the future and I'm excited to see what's in store.

Happy New Year, my friends.  Last year was amazing but I think 2015 will be the #BestYearEver