Good Day Good Day Everyone, hope you all have been well. I just wanted to give a little update of all the fabulous things I have been busy with since the completion of my journey with Mauler and Rush Almighty. I must say, I was slightly worried after we wrapped it all up. With all the overwhelming things that went on during those 3 weeks I figured my life couldn't get much more exciting, what was I going to do now? I really wanted to keep the momentum going, so I had to do some drastic things to keep 2009 "The year of Holly"!
Now its very easy to take $25, 000 and live it up like a gong show. I could have easily taken the money, quit my job, partied like a rock star, shop till I dropped and spoiled myself recklessly. But the whole point of this experience was to change my life for the better. Now 25 G's is a lot of money, but not really when you think about it, I could probably spend it in less then 24 hours if I really wanted to; so I had to do some hardcore brainstorming to make the most out of this money. So I had to consider how I could make even more crazy memories and experiences, but also not put myself in the hole again.
The responsible part of me said "Pay off your bills!!!!", and yes....I intend on getting myself out of debt. And how good does it feel to not have those ridiculous monthly payments looming over my head any more, my God it feels so good. Next, I needed to plan for my future, so I intend on taking a nice huge chunk of my hard earned cash to store away in GIC's and RRSP's, etc. HOW BORING, right? Moving on to the more interesting stuff...I believe I've earned a little R&R, so I spent Valentines Day @ the Spa getting pampered, so fabulous!
Some Girlfriends and I decided to hit up LAS VEGAS during Spring Break in March, which normally I would never have considered, but hey, you only live once! I don't plan on gambling all my winnings away, but I promised myself I would walk up to the Roulette Table and throw down on black; purely out of Respect for the Almighty Mauler and Rush, to whom none of this would have been possible.
I have always wanted to travel the world, something that has proved to be very difficult due to conflicting schedules of friends and family; plus my finances never seemed to be in order. I want to travel around Europe - see the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Coliseum in Rome, The Acropolis in Greece; It always felt like it would just be a dream, until now. Why should I have to wait for someone else to fulfill my dreams? If I kept postponing the things I wanted to do until someone could do them with me, I would never get to do the things I've dreamed of, and that's a regret I couldn't live with. So on a whim, I booked a Flight to Paris in the Spring. I have decided I will backpack Europe for 2 months by myself....such a scary thought!! But If I could survive a Day-to-day Scare-fest from Mauler and Rush Almighty for 3 weeks, Why couldn't I do this? Now this one is huge, but If I could come back from that experience in once piece, I could do absolutely anything. And that's what 2009 is for me, the year of empowerment.
So with the budget of $25, 000 I've managed to become debt free, plan for my future, Live a little, and Gain some amazing life stories; Something I couldn't be any more grateful for! It has only been 2 weeks since the competition ended, but I feel like a brand new person. Not like the person I was 4 years ago (which I always thought I would kill to have that girl back)...but a brand new person, with new hopes, new dreams. I feel stronger each and everyday because I realize I have so much to look forward to. I've wasted so much time living in regret, wishing I could turn back time, and not being thankful for the amazing things I already possessed.
I don't want people to think I'm bragging, or rubbing my good fortune in everyone's face. I really just want to share the possibilities of living your best life with anyone who wants to listen. Because the reality of it all is that we are all our own worst enemy. We should never underestimate the power we have to change ourselves, at times it seems impossible, but just take baby steps, and day-by-day you'll get there. I have so much more I need to accomplish, and fears I still need to overcome, but I know that I'm the only one who can get me there. No more excuses. No more regrets!
