WHAT do you want?

WHY do you want it?

HOW are you going to do it?

The answer to this one is always one step at a time. Below are the 3 roots that can help us strengthen our resilience and achieve the what.

Click HERE for the WHAT? WHY? HOW? Worksheets that lay out the 12 domains of life. You do not have to fill out all domains. You can choose 1-2 to begin with and focus on. If the space on the sheet isn’t enough, use your journal. Go at your own pace and move forward in a way that honors the cycle of life you are in and your schedule.

Why relationships are important:

“Community is not proximity. It is not something we can take for granted. It is something we must cultivate, protect, and practice.” Adrienne Marie Brown

• The quality of our lives is directly related to the quality of our relationships,

• We regulate greater in healthy community,

• We enhance our healing in healthy community,

• We grow further in healthy community

• We thrive better in healthy community, and

• We live longer in healthy community.

Relationships/ Community

• “We need joy as we need air. We need love as we need water. We need each other as we need the earth we share.” ~Maya Angelou

  • Define It & Become It: Define what a healthy relationship is and practice being what you want. This allows us to attract and identify healthy relationships.

  • Creating & Respecting Boundaries: Learn to set healthy boundaries. See book suggestion below. Watch this VIDEO to get started.

  • Social Support Circles: Know who is in your inner most circles. The people should get the majority of your attention and energy.

  • Quality Time: Spend quality time with healthy and supportive people. Create quality time with as many people as possible by being fully present, whether they are in your innermost or outermost circles.

  • Longest Harvard study shows that the quality of our overall health and happiness is directly connected to the health of our relationships.

Reticular Activating System:

This part of the brain helps us find evidence of whatever we focus on.

When we shift our stories- our mindset, attitude and energy to the possibilities, to the positivity and to our potential, we activate this part of the brain to find evidence that supports that focus.

Use your reticular activating system in your favor by aligning your thoughts and words with the future and life you want to create. 

Use your Reticular Activating System to your benefit: https://extension.umn.edu/two-you-video-series/ras

Reminders:

• All things begin and end with you.

• Those who have a 'why' to live can bear almost any 'how'. ~Viktor Frankl

• Make decisions that align with the mission and core values.

• Waiting for other people to be different in order for us to feel better can have us waiting a long time (or forever).

• Remind yourself that everyone, including you, is doing the best they can with what they know.

• Take care of yourself first because you cannot give what you do not have.

• We must be the catalyst for change that we want in our relationships.

• Being human means we feel all the feels, we need and belong to each other, and must give each other, and ourselves, room and space.

• Martyrdom serves no one.

• When faced with a problem, ask yourself, is this a catastrophe or an inconvenience? Respond accordingly.

• There is no 'right' answer. And remember, 2 heads are better than 1.

• We must be intentional about celebrating, congratulating and cataloging all wins, big and small.

• Where you are may not be your fault AND what you do now and who you decide to be IS your responsibility.

Books I Recommend

• ‘Why We Sleep’ by Matthew Walker, PhD

• ‘Breathe: You are Alive’ by Thich Nhat Hanh

• ‘Set Boundaries and Find Peace’ by Nedra Glover Tawwab

• ‘The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving A F*ck’ by Sarah Knight

• ‘Start With WHY’ by Simon Sinek

• ‘How We Show Up’ by Mia Birdsong

• ‘The Power of Fun’ by Catherine Price

• ‘Mindset: The New Psychology of Success’ by Carol S. Dweck

• ‘The Body Keeps the Score’ by Bessel van der Kolk

• ‘Super Sparkly Everything’ by Maria M. Vázquez

• ‘The Love Journey: It Starts with You’ by Maria M. Vázquez

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I take responsibility for the life I am creating.

2. I am learning to trust myself to accept and appreciate my worth.

3. I will be the catalyst for the healthy changes I want in my relationships.

4. I will learn to honor my amazing body and regulate my mind.

5. I accept that change is inevitable and will use it to grow and expand.

6. I will see my mistakes and failures as opportunities to grow.

7. I live in accordance with my values and priorities.

8. I will be intentional about preparing my body, mind and spirit for life’s ups and downs.

9. I will do take responsibility for my day-to-day interactions.

10. I am resilient and resourceful.

11. I have already overcome 100% of my worst days. I’m amazing!

12. I’m always learning, growing and evolving.

13. I am learning to let others help me, in their way.

14. I value fun and joy and am intentional about creating it in my life.

15. I am the author of my life’s story and will create a story of peace and joy.

16. I honor my growth and celebrate my strengths, big or small.

17. I give myself permission to lighten up and to play.

18. I will practice gratitude for the people, places, things and experiences that bring me greater ease, joy, growth, health and love.

19. My joy is sacred. I deserve fun and joy. It is my birthright.

20. I am enough—right here, right now, as I am.

A guided journal for self-love.

Loving ourselves means freedom from the need of external approval.

It means understanding that we are ALWAYS evolving and changing, and we give ourselves room and permission to do so.

It means breaking old cycles that no longer serve us, creating boundaries that support our overall well-being, and cultivating healthy practices that build both.

It means not needing to compare or compete because we’re aware and confident enough to know that we are the only one of us and that is ENOUGH.

It means being able to give from an overflow of love and joy. That means healthier interactions and relationships. Getting back to a place where we love ourselves can feel challenging because we have to shift the momentum and transform our mindsets.

We can do that through intentional and consistent practices. I believe in starting small. Small steps are the most realistic and sustainable. On my own journey I began to realize the power in the minutia of our words. The words that we choose can support or sabotage the new and empowering stories we want to create.

Words. Small. One at a time. One a day.

From that personal practice and transformative experience, I give you:

The Love Journey.

My book, Super Sparkly Everything, was written for anyone who is where I was… feeling down and stuck and sick and tired of being sick and tired. I had to finally connect with something greater than myself and take personal responsibility for every area of my life. And it was hard! At that time, I only knew that it was hard work. 

But the more that I did the work, the more that I figured out what worked for me and what didn't, the more that I gave myself permission to enjoy the process and to feel good about all of it, the better I started to feel. I started to feel more alive and centered. 

So I wrote this book to either jump start, help or inspire you to give yourself permission to be happy.
To take responsibility for your happiness and to let it flow so that you can live a life full of joy, peace, health and love.

Whether your goal is to become a better communicator or to share your story from a stage, this 4‑part live program is designed to help you speak with clarity, confidence, and grounded presence. This is speaking from your truth — not performance, not perfection.

You’ll receive information on how to improve your skills in:

• storytelling

• presence

• confidence

• structure

• delivery

• audience connection

This isn’t a traditional public speaking training. It’s embodied. It’s grounded. It’s rooted in who you are — so your voice can rise with power and ease.

This program is for you if you want to:

✨ Speak with more confidence

✨ Feel steady and grounded when you share

✨ Communicate with clarity and impact

✨ Show up as your whole, authentic self

Registration opens soon.

✨Sign up for my mailing list for the member discount. Link in bio.

✨Only 10 slots available.

✨Email questions to maria@mariamilagros.net