This Game of Life

I'm still high off life after these 40 days. I'm still in awe at how much my thinking, emotions, attitude and overall idea of life has changed. I went into this like an open book, allowing anything and everything to happen to me as it comes. I'm so glad I was able to document my journey through pictures and words. Below is a link to an album of my journey.

My First 40 Days Acting UP!

40 Days Later...

So the plan was to update each week with a journal entry of what I learned and the experiences that I went through during my first 40 Days journey. Obvi it didn't happen. Life just got really busy and I did so much journaling by hand, it was almost like another chore to come up with content for my blog. So I'm sorry to disappoint the few who actually try to keep up with my blog.

My initial intentions for the 40 Days was to find balance. The word screamed in my head for the first entire week. Prior to the 40 Days, I was a jumbled mess. I had a lot of things I was juggling at one time and I still had other things I wanted to work on. I had goals in every area of my life and I was doing my best to balance it all out so that I can achieve them all. Time Management was the balance I thought I needed, but my soul knew differently. I found balance alright, but not in the way I thought I was going to.

Throughout the first 2 weeks, all these emotions and thoughts that I've managed to keep hidden for years started to arise. As much as I tried to fight these negative words, insecurities and bad thoughts, they just glaringly became clear to me and it was starting to give me anxiety again! The excavation questions after each chapter made me feel worse than I was already feeling. As I continued to push through the practices and deal with my deep thoughts, I struggled to understand what I needed to do with them.

Then through my practice, the words "let go" started to consistently show up. LET GO. That's what I needed to do... LET GO! Let go of negative self talk, thoughts that made me sad, and anything else that made me feel anxious. It was OK to feel these things, but I had to LET THEM GO in order to make space for the sunshine that I needed in my life.

It didn't hit me until our last 40 Days meeting, but this was the BALANCE I needed. I needed to learn to balance the vulnerabilities in my life with my strengths. For so long I  have weighed myself down with so much insecurities and I've punished myself for not being the person I thought I should be. My heart and soul is healing now because I understand that strengths and vulnerabilities go hand in hand. They cannot overpower each other, they just have to stand side by side in order to make you a complete and whole person.

• It's OK to not be married with kids right now - I own a business and that is my first priority.

• It's OK to have gained 20 lbs. last year - I was under a lot of stress and pressure and I'm doing something about it now (I've lost 10 lbs. since November, yay!).

• It's OK I don't have a boyfriend - I'm still learning how to love myself so I can love another.

• It's OK Sticky's isn't a restaurant yet - this is only our 2nd year, there's still so much to learn about running a business.

• It's OK to be lazy sometimes - it's my body's way of telling me that I need to rest.

Life is about balancing The Good, The Bad & The Ugly. It's easy to love ourself during The Good times, but a lot more challenging during The Bad & The Ugly. To live life fully, we must experience EVERYTHING, and it's in the moments that are the most difficult that we have to remember that nothing is permanent and we will eventually balance ourselves back to normal. Yoga has taught me dukha & sukha - finding the balance of ease and pleasure with pain and suffering.

Day 2 of 40: My strong support system.

Day 3 of 40: Being on this mat wasn't always easy.

Day 27 of 40: The BEST yoga teacher EVER!

Day 28 of 40: My 1st "IG Yoga Pic"

Day 34 of 40: #YogaSquad

My first ever public Before & After pic... YIKES!

Acting UP for 40 Days: Week 1 - Finding Balance

The word balance has been haunting my brain for the last 2 weeks. The word in bold letters will blatantly show up in my mind's eye lingering and begging for attention. 

BALANCE..

                 BALANCE...

                                 BALANCE.....

As much as I try to ignore it, out of no where the pesky word starts to itch on my frontal lobe like a Texas-sized Mosquito bite on the worst part of my body... the ankle. 

BALANCE...

                 BALANCE.....

                                  BALANCE.........

Without even me putting thought to it, my subconscious keeps screaming the mantra...

BALANCE...

BALANCE......

BALANCE..........

OK!!!! I get it! My life is in disarray. I can't help it if I'm a passionate person who believes I can take on 5 totally different projects all at one time, going at it 100%. It's my gift of multi-tasking. It's not that bad is it?? HA! These days it honestly feels like a passion of horror. I recently realized that I have this false sense of belief that I can do anything and everything in this world. No, it's not a bad thing, but it is when it's 10 different things going on at one time.

I was recently introduced to a 40 day Personal Revolution program hosted by a local Houston yoga studio. It couldn't have come at a more perfect time in my life. As we all try to piece our lives together after the holidays, January is the best time to reflect on what has happened and where you want your life to go. Starting in October, my life felt like it was spiraling out of control. The past and all the things I was ignoring started to come back and haunt me like an angry spirit stuck in limbo. All things that I pushed to to back of my mind started to creep its way to the forefront and it was pretty relentless.

This experience has taught me a lot about myself. I now have a full understanding of "presence." It doesn't only mean that you have to physically be there for someone else, but you also have to be there  most importantly for YOURSELF. A strong foundation is what keeps a house standing for hundreds of years. You will not last 30+ years of your life if your foundation is falling apart. Mine was getting pretty unstable.

My intentions for these 40 days is to find BALANCE. I want to be able to balance a healthy lifestyle with my ever consuming thriving business. I want to balance peace and joy in my heart so that I can spread it to others around me. I have big dreams in my life and I'm tired of just thinking about it, I need to be living it. Prioritizing and balancing the things I love to do will help me create that foundation I need to grow as a human being. This first week of 40 days is coming to an end and already I'm starting to feel the changes in my soul. I was excited for day 1 and now I'm thrilled to see who I become at day 40.

Random Act of Kindess

So yesterday, I experienced a gratifying and uplifting emotion that I've never felt ever in my life. For the Holiday Season, I picked up work at Lululemon again. I worked there last year because I needed extra income, but little did I know that I would actually LOVE it! Who knew?? Who actually loves working retail during the holidays?!?! Seriously... this company is amazing! My goal is to create an enjoyable atmosphere with my business that reflects on what I love about Lulu.

Anyway, so this year's holiday theme is #FuelHappiness. Despite the stressors that this time of the year brings, we should find a way to make not only ourselves happy, but others as well. With all the crazy that's going on in this world, we tend to forget the simple things in life like smiling. Along with the theme, the company gave each employee gift cards to pass out to random strangers to help them "fuel their happiness".

Yesterday I was approached by a young lady wearing an LA Fitness shirt. She was asking me about the tops and the gym bags. I showed her a bag and explained why it's so useful. Then we talked about Lululemon fabric and the way it's supposed to fit. I asked her if she worked for LA Fitness and she excitedly said yes and went on to tell me that she had lost 28 lbs. She told me all the workouts she does and that her goal was to fit in Lulu. The first time she came in, she was unable to fit into the largest size, so she was eager to try again after her recent accomplishments. I was inspired by her determination and joy to be in the store that I felt I needed to do something for her.

I knocked on the fitting room door that she was in and I handed her a gift card. I admired her hard work and told her that she deserved a little something for her achievements. With a huge smile on her face, she gave me a hug and thanked me. I had to go on break, so I didn't get a chance to help her with her fit session. When I came back I was given this:

"Fit into the clothes happily."  - That right there got me. How inspiring is that?! I'm sure she still has more goals for herself, but to know that she can happily wear something with confidence is pretty life changing.

I was told that when she was paying for her items, she was teary eyed and very grateful for my kindness. She tried to wait for me to say thank you, but she had to go. After reading the above gratitude note, I myself was overwhelmed with emotion. I enjoy inspiring others and helping them to achieve that feeling of accomplishment, but this was the first time that I didn't have anything to do with their hard work, but I was simply recognizing it. To know that I helped someone feel confident in their own clothes encourages me to be a better person. It will truly make you happy to see that you played a part in another person's happiness, especially if they are a stranger.

The whole experience got me thinking about happiness. It's one thing to fuel the happiness of those that you love, but when you do it to a total stranger, it brings your personal happiness to a different level. I'm not always the "nicest stranger" or customer even, so it really made me think about my attitude towards others, especially those who just want to help. If we all just take the time to spread a little cheer to a random stranger or to the people we love, it doesn't even have to be a grand gesture, but a little bit of kindness in this world really does go a long way.

Thankfulness

It's the first Sunday after Thanksgiving. I have been so busy for the past 2 months that I haven't even had a chance to reflect on this Thankful holiday. Even though the original "Thanksgiving" wasn't really celebrated how we would like to think it was, it is still important to spend time with family and show gratitude for life in general. So with that being said, here is my top 3 of what I am most thankful for this year.

1. Health
Of course, I always have to be thankful for not just my good health, but also for my family and loved ones around me. I've seen so many people from a distance who have ailing friends or family members. For the most part, everyone has managed to stay healthy. My Aunt was diagnosed earlier this year with stage 4 breast cancer, but after months of chemotherapy and a radical mastectomy, she looks almost as if nothing has ever happened to her! Blessings from God for sure!!

Then of course there was Mama. She had to be taken to the ER twice this year. This lady.... there was absolutely nothing wrong with her. The first time, she didn't realize she took her medications TWICE. The second time she FORGOT to take her meds! Aye-yay-yay.

Here's a pic of the Carrido Family, it's not all of us, but it captures a lot of us for the most part. The only ones really missing in this is the Texas Family and of course those in the Philippines and Australia. Auntie Pinky wanted to capture everyone looking as healthy as possible before Auntie Lala had her surgery. Papa would be proud of what we've all become.

2. Sticky's Chicken
Yes, I'm thankful for the prospering business my brother and I created from practically nothing. This by far has got to be the toughest year that we've had. I feel like I've experienced more ups and downs with this endeavor than anything else in my life. We have had 3 official offers and 2 unofficial offers for partnership on opening a restaurant and possibly turning it into a food chain. We were recognized throughout the year on different sites; thrillist.com, yelp, papercitymag.com and other local blogs and sites. We also landed a partnership with UberEats Houston! Even though we had to turn down an opportunity of a lifetime in California, I don't regret any decisions we have made to continue in what we believe in. This year I learned the value of our company and how much it really means to me.

Huntington Beach, CA 

3. All the Little Blessings in Between

This year for some reason, my little prayers I've been asking God for have been answered. To others they might be insignificant, but for me they mean the world. Every single time I'm at my last straw on something, it doesn't matter what it is, but right at the moment I'm about ready to give up, God surprises me and he does it in a HUGE way. I can't be thankful enough for my faith in our Savior. He has helped me stay strong through every super low in my life. 

In conclusion, I'm truly grateful for my life. The awesome people that have come and gone throughout my life, especially this entire year have been the best supporters and have shown me love that I didn't even know existed. I'm truly blessed to have experienced this past year. I am now a stronger, more faithful and open person because of every experience and each person I've met. 

So, thank YOU.

There's ALWAYS Something

So today was the day that I've patiently waited a very long time for. I've prayed for strength and guidance for this moment to come so that I wouldn't get ahead of myself (like I always do). You can't even begin to understand my excitement when I got the text. It's almost a dream come true for me.... things like this don't usually happen.

I met him. Simply put, it made me happy.

Walking on Red

There are girls who collect purses, girls who collect clothes, or even makeup. I so happen to be a shoe girl. I love the way a nice shoe adds the perfect detail to a sexy outfit. Or the way a shoe adds character to an everyday look. It's always the shoes that pulls the entire "look" together. 

Yesterday I bought my first pair of Louboutins, it made me feel accomplished. Maybe it's the Filipino in me, but one of my life goals is to have an extensive designer shoe collection. I am by all means not a materialistic person, but I do however can appreciate nice things. For a long time, I have promised to buy myself a beautiful pair of shoes and it finally happened. 

Working hard pays off. It's ok to indulge and buy yourself something nice, you deserve it! Starting a business, getting fired from my "stable" job and then maintaining to grow our business in its second year.... I think I deserve it.

I will now go and walk confidently in my "red-bottomed-shoes" that symbolize my hard work and accomplishments. Until that is... I fall over. haha..

I Hope it's Not Too Late

Days.....

turned into

Weeks....

turned into

Months....

Now we have come full circled into a year. 

Today was the day that I believed would only come in my dreams. Never did I think this moment would become a reality for me. It's crazy, because now that it's here, I'm not sure how I really feel about it. A part of me is happy and excited, but at the same time I'm sad and scared again. Then there's this other weird emotion that's telling me: "Seriously?! You still care??"

I honestly wish I could be more happy and excited than this, but I can't forget how the heartache made me feel. I have so many questions, but for some reason it's almost as if now I don't care to know the answers. That's how much it hurt.... so hurt that I'm numb. 

Living in a Shark Tank

If you asked me 2 years ago, "How do you see yourself in 5 years?" My answer would have gone something like this:

I'll most likely be working in a management position for a company and hopefully work my way up to director, VP or maybe even CEO! Hopefully within those 5 years I'll have completed or in the works to complete my MBA. 

Boy was I naive.

Since the 2 years have passed, I got fired from my "secure job" and my brother and I created a company that has the potential to become a lot bigger than what we first expected. In our innocent minds, we just imagined not having to work for "The Man" and make our own money the way we want to. We did it, we are living the American Dream. We created something out of nothing and are thriving.

So what's next?

This past year, and mind you, we've only gone through 7 months of it as I type, we have been approached by 3 and a half offers/potential investors. I say half, because that offer was through word of mouth and that party never really took the time to come out and meet with us. As my brother and I sit through these "talk sessions" (I call them "talk sessions" because they never really want to admit it's a meeting about how they can involve themselves with us) I can't help but notice 3 common points in their pitches:

1)     I love your food and I want to take you to the next level. You have no money? Don't worry about   it, we'll figure it out. 

Of course you love our food, that shit is good! I know the money will come from you, you're just trying to diversify your portfolio. How much stake do you really want from us?

2)     I have all the resources you need to get to the next level, just look at my accomplishments! I believe with my knowledge, experience and network we can become the next Chipotle.

Oooookkkkkaaayyyy??? But do I even like YOU as a person?? This is a life long commitment here, can I work with you FOREVER?!?!?! Have you even worked in a restaurant??

3)     
*** My personal Favorite *** – This is a ONCE IN A LIFTIME OPPORTUNITY!!! We don't offer this kind of deal with just anyone and we get a lot of people coming up to us all the time. We have never offered anything like this to anyone because we don't work with just anyone!

Of course you've never offered this kind of deal, because our shit is one of a kind!!! And how are you offering a "once in a lifetime" when that other guy said he was "once in a lifetime?" Maybe ya'll should talk to each other, game plan and come back to us.

Don't get me wrong, it's SUPER flattering. I laughed at my dad when he raised the spatula and said: "I'm going to give you a million dollar sauce for free!" Now look at us, people actually want a piece of it. I can't believe this is actually happening. All I hope for is that the Big Guy upstairs leads us in the right direction for success.

What I've learned through all this, do what your gut tells you is right and PRAY. You will hear opposing critics inside and outside your circle, but YOU and God are the only ones who knows what the next best thing is for yourself. Live your dreams and live passionately. Everyone can have their opinion, but the only opinion that matters is yours.

If you ask me now what I'll be doing in 5 years, I confidently tell you I'll be living my dreams.

A Year Later...

So this weekend will be exactly 1 year since we’ve officially opened Sticky’s Chicken Food Truck. 

I honestly can’t believe I operate and run my own business. It’s never been a dream of mine (to be an entrepreneur), but it happened. This past year has been a long uphill battle and I regret absolutely nothing.

So let me tell you a little bit about Sticky’s Chicken.

Basically, a little over 15 years ago, we took Dad to BW3, which is now known as Buffalo Wild Wings. He tasted the wings and thought to himself... “I can do better than this.” So then after that experience, he created his own sauce and figured out how to glaze it on to really crunchy chicken. The sauce is amazing, almost indescribable. It doesn’t really taste like sweet BBQ, but it doesn’t taste like sweet teriyaki either. It’s literally a burst of a new kind of flavor in your mouth. It has a distinct flavor of its own. So flash forward to now. My brother and I were at a point in our lives where we were able to just jump in head first into our first business venture. With no experience or knowledge on how to start a business, let a lone how to run a food truck.... we just did it and it turned out to be a life changing experience. I can never go back to a regular 9-5 or even think about sitting at a desk in front of a computer working for Corporate USA. It’s so much more fun and rewarding seeing people smile after their first bite of our food. 

Houston has been an amazing city to serve and it can only get better from here. It truly has been a humbling experience from being on the news, meeting Karrueche and getting the thumbs up from Houston’s foodie Bun B. I’m super excited to see what the 2nd year of Sticky’s has in store for us!!

Below are links to pretty much sum up our first year in business.

Channel 11 - Food Truck Friday Feature

Southbound Food - Radio Interview

Houston Press - New Food Truck Feature

Zagat - Houston Food Truck Spotlight

Houston Press - Food Truck Feature

Houston Press - Wingtoberfest: And the winner is... (Sticky’s Chicken!!!)

Thrillist - The 12 Best Wings in Houston

Motivational Monday

I read this on one of the many social media apps that I'm constantly on. I wanted to share this to the world just in case someone else needed to read it.

You have two choices in life when it comes to truthful observations by others that anger you: You can be ashamed and cover it up by letting your pride take you in the extreme opposite direction, in order to make the point that they are wrong. Or, you can break down the walls of pride by accepting vulnerability as a strength, not a weakness. As you walk through your vulnerability, you will meet humility on the way to courage. From here, courage allows us to let go of shame and rise higher into the person we are meant to be, not the person that needs to be right. This is the road to confidence and self worth.

- Shannon L. Alder

Keep PUSH-ing!!

Sometimes we tend to forget that if we ask God, He will make it an easy path.

Don't give up & keep praying!

PrayUntilSomethingHappens

Contradictions of Life

"Simply Complicated" seems to be the theme for this week. As much as I've tried to keep things light and easy in my life, everything around me just seems to convolute itself into a big mass of complications. Aye!

I just don't understand how one's actions don't match up to the words that come out of their mouth, stop it with all these contradictions!!!

The other day, I asked (practically begged) God to give me a sign so I can move on to the "next big thing." He showed me a sign alright... but why does he find a way to make it even more complicated?? Do you ever wonder what the heck He has in store for you? I mean seriously..... if you know what I want, can I just have a clue as to what the heck you're up to???

So instead of giving me a black and white answer, I get a 50 shades of gray response that makes no sense at all. Jesus, what are you really up to???

I seriously can't take this anymore. I need a new focus.

Wherever YOU are.

You're like that painful Dashboard song.

"So long sweet summer..." | Age Six Racer

It's seriously annoying. Get out of my mind already.

Watch Me Fall Apart

And promise me this:
You'll wait for me only,
Scared of the lonely arms.
- Promise | BH


The unknown always scares me, but I'm learning to embrace it with excitement because it can lead to amazing experiences. I might not know what will happen tomorrow, but it's one more day closer to you. Whatever this is, I just hope that the feeling will last for a long time. You make my heart happy.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

"When the people we love or with whom we have a deep connection stop caring, stop paying attention, stop investing and stop fighting for the relationship, trust begins to slip away and hurt starts seeping in."
- Brene Brown


Sometimes it's the little acts in life that you do or don't do that reveal the true meanings in your heart.

It's Because They Love You

I just got the lecture of my life. The people closest to you can be some of the most straight forward people in your life, but they only tell you the truth because they love you. I just sat through a brutal hour of "this is what's wrong with you" conversation from the last person that I would expect it from.

It's nice though. It's good to hear the honest truth no matter how hurtful it can be. Tonight I was reminded of my all time fave Jack Johnson lyric: "Don't let your dreams be dreams…"

26.2 Miles

This will be #3 for me and Dad's first one. 

Excited, but really just want to get it over with. 

#TeamVivares

So this is what happened….

It's about that time. The time to reflect back on everything that has happened this year, 2013 seemed like a rough one for everyone around me. Even though tragedies surrounded other family members and friends, God was still watching over my close loved ones because we all managed to stay healthy and survived "lucky 13." It's so cliche to write up a year in review, but I think we all do it mainly for ourselves so that we can record and reminisce on all our mini adventures.

So this is what happened….

• January I was able to visit San Diego for the first time. It wasn't the most ideal visits because it was cloudy and raining my entire time in "Sunny San Diego!"
• Uncle Franco sadly passed away in February. It was such a tragic and heartbreaking moment. It was a Friday, I was excited to get through the day and all of a sudden I receive a text from BJ and a missed call from Mom that Uncle Franco died of a heart attack. 
• March 14, 2013: I learned what the word cholecystectomy meant. Little did I know that the "minor" stomachaches that I was having in the previous months were leading to gallbladder disease. I woke up 3 nights in a row with really bad pains, the last night I woke up was so bad that I had to be taken to the ER. The ER doc was quick to diagnose me and the specialist I saw a few days later schedule me that same week for the removal of my gallbladder. It all happened so fast. 
• April was spent recovering. I wasn't able to do the G-town half Ironman, but Ate Mia was able to complete it for me. It was a good workout for her to prepare herself for the full Ironman a month later. If it wasn't for dad, I wouldn't have been able to run almost exactly a month later sans gallbladder. Mom also completed her first 10K!
• In May, lots of things happened. BJ and I finally decided it was time to open up a food truck, so we found and used FedEx truck online and started our Sticky's Chicken venture. Then Mom & Dad went to the Philippines and left me with an ailing brother. BJ was going through his own stresses and I had to just be there to help him through his "aches & pains." It's not fun watching people suffer in so much pain and you really can't do anything about it. Ate Mia also completed her first Ironman! She was the first woman I know personally to have ever completed such an epic race.
• Dad talked me into doing another marathon with him. So in June, we signed up for the Houston Marathon lottery and were picked. Happy Father's Day Dad! lol.
• My entire July was spent by randomly confessing old secrets and trying to make sense of it all. I am not one to easily share the secrets in my heart, because I fear unhappy endings. It was my first time to really put myself out there, and now looking back… I'm left with a piece of my heart chipped away, but no regrets. 
• August I had to suck it up, stay strong and simply move on. I truly learned that you can never tell who you will fall for or ever understand why. Thank goodness I had Cape Cod to look forward to and help me get through this month.
• Deven was brought into this world! September was a time to remember for my BFF.
• I was able to hire a friend and she started working full time in October. One of the best hires ever. Work was actually starting to become bearable. 
• I was just thankful that my family made it to November. By this time it seemed like there was a friend or family that passed every month.
• December…. here I am. The food truck is in it's last step, waiting for inspection. The family is outside sleeping in this cold house and I'm ready to find my new life… weather it be in Texas or in another state, I'm seriously ready to move on from my current state of mind.

And there it is….. that's what happened in 2013. 

Happy New Years to my few readers, let's make the new year memorable!!

My Darling

No one can choose who they fall for

Or when they fall, or how they fall, or why

I, well I fell for you and I must wait

It's only a matter of time...