The Year That Was 2014.

Ahh...2015! A New Year filled with new days, new doors to discover, new barriers to conquer along with new goals to accomplish.

But before all the new stuff can begin, I'm gonna take a step back and look at the last 365 days and analyze how I spent 2014. Now I gotta scroll for the 'Year That Was 2013' post...hold on a second...found it! Gotta love search boxes; let's take a look back shall we?

Ahh yes,,,the weight goal haha. Now I had an opposite one than probably 90% of the population in that I wanted to gain weight. Shocker!? Well this one was a success thanks to dedicating myself going to the gym at least 3 times a week. And now I'm...210 pounds! Extra bonus for turning the extra poundage into some lean mean wrecking machine muscle! Along with doing this, I've found another passion of mine...working out! Love putting on a pair of basketball shorts and hitting the court, field, weight room, or wherever on Earth just to get a good sweat going. Hey now haha.

Still figuring the where, when and how much part haha. This one was trickery due to I combined this with one of my goals of passing my EMT class and getting this as my reward. Further detail about that in the next goal post but back to the ink covered one. I finally got a solid blueprint of a design that I want and yes if you know me it's gamer related haha. Just gotta schedule it and then of course...find a razor and shaving cream.

Welp, I found a full-time position here in my current job so that is beyond HUGE! (Yay insurance!) As for the EMT-B, I passed the class but the struggle to getting the national license is very real. I'm a terrible exam taker, especially when it comes to multiple choice. The National Registry is half a physical exam and the other cognitive. Physically I passed with flying colors, cognitive I failed. Three times. Now I'm stuck in limbo trying to get hours so I can have one more shot at it. During the whole stressful process, I analyzed if this is truly something that I wanted to accomplish and after looking at it and where I'm at career wise...it's important that I get this towards maybe finding a career that I think would be a fit for me. It will take some time from the stuff that I want to actually do but at the end it will be worth it. Just gotta take the time and go back in there guns ablazing with no remorse nor mercy.

The plan is still in progress. I can feel it in my bones that this one is coming closer than expected but I'm not afraid of the opportunity. Full time job? Check. Place of my own? In Progress. In reality, I'm able to pay my bills on a timely matter but can I fully add on rent to my responsibilities? It may be an early struggle upon ownership but the struggle will be worth it because I would be lucky to have a place of my own. And not a lot of people can say that with a straight face. Don't get me wrong, love having free rent at my mom's place but there's this thing called "growing up" and I love my mama but I gotta make this happen to show her, my family, friends and most importantly myself that I can handle me.

I think my compartmentalize level is up to Level 14 currently. This was my mental goal of the year and it was a building block which was very successful btw. Personally I feel the most complete internally I have since I was a young boy back in there where I truly did not have a care in the world. Now that same childhood feeling is back in my young adult self which is great for me and not so great for the drama, hatred, jeers and foul-play that comes my way. I have truly medicated myself with this prescription: If I can't control it, I don't stress it. That prescription might require you to clear up your eyes to fully understand the description. All these stressors out here in this world, some you can control how that bugger will affect you and your skill-set while the others you know for a fact that they're coming to do damage and there's not a damn thing you can do.

So why stress yourself out to the Max on something you can't control? Let it do it's damage per say and then what? You always control yourself and your reactions to bad shit. If your boss give you extra work, just gotta man up, say "OK Boss." and get it done to the best of you abilities. If your partner decides this isn't gonna work and leaves you picking up the pieces, been there, done that. Pick yourself up, wipe them tears, build yourself up back to level 10 and live your life. Whatever it is...work intensity, partner issues, break-ups, suck-ups, lives lost, heartbreaks, mental beatdowns. We ALL go through tough times but YOU...yes YOU...control how you handle when life announces some Bad News your way. And plus your awesome anyway so don't let any negative electrons outside the circle affect your awesometons from within.

Whew...that was some goals and analyzation huh? Haha.

As for the rest of my year that wasn't in goal form, 2014 was rather swell. Mentally I'm feeling more in control of my thoughts and emotions, still in a fun and loving relationship with my girlfriend that still puts up with me for some reason and still got some of the craziest variety of friends on the planet. But I love 'em all. Everybody haha. Physically I'm more in tuned and (Daft Punk voice) harder, better, faster, stronger across the board. What can I say life is going and going for this insominiatic psycho. 

Beyond blessed in every sense of those 2 words. Whether you believe in him or not, your personal choice, I would like to thank God for his blessings and gifts throughout the year. Along with an amazing family, a loving girlfriend and supportive cast of friends, I've made it though another year with a grin on my face, YOLO! on my brain and just rolling up and down on this road looking for what I need to conquer next.

Don't get it twisted. It wasn't just all poppin' bottles and party rockin' all night, all day, all year. There was some struggles along the way to the party. May have taken a few detours that could have been avoided along with going down unknown roads when I clearly had a GPS that kept yelling U-Turn! U-Turn! but hey...I'm only human. I'm gonna fuck up. Had a few awesome people laid down to rest which is never fun but the memories and the celebrations of their lives that was definitely and forever will be fun. Yeah there were some dark moments in the last 365 but they did not outshine the brighter ones. And they never will.

Now that 2015 has arrived on my iCalandar, here's what I want to conquer within the next 365 days of opportunity:

*Nothing Sweeter Than A Pair of 45's!: As CT Fletcher famously keeps saying in his videos, there is nothing sweeter than a pair of 45's slapping together! Well this year, I want to hear that sweet sound personally and on the regular inside the weight room. So my main fitness goal this year is to curl up some 45 pound barbells 8-12 reps in 2-3 sets. I can normally do 25 without breaking sweat so I truly want to double the weight and double the power. One goal closer to becoming a sidewalk cracking beast as CT would say. Rep!

*Welcome Home, Kazie: This is the year I get my own place. I've got things were I want them but the search is on. There is a variety of factors riding on the success of this goal and yet I'm not afraid to add more responsibility on my back. Especially when I can just open the fridge and make myself a nice beverage and kick back on the couch with a gaming session. And in my own place? Ahh...the dream. Just gotta keep chasing it and working towards making it real.

*Keepin' An Eye On The Job: While I'm satisfied work wise currently, there's still plenty of possibilities all around. Plenty of interests and What If? scenarios are popping up like IM messages so just doing a tad bit of research in other fields that I may think of making a move towards. EMT certification will still be in the workings in the new year but who knows where I'll end up. As long as I still have an occupation that give me a paycheck, that is a blessing.

*Stay Happy, Stay Humble: Simple. Yet so difficult. Gotta keep this ying and yang mumbo jumbo going strong in 2015. I don't want to turn back into the emotional sap that wanted to be liked but everyone...fuck that. This new version of an old me is amazing and it's staying. Permanently. Just gotta keep upgrading the arsenal and strategically keep the happiness blazing from within and outwards to others. Oh yeah, and keep the haters employed and doing their jobs. While signing out their evaluations: Needs Improvement. :)

*Don't Coward In Front Of Opportunity: One thing I noticed from the last 365 days was that I took advantage of some opportunities that just so happen to land in my lap. While some opportunities awaited bigger rewards if just kept searching in that general direction. Well in 2015, I'm gonna make an effort took use ALL opportunities that seem beneficial in the short, medium and long run. They are out there and in various forms and versions. Just got keep a sharp eye out for them when they appear or clues towards locating them.

2015 is gonna be a productive year. It's gonna get tough here and there but I believe strongly that all my struggles are worth it. And the next 365 days are not just about the struggle; it's about the beauty of the struggles we encounter. Don't look down, look up and keep moving on up. And above all else...be happy in 2015.

You deserve to be happy.

Believe That!