Veronica Speaks

These 23 questions are from the Question Everything Card Game by Danielle Robay. What these questions accomplish is a deep reflection on where you are starting in the next year.

While I am sharing my responses, I encourage you to journal these questions and answer them for yourself.

What’s the bravest thing you did this year?

The bravest thing I am doing this year is trusting God. This year, I became a full-time entrepreneur which requires me to depend entirely on myself. There are times where I feel unqualified, weak, and undisciplined and I rely on God to remind me of my capabilities. Trusting God is the best decision I continue to make daily.

What 3 things brought personal happiness aside from friends + family?

Friends and family have their special places in my life and nothing compares to experiencing my own energy. This year, I lived completely alone which became a revealing experience. Learning how to love myself and experience me is the top thing that brought personal happiness.

Next, improving my photography skills brought personal happiness. VPerspective Photography is a new, Chicago-based photovideography service that I created in 2021. This past year was my first full year in business and I am so excited to see what 2023 brings.

What got in the way of fulfilling your happiness in 2022?

Believing that I was always missing something got in the way of fulfilling my happiness in 2022. Well, I don’t think it got in my way fully because I experienced happiness during this year. I am, now, basking in the knowing that I am whole and not missing a thing. God has me right where I need to be.

What is one change you made this year that improved the quality of your life?

Believing in myself dramatically improves the quality of my life.

One thing you want to: quit, learn, try, have, start, continue to do?

I want to learn how to play this piano! I have had a Williams Legato 88-Key Digital Piano for close to three years and I barely play on it. I am dedicated to learning how to play however long it takes me.

How did you speak to yourself this year? What three things can you give yourself credit for this past year?

I choose to speak honestly and gracefully with myself. I know I make decisions as best as I can using the information I have available at the time of deciding. I don’t purposefully try to harm myself or anyone around me, so why should I speak harshly to myself? That makes no sense.

I give myself credit for communicating boundaries and sticking to them, following my gut feeling, and staying in the present moment.

Were you dishonest with yourself or others at any point this year?

In the beginning of the year, I was definitely lying to myself about the career paths I want to pursue. I fell into a bad habit of people-pleasing for acceptance and it costed me my sanity and sobriety for six months. Consequently because I was lying to myself, I was lying to others.

What’s your most memorable story/experience from this past year?

I was accidentally someone’s get-away driver (that’ll be a story for another day).

What was your biggest struggle this year? What did it teach you?

The biggest struggle I faced this year was killing the urge to be perfect. Perfectionism only held me back. I am a content creator and I wouldn’t post because my content wasn’t “perfect” like everyone else’s. I got caught in the loop of comparison and it almost costed me my sanity. Now, I focus on making progress. I am on my own journey of growth and development. I look to other for inspiration and encouragement, not envy.

Who poured into you this year that you want to thank?

What’s something you couldn’t do a year ago that you can do today?

A year ago, I could not make my own schedule.

What’s one thing you will be able to say you can do a year from now that you can’t do yet?

I am able to say that I successfully ran a 6-figure business.

What promise do you keep breaking to yourself? Why?

I have a promise to myself to not have sex with a man who is not committed to me. Why did I keep breaking this promise? I had weak boundaries, low standards, and I felt like a romantic relationship is what I was missing.

One promise you will make to yourself this year ____

I promise to show up for myself every day.

Is there anyone in your life you can offer forgiveness to today?

Yes, there are a couple people. I am working on this forgiveness thing.

Who in your life can you listen to more attentively this year?

The Holy Spirit.

Where and with whom do you feel most at home?

I feel most at home with my immediate family, my bestfriends, and genuine, goofy, and sober people like myself.

What was your single biggest waster in your life this past year?

The biggest waster in my life this past year was my lack of sticking to a schedule. There are ways I can maximize my time and be more productive if I stick to the schedules I make.

What will you do for the first time this year?

I will go hiking in a mountain for the first time this year. I am SO excited!

What is one adventure you will take this year?

I am going on an RV Adventure through the United States. I HAVE to!

When you soften your eyes, what do you see in your heart?

When I soften my eyes, I see love all around me. A full heart with healing scars. I don’t have the words to describe the feeling I feel in my heart when I embrace love, but it makes me feel full.

What one-word intention or theme do you hope will define your 2023?

Fulfillment.

What would you do this next year if you knew you could not fail?

If I knew I could not fail, I would be the public speaker that I am.

Answering these questions were like a blast for the past and a preview into the future. I am excited to revisit these answers before the end of 2023. I’m sure I will be flabbergasted by how I exceed my expectations.