Spill the Tea Tuesday with Debb: ☕ If Money Was No Object

Dear Diary,

This week, I had a hard time figuring out what to write about. Or more accurately … what to share and what not to share. That is the question. If you've been following along so far, you know I'm pretty raw and open when it comes to sharing my thoughts and feelings, especially when it's not so glamorous. Hormones, weight gain, fluctuating emotions, crying because someone put random ducks on my Jeep ...

You know … normal stuff. And honestly, no matter what's happening on the outside, I'd say I'm generally a pretty positive person ... looking at the glass half full kind of mindset. Lately though, I've been feeling a little stuck and asking myself … What's next?

Career Confessions

I love teaching yoga and Pilates. Don't get me wrong. I love connecting with students. I love being part of a team. I love those beautiful moments where something you say lands with someone and they leave feeling just a little better than when they walked in. Love love love that! What I don't love are the harder parts. Always being the glue. The one to hold things together. For clarity, I don't just teach at a studio. I'm the Instructor Team Lead (of 30 instructors) and therefore have other duties and responsibilities to manage. And it's always been like that with teaching. I've had something else on top of teaching. For the most part, just teaching doesn't pay the bills. At one point in my early teaching years, I was teaching twenty classes a week and serving tables. Because I had to. Apparently yoga breathing and positive affirmations don't pay condo fees. ;)

The Portuguese Work Ethic

I grew up in an immigrant Portuguese family where you worked hard, respected authority and did what you were told. And I respect that. Sort of. Until "doing what you're told" conflicts with Yoga Debb mentality…. Stand up for yourself. Know your worth. Ask questions. And lately, I've been asking a lot of questions.

Enter Mel Robbins (yet again)

This week, my friend Mel had a career coach on her podcast and asked a question that really got me thinking: "If money wasn't an object, what would you do with your life?"

And no …. My answer wasn't "sit on a beach drinking margaritas all day." Let's be honest … It would probably be beer. And honestly, I'd probably still teach a few classes a week. A couple. Okay, maybe six. I'd write every day (which I do anyway, just not publicly). I'd do yoga and Pilates. F45. Go for walks. Have meals with family and friends. Try different recipes. Make dinner for Rui. Honestly, this whole housewife-with-hobbies thing is sounding pretty good. I'd turn Spill the Tea Tuesdays with Debb into a book. Maybe call it "C U Next Tuesday" Adventures with Debb." I'll let that one go now, I promise. 😂. I'd probably do some form of public speaking. Mindset. Motivation. Human stuff. That's the shit I love.

The Real Shit

After a Pilates class recently, I shared a quote, as I typically do. Three people asked me to send it to them after class. One of them shared with me that it hit her really hard. "That's exactly what I needed to hear today Debb. Thank you." She cried. I cried. The end. Here's the quote. "One day you realize the real blessing in life wasn't the life you imagined. It was the strength you found in the life you actually lived. The quiet resilience. The softening. The way you kept showing up even when no one knew what it took. Gratitude hits different when you finally see that the hardest chapters were the ones that grew you the most." Moonomens (follow on IG). That's the shit I love. Connecting. Inspiring. Reminding people that they're human. That life sucks sometimes. It can be tough. But we're tougher. We get to choose our tough. We get to walk away. We get to start over. Reinvent ourselves. Try again.

Maybe I'll Do Stand-Up Comedy Again

Yes, again. True story. Back in 2019, I dabbled in stand-up comedy. I made the semi-finals of an amateur comedy brawl in Toronto. Not bad for a rookie. My material back then was mostly about being single and online dating, (yes, dick pics and all). Bless my old school Portuguese mama for showing up to a few shows and supporting me! And to you if you're reading and were there. I see you! And now ... Ohhhh, do I have fresh material. Married life. And Rui. The best husband ever. True story.

Rui + ESL = Sweet Giggles

Rui was born and raised in Portugal and came to Canada in 2021. He was also here for a year in 2010 and was very persistent in returning. Cheers to that! One day, we're walking outside. He stops and sniffs the air. "Oh wow… do you smell that? It smells like skank." I immediately think …. He means skunk. "My love, I think you mean skunk." A skank is … well… a very different word." I explained. His face. "OH MY GAWD!! NO!! REALLY? THANK YOU FOR TELLING ME, MY LOVE!"

Let's Gonna Go

For about a year, he'd say things like: "Let's gonna check." "Let's gonna see." "Let's gonna go."

And honestly, I thought it was adorable. So, I didn't correct him. Eventually, I had to break the news.

"My love, you don't need the "gonna" part." You can say, "let's check, let's see, let's go." His response.

"REALLY?! I've been saying it wrong for so long?! Why didn't you tell me?!" Here's why. Picture it. You're walking hand in hand with your sweet husband, approaching Winners, talking about buying a purse (which he genuinely cares about is excited to help you choose one) and says. "Let's gonna check! You deserve a nice purse," with a little skip in his step. So cute! I just wasn't ready to let it be the last time I'd hear that phrase. Yes, I know. I'm going to hell. 😂

Ok one more! Maybe the best one ....

We're sitting in a waiting room lobby area, about to receive massages and we're looking at pamphlets on waxing, laser etc. Rui says, "What's this word, my love?" It says "buttocks." I say. "Buttocks. Another word for butt basically." He takes it in for a moment and says, "Botox? That stuff girls inject on their lips and face?" OMG I'm dead!! I say, "No it's a different word. Buttocks! Not Botox. "Sounds the same to me," he says. Fair. Insert buttocks and lip plumping joke here.

Perspective

Recently I asked Rui the same Mel Robbins question. "If money wasn't an object, what would you do?"

His answer? "Honestly, if I had to pick up shit for the rest of my life and I was paid well, I'd be happy."

Perspective. He reminded me why he came to Canada. Not to pick up shit. But for opportunity.

"Here," he said, "you can do whatever you want." And he's right. What a fresh perspective.

Maybe what I want right now is to know that things will work out for the best. Let's keep the glass half full.

I Don't Need All The Answers

Maybe I don't need to know exactly what's next. Maybe none of us do. But it's good to zoom out once in a while and ask ourselves: If money wasn't an object… what would you do?

I'd write. Tell jokes. Connect with people. Travel. Listen to podcasts. Teach. Speak. Publish a book. Share more. And honestly, Rui and I don't live extravagantly. We have Costco runs. Beer and wings on Sundays. No kids. And a pretty simple life. And maybe that's enough. It's the little things. Morning coffee. Birds chirping. The smell of fresh sheets. A comfy sofa. Sunshine. Laughter. The Real Shit. What about you?

Final Thoughts

Life is short. Really short. Too short to spend all of it waiting or worrying about work. Too short to assume we'll do that thing "one day." Maybe one day is now. Or maybe one day starts with one tiny step. A question. A dream. A business of your own. A joke. A blog. A conversation. Whatever it is…

Let's gonna do it!

-Yogadebb

Building strength, mindset, and real-life consistency … one breath at a time :)