Want it, Got it (April 2010)

I chatted briefly with a lovely gal at the Toyota Fitness Center where I teach, and realized that her story would be perfect for our April Newsletter.
So here it is. Enjoy!!

Do I believe that you get what you want? Yes, I do. You have to want it bad enough, you must believe that you already have it, and whatever you want is on its way towards you.

Since I was a young girl, I dreamt big. It was my way of leaving my world of poverty behind. No one ever taught me how to dream, but I am certain, that it is a natural born gift that everyone has. Some are just better at it than others, and of course, it all boils down to practice. I now see my fate as a poor girl as a blessing because it gave me all the practice time I needed to escape into my imagination, dream big dreams, and have faith that they will come true.
Trust me when I say, whatever you want you can have. I never knew what fried chicken until I was almost eight years old. My first experience of chicken was the day my whole life changed. I knew that there was no such thing as the impossible dream. So, from that day on, I focused on the things I wanted.

I wanted to speak English, I did. Of course you can’t just want something without putting anything out… That was my second discovery. You have to do something about what you want. I spoke English even when my classmates laughed at me. I spent countless hours after school getting tutored, and by the end of the summer of my first grade, I embarked on a journey to prove that academic excellence is not only a matter of intelligence, but hard work and perseverance. I actually believe it is more of the latter.

When I finally graduated with the highest honors from University of San Francisco, I knew in my heart that I can attain anything that I truly want no matter what cards are dealt on my table to challenge me to think otherwise. So when I was told that single-motherhood was tough, I smiled and said, “Definitely not for the faint of heart.” I knew I could do it because my mother was a single mom, without a college education, who put food on the table, built a home from her hard earned money, and sent two daughters to college.

The most beautiful part of wanting and getting what we want is our ability to see our dreams as a transformative force to change the lives of others. To help others attain their dreams is one way to show gratitude towards life. I mentor young teenagers, speak to strangers; inspire my friends to follow their dreams, in hopes that they too can experience that life is abundant in possibilities.

About five years ago, I hired into Toyota as a management trainee. I thought at first that I was making a mistake because I was giving up my great job with Sephora to pursue an industry that was completely foreign to me. Let me tell you, Toyota has propelled many of my dreams by putting me in the right place, surrounding me with the right people, and giving me the kind of opportunities I have dreamed of.
I remember clearly expressing my interests during my first days of new hire orientation that I wanted to work for Global Toyota. Someone from the company told me to keep that to myself because I was on the path for being in the field and that maybe later on my career, it may be something I look into. Because I verbalized what I wanted, it came to me.

I now work for Toyota Global Knowledge Center. I work with the smartest group of people I know in the entire Toyota Organization. Our role as a department is to connect, communicate, and collaborate with all Toyota distributors worldwide to share best practices and be the keepers of the Toyota Way. My group is the bridge that connects everyone in our company. Again, my dreams came true.

Finally, on a personal note, I am living with my beautiful daughter Gracelaina, who is very artistic, and loves to dance by the ocean (literally). We watch the sunset everyday from our balcony, go rides on our bikes on the strand, and swim in our beach side pool. I have also traveled fourteen countries in the last five years: Italy, France, Switzerland, Egypt, Jordan, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Panama, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, and Vancouver. I learned to belly dance, salsa, and tango in their respective countries of origin. These were all dreams realized!

Now, I am waiting for these dreams to come true: my true love, more traveling, and publishing my first book. I know they are coming… Stay tuned!
Believe in yourself and the power you have to trtransform your dreams into reality!
Namaste.

By: MJ Tamayo
March 26, 2010

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