Meet Valerie M. Leyva

We were lucky to catch up with Valerie M. Leyva recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Valerie M., appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

At a young age, I was in a position where I had to take on and process the emotions and challenges from the adults in my life. I had to learn to take care of myself and and was often left alone to conceptualize why things happen the way they do. I had an inner knowing and understanding that despite praise or encouragement, only I can define my happiness, success and well-being.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I’ve worked in web development for 10+ years and have photographed the world my entire life. I started to paint again and I’m currently closing the chapter in one aspect of my career but looking forward to the next! I am getting creative again and will be offering new commercial photography services later this year. Stay tuned for more information on my website. I will still offer special occasion photography: weddings, families, events – as I love capturing these special moments.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I am firm believer in a ‘limitless’ mindset. I believe it’s important to truly create your own reality and judgement of life. No one path is the same or the ‘correct’ way to do something. Remove outside expectations and apply yourself to everything you desire. Do not limit yourself or your life because society has a formula for it. Create your own sequence of events and don’t be afraid to do it alone. Even if you do not know what is ahead, still take a step forward. The skill is to not just adapt, but create.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

If I am ever feeling overwhelmed I disconnect and relax my body in order to decompress my mind. I recommend a hot bath, reading a book, and most importantly sleep. Sometimes it’s hard to know when to stop, but I think there’s greater reward in working on something the next day or after a restful night.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.xxval.com/

Image Credits

Pictured: Yesenia Walsh, Aconda Williams, Michelle Sparks