Coaching

Ponder This…

What do you love? Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love?

When we can recognize what it is that makes our hearts sing, there is no telling our capacity to impact change in this world. Doing what you love is not only an open expression of the love you have for yourself, but of the love you wish to share with the world. When we actively ignore those things that bring us alive, we deny ourselves, and the world from experiencing our purpose. Love yourself. This is not an act of selfishness. This is an act of self acceptance. It is the acceptance of your authenticity and greatness and this is something we all carry. No one person is more or less deserving of loving each and every moment of their lives. When we demonstrate love through our actions and decisions we connect to our truth. We step into our power and manifest for ourselves the lives we always knew we could have. Love it up, and create change. In the immortal words of The Beatles, all you need is love.

Ambition in the City

Struggling with the Unknown

http://mariekb.wordpress.com

“Part ways with your perception of reality, allow the unknown and your curiosity muster into a visual you’ve never allowed yourself to see.” Elizabeth Lomeli

How often do we find ourselves struggling with the idea of the unknown?

When the unknown is all there is, should we really be stressing over what is in no way under our control?

Embracing what is possible is a way to balance one’s fear and hesitation towards forward movement. When we can take the time to identify what is possible, we open up a window to see what is out there for us. We provide ourselves with an opportunity to feel, taste, touch and even smell what could potentially be experienced if we just left our negative thoughts at the door and opened ourselves up to what could be.

Give yourself permission to wonder, to play to, be curious and to question the life that’s just waiting for you. There is no waiting for the perfect time or perfect circumstance. All we have is this moment. Look your fears in the face and speak to them. Acknowledge any inner critics you might have that are blocking you from taking action towards a better future. These inner critics only want to protect you, but what they also succeed at is keeping you small. Face them and break free of any limiting beliefs that have been dragging you down for all this time. You CAN and SHOULD experience all that is good and wonderful in this life. Open your eyes and open your heart to the unknown.

Ambition in the City

Happiness Challenge Day 5

September 12th, 2014 Day 5 of Happiness Challenge

1. Recharging my batteries makes me happy. Every so often I gift myself with a personal day. On these days I focus my energy on doing something nice for myself. It could be as simple as a manicure and a few hours of reading at a local cafe or a nice massage followed by a warm bath with some relaxing music. The goal is that I give my mind and body the time it needs to feel relaxed and appreciated. I disconnect from all electronics and I avoid those things that might pose as a distraction for me. I welcome these moments and am grateful for each and every one of them.

2. Practicing being fully present makes me happy. The older I get the more I appreciate being in the moment. I cherish the journey just as much as I celebrate the end result. I take notice of all the learning and growth that can often be found in the in between moments. These are the moments that have the greatest impact. It is amazing the insight one can gain when they just slow things down. There is so much to be noticed and absorbed when we practice looking at the world and our role in it differently. Take time to celebrate small victories, to learn from mistakes and to tell those who matter to you most that you love them. Embrace the now this is your life.

“There is more to life than simply increasing its speed.” Mahatma Gandhi

3. Showing appreciation makes me happy. Whenever presented with the opportunity I always enjoy showing my appreciation to people who really help to bring so much to my life. No matter the act it feels good to be appreciated. I make an effort everyday to acknowledge the people around me for all the great things they do and let them know that their efforts impact the people around them. I don’t think people get enough appreciation throughout their day, but I am certain they are contributing to the world in more ways than one. It takes two seconds to acknowledge someone but the impact it can have on that person can be long lasting.

“Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” Voltaire

Ambition in the City

Happiness Challenge Day 4

September 11th, Day 4 of the Happiness Challenge

1. Music makes me happy. It always amazes me how a particular song can impact me in such a powerful way. No matter where I am, certain songs have a way of transporting me back in time. Whether they help me to remember a loved one or empower me to keep fighting the good fight, music has a very special place in my heart. I still remember all the songs I used to listen to during those long drives with my mom on our mommy, daughter days. The song that was playing when I first got my heart-broken and the songs that remind me of those people who are longer by my side. Music comforts me in times of struggle and bring me closer to my power when I feel as though my situation appears hopeless. No matter the style of music, I can always I can always count on its ability to move me. I admire the individuals who create such works of art and I appreciate them for bringing such beauty to this world.

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination
and life to everything.” Plato

2. Embracing my emotions makes me happy. As a cancer I am by nature an emotional person. Rarely can I ever hold back or hide the way I feel. Often sympathetic to other feelings, I struggle at times with the idea that I must take on others emotions as my own. While I recognize this within myself it is not an easy task to master. Everyday I welcome the emotions that stir from within me. I embrace and acknowledge them in the moment and do my very best to share my feelings whenever appropriate. Ignoring or pushing these feelings down has never served me. Historically it has only led me to brood over the things that make me unhappy. This only serves as a barrier to forward movement. Today I consistently practice embracing my truth. Whether pleasant or unpleasant our emotions are meant to be heard. They guide us to authenticity and to greater learning.

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart” Helen Keller

3. Practicing self-love make me happy. As a life coach I encounter quite a number of people whom struggle to love themselves. “I am not enough” is often a common theme I hear coming from individuals. Practicing self-love takes a lot of effort in a society that is constantly comparing you to others. Stepping out as a unique individual takes courage. I find that tag lines and mantra’s often aid me in my practice towards self-love. It is easy to fall into the habit of being overly critical of oneself, but it takes practice and patience to acknowledge the good we all have within us. Everyday I choose an area or quality in myself that needs attention and love. I focus my energy on building that area up and giving it the love and support it needs to overcome any of my negative thought patterns. I will repeat these positive words to myself from the start of my day. It sets the tone for the way I show up to the world and in addition, how I show up for myself. Learning to love oneself is not selfish in any way. It is healthy and absolutely necessary. We should be our greatest supporters and we should love who we are no matter what.

“Dare to love yourself as if you were a rainbow with gold at both ends.” Aberjhani

“I am powerful in my love for myself. The truth of my being is I love myself exactly as I am. I honor my empowered heart.” Amy Leigh Mercree

Ambition in the City

7 Day Happiness Challenge Day 2

September 9th, 2014 Day 2 of the Happiness Challenge

1. Today I am happy for my health. I am grateful that my body is responding well to my pregnancy and that both mommy and baby are doing just fine. It is amazing to see how quickly my motherly instinct to protect has developed. I so look forward to nurturing my little man and keeping him safe. I am more mindful of my surroundings everyday and am more cognizant to welcome good health, peace and tranquility into my life. “Our environment, the world in which we live and work is a mirror of our attitude and expectations.” -Earl Nightingale I welcome a positive environment where I can be nurtured, can nurture others and thrive.

2. Learning makes me happy. When I was younger I would always say that my dream was to be a lifetime student. I remember always being curious about the world and about my future role in it. I found it difficult to pick one particular interest that I was drawn to and found that I dabbled in lots of different areas. Choosing just one thing to focus my attention on always felt so restricting. I find that my list of interests is endless these days. I am drawn to art, to people, to history, to science, to music, to spirituality, to nature, to travel…etc. I thirst for knowledge and look for every opportunity I can get to learn and grow in this life time. One doesn’t stop learning when they leave school. There is so much more to uncover if you just choose to be curious. Life is a an endless cycle of learning and transformation. I seek out and welcome any experience that will bring forth additional knowledge and continued evolution. “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” Mahatma Gandhi

3. Being playful makes me happy. As much as I love a good conversation among mature adults, I find that I love being playful with people around me. Not only do I think it keeps you young, but it permits people to see a side of you that is innocent and free of judgment. It is not easy for many adults to tap into this side of themselves. It is almost as if their inner child has been locked up and left to collect dust. I say let your inner child out to play every once in a while! There is nothing wrong with focusing your day on both the things you find useful/necessary and the things you find pleasant. Attacking life in this way will leave you with very little regret and a life full of beautiful experiences. “You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” Plato

Ambition in the City

7 Day Happiness Challenge

A few days ago, I was nominated by my dearest friend Jennifer to do the happiness challenge, by posting three things each day for the next 7 days that make me happy. In my life I try to dedicate the majority of my time to doing things that make me happy. I try my best to live with intention and I accept sole responsibility for my happiness. For all of you Ambition in the City readers I invite you to take this challenge along with me this week. How are you welcoming happiness into your life?

September 8th, 2014 Day 1 of the Happiness Challenge

Service 1. This morning it made me extremely happy to coach a client around an issue that has been long burdening them. Our conversation focused on what they realistically had control over and how knowing this could empower them to experience their problem differently. As we tried on the various ways they could choose to experience their problem the problem started to loosen its grip on my client. It started to look smaller in their mind and even appeared more manageable. It made me happy to witness such a wonderful transformation happen right before my very eyes. When I can help someone to embrace the things that are beyond their control and to shift those things and situations that no longer serve them, my heart is filled with much joy. It is these very moments that resonate with my value of connection and service. It is a pleasure to connect and to serve people as a life coach.

2. Happy thoughts rushed into my mind as I felt my baby kick today. My heart became full as I welcomed each and every one of his subtle jabs. A little life is growing inside of me and that brings me so much joy. It is an honor to have had this little person chose me to be their mommy. I embrace and revel in these months of transformation and growth. I welcome this new chapter into my life and open myself up to all the lessons I am sure this new experience will provide me and my future son. I value family tremendously and have been blessed to have so many supportive and loving people in my life. It makes me extremely happy that it is finally my turn to create a family of my very own with my hubby this coming year. We can’t wait to meet you Alexander. :o)

3. I set the intention to approach this week with thoughts of love. I value love and welcome its power into my life.This morning I decided that my mantra for the week was going to be “I welcome love and reject all negativity”. It is easy for us to step away from love and fall into negative thinking patterns so making it a part of our practice to be fully present and surrounded by love is imperative for a happy and healthy living. To aid me to keep me fully present and connected to this intention, I recently purchased rose quartz and black obsidian crystals to carry around with me. I can tell you that the two crystals provide me with a profound sense of calm when I carry them. Next week ill report back on how combining these crystals with my intention impacted my day to day dealings with the world around me.

“All great acts are ruled by intention. What you mean is what you get.”-Brenna Yavanoff

If you are unfamiliar with the world of crystals here are the meanings behind these two very powerful crystals.

Rose quartz is a stone of the heart, a Crystal of Unconditional Love. It carries a soft feminine energy of compassion and peace, tenderness and healing, nourishment and comfort. It speaks directly to the Heart Chakra, dissolving emotional wounds, fears and resentments, and circulates a Divine loving energy throughout the entire aura. Reawakening the heart to its own innate love, it provides a deep sense of personal fulfillment and contentment, allowing one the capacity to truly give and receive love from others. [Raphaell, 82-85][Simmons, 331][Hall, 236]

Black Obsidian is a grounding stone that provides an instant connection from the Root Chakra deep into the core of the Earth. Black Obsidian will help to clean and remove negative energies in a sacred space or environment. It also assists in releasing those emotions/reactions that cause negative energy such as anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, etc. Once these energies are removed/released, Black Obsidian will help to keep the space protected.

Ambition in the City

Patience to be Present

Patience hasn’t always come naturally to me. As a child I always felt as though I was in a race. Always looking for immediate results and always in a rush to reach adulthood. When it came to reaching milestones in life I never found myself feeling satisfied. As one milestone was attained another was already in the works. As I write about this I feel exhausted just thinking of how my days used to be spent. How can a person dedicate so much time chasing after a finish line that’s never really there? There would always be something else I NEEDED to attain and another thing to reach towards.

As an adult I look back at my younger years and see how much of my time was spent planning, and how very little was spent in the moment. All those days and nights plotting and obsessing over my future. Endless hours devising check lists but never stopping to celebrate my victories. I was always on to the next thing.

It’s saddens me that so many of us live life in such a way. We hop from task to task, from responsibility to responsibility. Always focusing our energy on the things we have managed to convince ourselves is that bigger prize or achievement that’s just on the horizon. How much time have we lost? Who have we left behind or ignored in the process? What have we sacrificed to get us where we are today?

As a life coach and mom to be I look at life so very differently these days. I have learned to slow things down in an effort to enjoy the small pleasures in life. To take time to embrace the journey and not just the end result. I revel in the process of transformation and growth as it’s happening in the moment. Just as this little life grows inside me so too am I growing and evolving day by day. I celebrate and acknowledge things as if my life were being played for me in slow motion. I must be mindful and have the patience to be fully present. Life is what is happening now not what we hope will happen days, months or even years from now.

Enjoy the people around you that share in this life you lead. Acknowledge and appreciate them for the love and support they offer to you on a daily basis. Stop and celebrate a good days progress. You might have not gotten everything on your check list completed but it was a beautiful day and you were present for every moment of it.

Slow down to allow emotions, sensations and most importantly, your heart to guide you. Listen to your intuition and allow your acts to be ruled by intention. Never forget that what you are doing in this very moment is important and invaluable. You are evolving and learning every day so slow down to absorb the gifts being provided to you. Capture life lessons as they come. Life is meant to be enjoyed not to be rushed.

Cristina

Ambition in the City

Get Excited

Woke up feeling so excited for what’s to come. With this new little life in my belly I can’t help but see the world differently. It’s as though I am looking at life through my little one’s eyes. Everything is new, I feel more curious then ever, and i’m just so very happy to be in this moment.

I am embracing every aspect of my day and ever encounter as if it were my first. I am feeling playful, energetic, and eager to be a part of it all. My body is having some difficulty keeping up of course but it’s OK because tomorrow I get to explore all over again.

It’s been a few months since I last connected with that childlike part of me that looked at life this way and I thank the little angel growing inside me for bringing her back.

What’s got you excited today?

Allow your eyes to look at life from the perspective of your younger self. Embrace those things that used to make your eyes open up wide with excitement and heart pound out of your chest. It’s these things that truly make life special.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Cristina

Ambition In The City

Back to Life

Hi my lovely ambitioninthecity readers. My sincerest apologies for not having posted in quite some time. It has been a very busy couple of months for me. I had to take a break from posting due to travels and some exciting life changes that have recently come up.

This January I will be expecting my first baby! I am excited to begin this next chapter in my life and am looking forward to seeing where this new adventure will take me and my amazing partner. I hope to return to blogging now that I have passed my first trimester and survived the lovely beginning symptoms of pregnancy. With a renewed sense of energy, I hope to bring Ambition in the City back to life. My coaching practice is still thriving in NYC but I really have missed connecting with people all over the globe. I look forward to writing again and I cannot wait to read all of your wonderful posts. It is good to be back!

I am ready to embrace all the new insights and learning I am sure to experience over the next few months and I look forward to sharing these insights with you all.

Thank you for all of your continued support.

Happy Blogging,
Cristina