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

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 

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

 

Let’s Talk Future Self!

 

LET’S TALK FUTURE SELF!

3 Hour Vision Board Workshop hosted by Happy Matters LLC and RJSII Enterprises

Do you dream of being, doing, and having more in your life?
Do you want to set new realistic goals for your business, lifestyle or relationships?
Are looking to make significant shifts in your life but aren’t sure where to start?

Vision Boarding is a simple, fun process of letting your curiosity and creativity emerge from within, giving you insight into your dreams and deepest desires.

Using images and words from magazines, personal photos or whatever else resonates strongly with you, a collage is created that speaks to the things, feelings, people, aspirations and experiences that are important and meaningful to you now and in your future.

When you tap into your right brain in this playful, stress-free way, it can and will surprise you in ways you could never imagine!

Discover what’s possible as you come away from this experience with new insights and the energy to manifest your now-visible dreams.

In this workshop you will learn to:

• Embrace the Law of Attraction by harnessing the Power of Visualization
• Create a beautiful work of art that represents your inner yearning and hidden potential
• Send a message to the Universe with a clear intention of what you want to manifest
• Complete a life balance wheel that will assist you to take inventory of your life in the areas of community, career, money, health, relationships, spirituality, personal growth and recreation
• Develop a list of “next right steps” that will help guide your actions moving forward

Workshop Facilitators:

Cristina Reyeros CPC
Life Coach, Artist, and Blogger based in New York City. Owner of Happy Matters LLC and founder of ambitioninthecity.com, a motivational website devoted to inspiring individuals to live a life of purpose, passion and creativity. Cristina brings over eight years of experience in the field of psychology and mental health. Dedicated to assisting individuals to explore and play, Cristina combines her love of learning, psychology and art to assist her clients to tap into their courage, confidence and choice.

Rene John-Sandy II CPC
Rene John-Sandy II is an entertainment executive, life coach and nonprofit activist residing in Harlem, New York. As the CEO of RJSII Enterprises, Rene brings over twenty years of experience in talent management, entertainment marketing and brand management across the sports, music, and food and beverage industries.

Let’s activate the law of attraction and make your dreams a reality.
Fee: $45 To register please contact creyeros@gmail.com. Payments can be made via PayPal or cash at the door. Seating is limited-register early!

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The Cracked Pot: A Story of Purpose

A friend of mine recently shared this story with me and the moment I heard it, I knew I wanted to share it with you all. Whether this is your first time reading this story, or if you have come across it before, the story of The Cracked Pot is a great reminder of  individual uniqueness and purpose. We each come to this world with different flaws and sometimes it’s hard for us to see the good that  exists beyond those flaws.  We are all cracked pots.  This story helps to remind us that we need to take the time to appreciate each other for the beautiful, unique creatures that we are; to acknowledge the good that exists within all of us and to celebrate each others purpose because we all have one. Wishing you all a pleasant day. Hopefully this story will resonate with a few of you.

A waterbearer in India had two large pots, one hung on each end of a pole, which she carried across her neck.

One of the pots had a crack in it. While the other pot was perfect, and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the mistress’s house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to her master’s house.

The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream: “I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you.”

Why?” asked the bearer. “What are you ashamed of?”

“I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your mistress’s house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don’t get full value from your efforts,” the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in her compassion she said, “As we return to the mistress’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.”

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some.

But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side?

Photo Credit: katykulak.tumblr.com |

“That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered them.

“For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my mistress’s table. Without you being just the way you are, she would not have this beauty to grace her house.”

Moral: Each of us has our own unique flaws. We’re all cracked pots.

But it’s the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. We’ve just got to take each person for what they are, and look for the good in them.

There’s a lot of good out there.

By Sacinandana Swami

“Your purpose in life is to find your purpose and give your whole heart and soul to it” -Gautama Buddha

Ambition In The City

Keep Moving Forward

Image Credit: Dougal Waters via Getty Images

 

It’s not always easy to leave things in the past but we can never truly heal until we open our eyes to all that is still ahead of us. What are you looking forward to? 

Ambition In The City

Ponder This…

How often are you pausing to recharge and reboot your mind? 

It’s been said, that everybody needs time to rejuvenate, refresh, recharge and begin again.

Every so often we life coaches like to coach one another. This practice not only helps us to keep our skills sharp but it also helps us to remember we are human just like everyone else and not exempt from regular day to day struggles. This morning I had a wonderful coaching session with my friend and fellow colleague Sarah. In this coaching session I came to the realization with her that I am long overdue for a recharge and reboot. The low battery life alert had been flashing in my mind for days now, but I kept ignoring it. As I shared with her the internal struggle I had been wrestling with, it hit me that I was putting too much energy on things that are secondary to my authentic purpose and passion. As we discussed the physical and mental toll sacrificing my interests and talents was taking on me, I started to feel a weight lift off my shoulders. I began to take ownership of the choices I had been making over the course of these past few days and I acknowledged that my desire to please others had overpowered my desire to be happy and at peace with myself. This resulted in me realizing that I had been running on autopilot. I had been floating along for the past few days crossing item after item off of my to-do list, never feeling all that satisfied with the days progress. I found myself feeling exhausted and frustrated at the end of every day. “I would rather be…” kept popping up in my mind as I floated from one task to the other. I was using up all of my energy to tackle things that had little if anything to do with growing my coaching practice, blogging or working on my art. Upon exploration and with the help of some visualization exercises I realized that my mind was being pulled in several different directions and that it was running on fumes at this point.

After my session, I committed to giving my mind the time it needed to rest and regroup. I paused and let my mind settle. What is important? What can wait? What is no longer serving me? What would you like to do in this moment? As I meditated around these questions today I felt my mind coming back to full power. I felt invigorated and inspired to put more of my energy and focus on the things that mattered to me most. Those things that bring me alive.  My original outlook of the day shifted and as this Wednesday, March 5th draws to a close I feel accomplished and content. I was able to coach a few clients, write this blog post, and will be finishing up a painting before this night is through. That’s a beautiful thing.

Remember to be patient with yourself. The energy that our mind supplies should be nurtured and cared for. This is our essence. When we neglect the messages our mind and body relay to us, we deny our authentic self from being heard. Listen to the messages being transmitted and take the time every so often to recharge and reboot your life.

Ambition In The City

Life is a Gift

 

Life is a gift. Everyday we get to another opportunity to unwrap another corner of this beautiful present we call life. What piece of your special gift will you unveil this weekend? Happy Friday everyone! 

Ambition In The City

Ponder This…

“Self-discovery” by Rita Loyd © 2011

 

Why is it that we can always see the good in others but when asked to describe the good in us we can’t seem to find the words? Self appreciation is healthy and very necessary. Acknowledge the good in you today. Be your biggest fan. 

Ambition In The City 

The Unknown Is All There Is

Look out into the distance. The unknown is all there is. There is no amount of planning or preparation that will keep you away from experiencing what is meant to be. Let your spirit and your heart guide you towards those things that have value and significance to you. This is your road. No matter how many people you might have around you, you travel this road alone. Every turn, every curve is created by you and only you, so embrace the choices that are yours alone to make. Your path will not always be clear, but that’s what’s so beautiful about this journey. Step fully into the unknown and permit yourself to explore what wonders you have yet to discover.

The unknown is not meant to be feared or shied away from. It is meant to serve as a reminder that there is always another way to go.  Step away from the safe and familiar and remember that these things were once the things you only wished for. Embracing the unknown requires us to let go and trust. Trust ourselves enough to try. Trust ourselves enough to be seen and trust ourselves enough to fail without judgement. We are capable of being our biggest supporters if we let go of all the limiting beliefs that no longer serve us. When we can replace these beliefs with thoughts of empowerment, confidence and self-love then and only then can we step fully into the unknown without fear or hesitation. Commit to stepping in fully by embracing the possibilities that exist in your life. The unknown is beautiful. The unknown is all there is.

“Go to where you do not know what you do not know. That is where you will find all your opportunities.” 
― Jeffrey Fry

Ambition In The City