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Ambitiously Cierra

Ambitiously Cierra

A lifestyle blog about finding balance within an ambitious life

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Building Courage: 3 Big Takeaways from RISE x LIVE

May 6, 2020 · In: Lifestyle

“Courage can be contagious, and hope can take on a life of its own” – Michelle Obama

The Hollis Company definitely lived up to the words of the former First Lady when they decided to pull off its first virtual, courage-themed RISE x LIVE conference. The conference featured 10 keynote speakers and 9 hours of amazing content. I’ve learned long ago to not doubt the Hollis family, but geez did they overdeliver and show up for their community of supporters. RISE x LIVE was interactive, energetic (note the sweaty title image–if anyone starts counting down from 5, get ready to launch out of your seat!), and filled with note-worthy information (I have several, several pages of notes to prove it). Definite worth the ticket and spot on my May Bucket List! The event showed just how contagious courage could be. 

Here are 3 of my big takeaways from the RISE x LIVE conference:

Fear is normal but the story is not over

Fear is normal. In fact, the oldest (evolutionarily speaking) part of our brain is wired for fear. Brit (Beans) Barron focused her keynote on the idea that fear is a normal emotion that is not mutually exclusive from other emotions. Meaning, that you can experience fear, excitement, pain, hope, despair, and joy–all simultaneously. Not only are you allowed to be a human with complex emotions, but you are allowed to feel them as well! It’s through the “negative” emotions and experiences that we can really revel in and appreciate the positive one. 

One of the keys to processing fear is to know that the story is not over. Think back to a hard season or a challenge you faced in your life. No matter what it was you faced, we all have one thing in common–we’re still here. You can get through hard things and you’ll have to keep facing opposition in life. It will help you grow and make you into the person that you are meant to be if you let it. Find a way to keep chasing your dreams and have hope that just like all of the other challenging times in your life, you’ll make it through this one too. 

Courage is a decision

How many times in life have you thought that if you could just find the courage, you could take the leap? Among many working titles, I almost called this blog post “finding courage” and I realized the flaw in that thinking. Courage isn’t hiding from you. Instead, you have to choose to be courageous. John Maxwell compared choosing courage to choosing to open a door inside of you. You have to make the decision to be courageous and only you can open the door. Similar to Beans’ commentary about the story not being over, Maxwell agreed that you have to have the courage to continue; the courage to keep the story going. Like a muscle, the active choice to be courageous has to be made every day in order for it to build.

Try adding “I choose to be courageous” or Eric (ET-The Hip-hop preacher) Thomas’ “I can, I will, I must” to your affirmation list as a reminder that you can decide to be courageous every day. 

What heroes and warriors have in common

Children around the world dream of becoming a hero. If you’re Rachel Hollis, then you choose to become a warrior. Turns out that heroes and warriors have a lot in common when it comes to courage! Donald Miller believes that everyone should strive to be in hero mode (as opposed to the villain or victim) in the narrative that is their life. Heroes face challenges often and things go wrong for them all the time. What distinguishes a hero from a victim is that despite opposition and adversity, they keep getting back up to face the challenge which often leads to transformation. In fact, Miller believes that courage (and the point of life) is to keep playing the hero until you can become the guide. For reference, guide energy is found in someone who wants to see (and helps!) budding heroes win and has successfully faced that challenge themselves.

Similarly, a warrior trains every day and prepares for battle. Rachel Hollis conceptualized the idea that a warrior knows that it’s going into a fight and is going to be hit with challenges. However, instead of accepting defeat, a warrior takes what it learns from that battle and uses it as something to train on the next day. It takes a lot of courage to be a hero and a warrior. More importantly, it takes belief in yourself and the willingness to get back up when things get hard.  

This post is dedicated to my mom (my hero!) and all of the other nurses who are actively demonstrating what courage looks like to the world in the midst of crisis. Thank you for being our everyday heroes. Happy Nurses Day.

By: AmbitiouslyCierra · In: Lifestyle · Tagged: 2020, Lifestyle, May

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If only everyday could start this sweet 😌☕️ If only everyday could start this sweet 😌☕️

#carette #parisdiaries #carettehotchocolate #chocolatchaud #ambitioustravels #travelvlogger #morningvibes #chocolate #frenchhotchocolate
🇫🇷 PARIS ITINERARY DAY 3 🇫🇷 🤤 BRUN 🇫🇷 PARIS ITINERARY DAY 3 🇫🇷

🤤 BRUNCH AT CARETTE—the famous Carette hot chocolate was on my must try list and it did not disappoint. Such a decadent experience! 

🛍️ SHOPPING AROUND MARAIS—We thrifted and shopped around for souvenirs. My favorite stop was Officine Universelle Buly 1803; a shop with apothecary vibes that had gorgeous combs and perfumes that I couldn’t leave behind. 

📸 VISIT THE COLONNES DE BUREN—a popular photo spot, the art installation was created in 1985 to enhance the courtyard of the Palais Royal. 

☕️ COFFEE BREAK AT CAFÉ KITSUNÉ—while I wasn’t a fan of their matcha, this cafe is nestled in beautiful outdoor space and is great for an afternoon pick me up.

🖼️ VISIT THE LOUVE—more on this in my next post! 

😍 CATCH A CLOSER LOOK AT THE EIFFEL TOWER—snapped this picture on our way to dinner. 

🍽️ DINNER AT LINETTE—delicious bistro with classic French cuisine. I had the duck confit which was perfection. Bonus: Linette puts you in the perfect location to see…

✨ THE EIFFLE TOWER AT NIGHT—y’all, the tower SPARKLES for 5 minutes at the top of every hour at night (until around midnight) and it is MAGICAL. It’s hard to describe the feeling but I tried to share it with my loved ones at home via FaceTime 🥹

Stay tuned for more on the Louve! 

#parisitinerary #paristrip #travelblogger #bucketlistadventures #ambitioustravel #monalisa #colonnesdeburen #carette #eiffeltoweratnight
With your friend in a foreign country, laughing ov With your friend in a foreign country, laughing over bread and cheese, as it starts to rain on the Grand Canal at the Versailles estate: la vie en rose 😌

Planning a visit to Versailles? Check out my feed posts for some tips ✨

#gardensofversailles #grandcanalversailles #lavieenrose #pov #magicmoments #france #bucketlistadventures #smallmomentsofcalm #laughterisgoodforthesoul #ambitioustravels #travelvlogger #parisdiaries #realistictravel #versaillestips
🌳 THE GARDENS OF VERSAILLES ⛲️ The Versail 🌳 THE GARDENS OF VERSAILLES ⛲️

The Versailles estate is MASSIVE and though we were there for hours, there was still so much more to explore that we didn’t make it to. Versailles was the only “big” thing that we had on the agenda for the day so we didn’t feel the pressure to rush off to another reservation. The garden is a beautiful experience that I recommend grabbing a map and visiting while you are there! 

Tips for when you visit the gardens: 

👟 WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES—there is so much walking involved with a trip to Versailles, and once you hit the gardens you’re walking on gravelly paths. Resist the urge to wear impractical shoes and go with sneakers instead. 

🧺 BRING SNACKS—While there is an area where you can purchase food, you are allowed to bring food in to eat at some of the garden’s designated picnic areas. We chose to picnic by the Grand Canal which gave us a great view of people on row boats (which you can rent if that’s your thing!) 

🎟️ CARTS AND “TRAINS”— In my last feed post, I mentioned that you should buy the passport to ensure that you have access to the whole estate. Before our visit, I didn’t realize that there was an option for a “Passport + Return by little train (34,50 €).” This gives you access to ride the “little train” (more like connected carts) back up to the estate after your wandering. When I say that it was a sight for sore eyes after all the walking we did 🙌🏾😭…I was willing to pay what ever it took to take us back (luckily, the train was only about 9€ a la carte). The train makes 3 stops at various locations on the grounds (including the estate of Trianon which we deemed was too far to get to by foot but heard it was worth while). Another good option if you are visiting with a group is to just rent a “small electric vehicle” (basically a golf cart—seats 6) so that you can explore the different areas of the estate with less fatigue. 

There are things hidden around every nook and cranny of Versailles. One last bonus tip is that if you’re visiting for the first time, spend some time on the website so that you have an idea of the absolutely want to see (there is just so much!).

I would love to visit again!
✨ INSIDE VERSAILLES ✨ Versailles was the acti ✨ INSIDE VERSAILLES ✨

Versailles was the activity day that I was looking forward to the most and it did not disappoint. I don’t think that I’ve seen anything more magnificent in my life. Every ornate detail left me in awe—it’s definitely worth seeing in person if you are planning a trip to Paris!

Here are a few tips for your trip inside the palace: 

✨ VISIT ON A WEEKDAY—it gets pretty crowded inside the palace. We went on a Thursday and there were plenty of time where I felt like I was just moving with the flow of the crowd. However, if you’re patient, you can find breaks in between the waves. I’ve been told that it’s much worse on the weekends/summer months so keep that in mind. 

✨ TO AUDIO GUIDE OR NOT TO AUDIO GUIDE—While you can visually consume the splendor of the palace, I kind of regret skipping out on the audio guide. There were some signs available, mostly in French and often hard to get to because of the crowds. If I were to visit again, I would pay 5€ for an audio guide which can be reserved after you purchase your ticket. I’m that person that likes to take my time in museums/historic places to learn. If that’s not your vibe, then skipping it might not be an issue. 

✨ PURCHASE THE PASSPORT TICKET—As much as I loved seeing all there was to see in the palace, pay the extra money for the passport ticket. For just 9€ more, you get access to the entire estate of Versailles (this includes the gardens which I will discuss in my next post)! 

There is sooo much to take and I would love to go back. Have you been to Versailles? Share your tips in the comments! 

#versaillespalace #versaillestips #visitversailles #chateauversailles #paristrip #france #lifestyleblogger #travelblogger
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