Intuitive Success: Authentic Ambition and Loving the Process!
I once longed to be a recording artist. Growing up, I’d picture myself traveling the world to perform for cheering fan. I’d imagine hearing my music on the radio and having people stop me for autographs. I’d even picture what I’d be wearing on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine! Okay, you may be giggling a bit, but it’s true! I was very ambitious to be a singer. There was just one big problem: I’m usually in bed by 9 p.m. Most concerts don’t even start until then, and even just the idea of staying out that “late” has always made me feel completely out of whack. Despite this red flag and my intuitive knowing that the life of a recording artist wasn’t right for me, I kept striving to make this dream happen. All the while, Spirit was practically sending billboards telling me that I should pursue work as an intuitive counselor. Thank goodness I finally listened!
Have you ever had a similar experience of neglecting your intuition in favor of your ambition? Is what you want right for you and the world? Are you willing to do what it takes?
The impulse to strive for what we want to achieve is as strong as the will to survive. I’ve always believed that we all can do anything we set our minds to, but so many of us get stuck and confused when it comes to moving forward with our goals. Lately while doing readings with clients, I’ve noticed a common theme—confused ambition. So many of you have asked me what you should be doing with your life or whether the new business idea you have will take off. So, I thought it was time to talk about ambition and right livelihood.
We live in a busy world that peddles the idea that everyone has to be an overnight sensation or instant success. We’re programmed to look for shortcuts and assume that if our goals don’t come to fruition quickly, they aren’t worth our time. We want it all NOW! Yet, when we have such a constant craving for the end result, we become disconnected with the present—where all of our power is. You’ve probably heard the expression that life is more about the journey than the destination. If we focus more on the destination, we lose touch with our intuition and the Divine and fail to see what’s being presented on our path to lead us to our highest good. We also often end up feeling unhappy and frustrated. Right livelihood starts with loving the process more than you want something.
So, if you could do anything, what would you want to achieve? Many of us aren’t completely sure how to answer this. In some cases, we were brought up thinking we “should” attain certain goals and we lose touch with our true desires. When you think about what you want to achieve, I’d like to encourage you to let go of the “shoulds” and think more about how you can be of service to the world. What skills and gifts can you give to others? And what are ways you can give them? Remember, Spirit is always trying to get your attention, sending you messages about what innate gifts you have to bring to the world.
It’s also important to look at the emotions behind our ambitions. Oftentimes, we long for the feeling behind a goal just as much (or more) than the goal itself. For example, a person might long to become a doctor because she unconsciously believes that it would make people respect her. Other underlying longings might be fame, money, success, love, acceptance, and so on. When you’re aware of that underlying emotion, you can let go of any desperation about the process becomes less desperate and find ways to nurture those feelings now.
Lastly, our lives aren’t meant to be a linear process. Even when our ambitions are authentic, we’re all going to experience ups and downs. We must take action towards our goals while we also leave the ultimate outcome up to the Divine. We need to live and learn in the now and trust in the future.
Exercise:
What are your gifts: Make a list of all the gifts you have to bring to the world. What are your talents and best attributes? What do people often compliment about you?
Then, ask yourself how you can use those gifts to be of service? What are some ways you can help others and the world?
Get clear about your ambitions? Make a list of all that goals you want to attain in your life. What will your life be like if you attain those goals? Paint a picture. Then, look over them and list the feelings that you want to get from attaining each goal. What are some ways you can start to experience those feelings even if you haven’t yet achieved the goals?
Then, look over each goal and ask yourself whether you’re really committed to it. Are you willing to do what it takes and make sacrifices?
And, I’d love to read about your own experiences with ambition and the process of success. Please post a comment!
In service and love,
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I love serendipity! After deciding to start my own business venture on my very first day out in the feild several people told me of a large corporate position that had opened up in my territory. I felt my ego surge and thought of money, benefits, company car etc. I also felt the pang in my heart which I knew meant that I would be owned by the company store so to speak. So I decided to go the Colletee Baron Reid web site to see what the cards would say. I picked the reversed hawk which I took as a warning card. Then after scrolling down to read this very article on authentic ambition really hit a home run! I am going to stay with my own gig and gracefully stay the course.
Thank you!
Susan
hey Collette! i love this and it reminded me of this cool book i have about someone’s journey in finding his true path…don’t know if you’ve ever heard of it (it came out last year), it’s called Soulshaping: A Journey of Self Creation and the author is Jeff Brown…it’s an awesome book! if you or anyone else is interested, here’s a link to the facebook fanpage
http://www.facebook.com/index.php?lh=b09533d71f46728173f13cfad57039d9&#!/group.php?gid=7874404119&ref=ts
I enjoyed reading this article because it clarified some of my questions regarding our life purpose. I always dreamed of writing, but I’m afraid I’m not gifted in that area. However, I became a teacher and love to teach and encourage my students to write. I have come across true talents and pray they continue to write even if just for themselves since writing is healing. My two cents.
Oh Colette,
I love to make others happy (cooking is one way).My dream for quite sometime was/is to open cafe type establishment.
Over last 20 yrs I have gained tremendous amount of weight while doing cooking from home and baking cakes.
I have found the way (for me) that works and I still can dabble in food for folks.
My ‘issue’ has been which to go for: Nutrition club * or Cafe * or stay home & do childcare .
The actual commitment & getting off the fence is truly hard. Making sound financial decision and choice is a must for my family.
Your article above on goals and ambition helped me see a tad bit clearer on how to process my feeling & fears.
To be healthy and share with others … is a yes!
Such a long road ahead … but a lighter one.
Much deep appreciation for your sharing, Cathy
Thanks Colette, Pretty powerful topic.
I’ve bulldozed my way for 18 months to be a monastic nun, just to realize ten years later after leaving the order the reasons why this time was necessary but also not my right livelihood. Today, three months of finally accepting/choosing to stop longing to die and live on this earth, I’m the little child in the 50 year old body stubbling about trying once again with help from various sources to find how/what to be of authentic service, what is my right livelihood and why I am here(on the earth), what is my life purpose/mission?
I just read your article about Authentic Ambition and could swear that it was a personal \memo\ to me.
Long story………..I know longer have my grandson who is 16 because \my get even alcoholic son\ made sure that he was taken away from us. My son has become a violent drunk and we were forced to have him arrested.
In any case, I was quite sure that I was going to die with a broken heart.
After much ado…..this much pain requires a positive end.
I am in my early 60’s and with the economy I have lost a great deal but as Louise says \this will be my best decade.\ My plan is huge……
Write a best seller about the heartbreak of one family manipulated by the alcoholic leaving his son a wonderful over achiever who will fall apart at some point in his life enabling him to heal from his pain of 16-years and growing
Then a movie must be made from my book
I want to form a well known group much like D.A.R.E. to lecture in schools and help children at an early age deal with the alcoholic parent or parents so the cycle stops.
Colette, my only other dream is having 1/2 hour read from you but my mind tells me that this is a pretty selfish expenditure right now. This is my dream, this is my life and it is guided by my heart. donna
Colette…
Thank you for this article. I have not really thought about the feelings upon attaining a goal, I guess I would have thought that to be selfish, but if those feelings are ego based that would be selfish. however if those feelings are for the greater good of service then that is not selfish at all.
I am a Chiropractor and have been for 25 years. I am very blessed to touch peoples lives everyday to enable them to go out and accomplish their goals. I have in the past year expanded to include animal chiropractic. This has been a journey of patience and frustration as i wanted my animal practice to expand faster than I thought it should (while still practicing full time on humans)so I finally just let it go and ask spirit to lead me. The animal practice has begun to take on a pulse of its own and I am loving it. I forget where I am when I start working with the horses. I often feel I get as much if not more benefit from working with them than they do. Both animals and owners are thrilled and the feeling is divine pleasure. I never feel like its a job when I work with the animals.
Thank you for sharing your insights with us and reminding me to look for the signs.
Cindy
Great post Colette. I enjoyed reading it and could relate to the comment on “confused ambition.” I just wrote about this in my blog Soul Writing in an article called Dreaming for the Collective Good was a direct result of picking The Dream Walker card from your tarot desk, Wisdom of the Hidden Realms. I came to your website to see if I could find that card on line and utalize it for a blog pick. The card I did pick was the owl…all about illusion. Then I saw your blog. Great tie in. Thank you, althea
http://www.theasheart.com/blog/?p=702
Thank you for this article! I know I really love writing, the arts, PR, events, educating, and anything that is creative. I write for my own material and I write for others. I really enjoy it!
I love my imagination, and I know I’m a great storyteller. I visualize myself at the Emmy’s and Oscars where I’m awarded and recognized for my work. Since I was a teenager, I always visualized myself doing something artistic. I used to watch the Emmy’s, MTV Movie Awards, MTV Music Awards, and Oscars and dream one day I’d be walking the red carpet. Some people in Hollywood may live on the “negative” side of fame and fortune but you don’t have to do so. I’d like to believe I’d do a lot of good. I have a lot of charitable organizations that I’d like to donate to and it’s not sitting well with me that I can’t donate to them right now. I’d like to start a few not-for-profits as well. I do my best to let go of my dreams but I guess I’d rather have my dreams come true sooner rather than later. What can I say, I’m a work in progress
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