Showing posts with label Eat Pray Love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eat Pray Love. Show all posts

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Today's Words of Inspiration - Let your TasteBuds Lead the Way!



I am checking in late today, but for good reason. Today, I continued upon this week's theme of 'inspiration in action' and today I let my tastebuds lead the way!

I was invited to a very special dinner tonight (Thanks Caroline!) and it was like a trip to my favorite place without even getting on a plane!

"All About Avocados" - A Mexican Avocado Adventure" - is an aptly titled teaching and tasting event, hosted by saboresusa.org that brought the tastes of Mexico to life, thanks to Chef Patricio Sandoval's culinary alchemy. Chef Patricio, is both the Executive Chef and Owner of Mercadito Restaurant. He is a warm and inviting host, and his restaurant, like him, is equally warm and inviting with attentive and friendly service.

Mercadito can also be found in Chicago as well as Miami but this event was hosted in the NYC Restaurant. (179 Avenue B, New York, NY)

The Menu (prepare to drool)

Guacamole Tradicional - Avocado, tomato, cilantro, onion and chile serrano dip
Ceviche de Dorado - Mahi-Mahi, avocado, tomato, orange-chile de arbol broth
Tacos de Camaron (Shrimp Taco) - Soft Corn Tortilla with Roasted Garlic Chipotle mojo marinated shrimp and avocado

Cocktail - "Pepino el Pyu" - Tequila Blanco, lemon juice, cucumber juice and hoja santa syrup

I swear he had me personally in mind when he planned the menu even though he didn't know me yet! I love Mahi Mahi, and I love Shrimp, my tummy is still smiling!

Even though I am not from Mexico, I have visited there several times, and this dinner reminded me just how much I'd really love to go back, I wish I was there NOW!

I enjoyed great company, great food and drink and found a new restaurant that reminds me so much of my favorite vacation spot, today couldn't have possibly been a better day!

I got to live my very own 'Eat Pray Love' today, now that my friends, is inspiration in action!

This weekend, let your TasteBuds lead the way! If they happen to lead you to Mercadito Restaurant, have a 'Pepino el Pyu' cocktail with your bestie or your sweetie (or BOTH) and toast to 'inspiration' in whatever form it finds you!

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Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Today's Words of Inspiration: Eat Pray Love



I broke my own strict rule, I went to see a movie on Opening Weekend, it's something I avoid doing. The long lines, over-crowded theater, someone kicking the back of my chair for two hours and bringing out my dormant inner psycho! (Yes, even motivational writers lose their patience when being kicked in the back for 2 hours straight!)

Another broken rule, seeing the movie without having read the book. I went to see Eat Pray Love over the weekend. It was a girl's night out and I caught up with friends I literally haven't seen since High School. Because I didn't read the book, I didn't fully know what to expect, and for once, I was very happy with the idea, deciding to let go and fully enjoy the journey, take the movie for what it is, not what the book said it would be, or the critics or anyone else for that matter.

I will admit catching up with old friends made the movie that much better, (and the rainy night meant the theater wasn't over crowded and there was oddly NO line to buy the tickets since we arrived right before it was about to start!) but it was a post I saw on Facebook this weekend that sparked me to write about this movie. The post generated comments that were equally divided down the middle and and really made me think!

I find most movies tend to be over-analyzed. I don't want to do that, but I love being a part of or sparking conversations that make me think or make others change their perspective. The conversation that generated so much intense conversation was a male perspective on the actions of Julia Roberts character Liz Gilbert. What do you think of how Liz handled the relationships in her life? Did you relate to her? Not relate to her? If so why, or why not? Do you think at the end of it all, the journey she took to self was the right one? The male vs female perspective and opinions seem to vary widely.

No spoilers here, but on a very fundamental level, I don't think that there is anyone out there, and this is very much regardless of their age, that hasn't found themself wondering 'Is this all there is?' - That point where you realize if you take away work, or the relationship, or the kids, or the studies, the THING you do, Who are YOU?

The thing that you rattle off when asked what you do is NOT, and I repeat not, WHO you are. But when you scratch away the 'what' you do, do you know 'WHO' you are?

I don't think a three word 'mantra' can sum anyone up. Is it a great idea for meditations, absolutely, those should be short and sweet. Can you sum up your motto, your mantra, who you are effectively in three words? (Don't worry this isn't a job interview, I'm not judging your answers so don't pick the ones you think others want to see, pick the words that resonate with you personally, profoundly and fundamentally).

I have the strange feeling based on some of the reactions I've been privy to, that regardless of whether or not the person read the book, people seemed to go into this movie expecting a 'magical answer', and so with a movie that was very much over-hyped, and the expectations that life's greatest secret to happiness would be revealed, it doesn't surprise me that many people feel it 'lacked something' they just didn't know 'what'. It was 'anti-climatic' for many people based on very false expectations. I personally, went into it already knowing that the journey we take is the answer. The entire sum total of it! As human beings we are wrapped up in our present so much so that we forget that the journey is WAY more than the particular phase of it we are in. We don't stop and enjoy the 'now' enough and then find ourselves sometimes feeling like an 'outsider' in our own lives. When the resentments, frustrations and fears become too much to take, some people feel that drastic change in the answer!

My favorite scene is when Liz is told during her travels in Rome, that Americans experience 'satisfaction' but not 'pleasure'. And I laughed at much of the grumbling around me. It's true, we work hard, but tend to feel like life requires us to 'earn' our breaks, and even while on vacation we are rarely 'dis-connected' from our electronic feeding tubes. If you are not engrossed in a moment, you are not truly experiencing it. You are not deriving pleasure from it. The universe doesn't want us to 'earn' every pleasure, just know we deserve it, and be grateful for each experience we receive. Allow yourself the freedom to experience pleasure fully. The pleasure you are in right NOW, not the next one, the next one is not guaranteed to you so enjoy this one! Ask yourself, are you experiencing merely satisfaction in your life, or are you truly experiencing pleasure?

Use 'Today's Words of Inspiration' as a breathing meditation to still your mind, quiet your thoughts and bring in positive energy. As you inhale bring in only positive energy by saying in your mind, I breathe in positive energy (or you can say creative energy if that is what you wish to create more of) and as you exhale, Affirm out loud today 'I will disconnect from my 'electronic feeding tube' and actually enjoy a real moment!' (and butterflies, don't just speak it today, DO IT).

Spend some time each day enjoying focused breathing AND soul guided meditative visualization, in doing so, you can bring about profound and powerful changes in your life.

Visualize yourself manifesting something unique, guided by universal forces that emerge spontaneously from within your soul. Do this at least twice today and see how by taking a moment away from the hectic pace and breathing in positive energy and affirming what you wish to create, your thinking will become different.

Remember, attitude really does determine altitude.

It is OK to *Re-Tweet* the link to this post and You can find me (@Tracy_Iglesias) on Twitter here! Twitter love: re*tweet by copying and pasting the following into your update field:

@Tracy_Iglesias #ascendingbutterfly - Today's Words of #Inspiration and Great #Giveaways! #eatpraylove - http://tiny.cc/n4Thx

Make this your best day ever, Bless and Be Blessed!

Active Giveaways:

NONE - While there are tons of reviews & giveaways that need to be posted, today we are observing a giveaway FREE day! It's our first review and giveaway free day in a LONG time, and for today, we are proud to go back to our roots and just share daily words of inspiration!

Keep your eyes on the homepage's 'Win Here - Today's Butterfly' section we have more great giveaways to come! Stay tuned for our upcoming 'Back to School' themed giveaway and the next amazing handbag in our series (the feature now switches names so keep an observant eye out, trust me, you won't want to miss this one!)

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FTC Disclosure: I went to see Eat Pray Love on my own, I was not provided with tickets, screening passes or any other incentive. I was not asked to provide a review nor was I compensated for it. My experience with this movie is solely my own opinion.

Monday, August 16, 2010

The Night was Hot, The Jazz was Cool!


I have been falling in love with New York City all over again this summer! I've lived here my whole life and it took this summer for me to realize I had been taking my beloved City for granted. After attending BlogHer last week and watching other people's fascination with "The City That Never Sleeps", it reminded me of just how much there is to actually see and do here.

I've had an incredibly busy summer. More so in fact than I ever remember, but the highlight of my summer was this past Wednesday when I set sail on a Spirit Cruises Yacht around the Hudson River thanks to our friends at SmoothJazzNY. In June we hosted a giveaway with Smooth Jazz and you can see our original post HERE.

Oddly enough, I beleive both of Ascending Butterfly's winners set sail before we did! You can see the coverage on Single Mama NYC of her sailing HERE. She got some great shots!

'The Guitars & Saxes Smooth Cruise' was an amazing (sold out) concert (and I could see why!) that included: Peter White, Kirk Whalum, Jeff Golub and Gerald Albright and it was AMAZING! The concert was fantastic, and with all those musical guns firing I had no doubt it would be. Thankfully my sail companion suggested sitting outside and I am so glad we did. We sat on the upper level with a front facing table with amazing views, and were super stoked about the amazing attentiveness of the staff at Spirit, we availed ourselves of the tableside beverage service (which meant not having to get through the crowd or leave our coveted table!), And enjoyed the amazing views, amazing sounds and time spent just enjoying the journey. I was pleasantly surprised that there were some 'inspirational' songs played, and when the Yacht was returning to the pier, I was a bit sad to see my amazing journey come to an end, but also incredibly uplifted and very grateful!

One of my favorite parts of the concert is when the artists spoke about who inspires them and their sound, and Gerald Albright's funny anecdotes about married life. A jazz artist and a true gentleman with a very romantic spirit, if only he were single! (Any sax playing, romantic at heart, SINGLE men out there left?)

This was supposed to be our 'Sunday's Moment of Gratitude' post, but I actually, get ready to gasp now, took an ENTIRE day away from all things electronic to re-connect with friends I haven't seen since High School to enjoy a girls night out and go see Eat, Pray, Love. And I had a great time!

It had been way too long since I had some 'just me', 'breathe' and relaxation time and then this past week I was blessed with not just ONE but TWO girls nights out, isn't that cool? I'm definitely begining this week in a cup 'more than half full' frame of mind and it's a great place to be!

We definitely look forward to working with Smooth Jazz again next summer! THANK YOU!

Active Giveaway:

1) ENDING TODAY AT 3PM EST - ProFlowers Organic Extravaganza Fruit Basket Giveaway! HERE

Our next giveaway will be for everyone getting ready for Back to School, Stay Tuned!

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