Amber Briggs

Certainty only comes after you make the clear choice to take action.

When I moved to Rome, I looked for work right away. I opened my laptop and started searching the morning after I'd arrived from an evening flight.

I went to interview after interview all over the city. One place even offered me a job on the spot but told me to sleep on it.

It was a big leap of faith to move to a city I'd never seen or set foot in before I moved.
For some reason I felt I had to make the right choice for work. I agonizes over the offers.

How could I be sure I was making the right choice?

I called my best friend and she asked me what I would love the work to look like to help me make my choice. I talked it over.

After our call I asked the universe for a sign. A sign so clear I couldn't miss it.

I considered the options, the pros and cons, and looked for the sign. I didn't see any signs.

Then, as I reviewed the options I realized I only had one definitive offer on the table. One contract ready to to sign. It also included the opportunity to learn some things I'd expressed to my best friend.

So I accepted and in the end the choice pointed me in the direction I was meant to go in so many parts of my life. From learning experiences to friends.

However, I couldn't see it clearly until I decided to act. Even when it was the only real option I had in front of me.

There's no way of knowing where our choices will take us. And the only way to see if it's the right choice is to act. You can always change direction or act differently after you've made a choice. But until you act, you'll never know.

This is Marcel of Gran Cafè Marcel. He's an artist with an adorable gift shop just off Piazza Navona.

I wondered in his shop about a year and a half ago and fell in love with his art and his energy. I've passed by several times since and he always remembers me.

He's truly passionate about art and about life. He always shares with me part of his story and some of his wisdom.

Today, I stopped by to say hello and he did a puppet show. He talked to me about his business and how it's been affected by COVID.

Most importantly, he shared his dream for the shop with me, and his plans to lean in faithfully to it's future.

It's never too late to dream a new dream and it's been amazing to see his dream evolve. He's a dreamer. He has a beautiful dream that he's made a reality everyday. He and his art inspire me.

He's living proof of living a passionate life by following your passion. I encourage you to visit him and take inspiration to follow your own heart and dream.

If we want to change the world and make a difference we must begin with ourselves. It's only by changing ourselves that we can affect the world around us. Be the change you want to see in the world.

It's important to keep the little things that bring you joy in mind every day. Life is really made up of the little things because they are what matters the most. I saw these cookies and I had to buy them because they reminded me of childhood. They have brought me joy at breakfast every day this week and they allow my inner child to come out to play. 🙃

Are you a dreamer? Drop a ❤️ below if you're a dreamer like me. This is one of my favorite quotes. We all have a dream and we already have everything we need to make it a reality. Go after your dreams, at least a little bit every day.

I came across this line today re-reading my favorite book, The Alchemist in Italian. There is so much beauty and so much to be grateful for each day. Don't let each day become the same. Instead taks time each day to appreciate the little things that make your life beautiful.

Something most people don't know about me is I had a fire in my house when I was 17 and everything in my room was destroyed. There was smoke and fire damage throughout the house but most of it was left in tact.

We were very lucky, although at first it felt like my whole life has been destroyed because to a 17 year old your room is most of your life. And most of what was most important to me was in that room, especially photos and other momentos.

What I didn't realize at the time this was an opportunity for a fresh start, a clean slate, a blank canvas.

As we replace things I got to make choices down the future and got clear on what was really important to me. Sure it's nice to have nice things but it wasn't things the things that mattered.

I had put too much weight on things before and I began to focus more on making memories and creating experiences.

This was critical given it was my last year of high school and life would change a lot on the years that followed. This lesson stuck with me and I'm a person who values time and experiences above all else, especially those I care about.

My family's home in the Santa Cruz mountains has was evacuate earlier this week because of the fires in California. The fires are also close to some other people I know.

I'm sharing this today to give those affected by the fires hope. I know my story isn't the same as though who may have lost everything, especially their homes and all they've built in their adult life.

I truly believe there is always a silver lining and my wish for those affected is to focus on what's going right and finding the silver lining. Your safety and well being and that of those you care about is more important than anything else.

I painted this painting two years ago during the Napa fires and named it "wildflowers in wildfire." It was meant to show that beauty can be found even in disasters. I dedicate it to those affected by the fire and send my love and prayers to you all.

Most of people want to be certain of an outcome before taking action towards it. The reality is we can never be 💯 certain of any outcome. We can calculate the risks but no matter how well we calculate them, the certainty of the outcome only comes after we act. Often, once we act, we wonder why we waited so long. Instead of seeking certainty, we need to get clear on the outcome you want and act accordingly and get more clear which each step we take.

Helen Keller said, "Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all."

Today was an adventure. Our plans were sidetracked by a brush fire which lead to a new place with lots to explore.

From the boat ride to the beach, to the change in terrain to beautiful structures.

You never know what life may throw your way and when it takes you off course enjoy the adventure.

The power of intention is powerful.

My best friend always says to expect miracles because there are always miracles happening around us. And she's right.

Today I took a long train ride back to Rome. On the ride to the train station I set the intention to see miracles today, knowing a day of travel can be a bit mundane.

So I set the intention and didn't give it a second thought.

Within a couple of stops a musician got on the train and sat opposite me on the other side of the aisle.

I was listening to my own music but I heard the soft melody of his.

As I noticed this a monk appeared next to him to enjoy the music. Then a young mom with an infant came and stopped with excitement when she found the music.

The instrument came out of the bag and the crowd started swaying. A concert broke out right in front of me.

It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen on a train, especially in the times of social distancing. It felt more like a simpler life and time and was a nice break in the long ride.

There was a special bond that was created by the musician expressing his passion.

I think this would have happened with or without my intention to witness miracles but I don't know that it would have happened right in front of me.

And for sure I would not have caught this precious moment on film. ❤️

Getting clear on what's next is a process.
1. It starts with getting real about where you are.
2. Then you have to get honest about where you want to be.
3. Finally, you have to start taking action to get you there.
If you're ready to make a change there's no time like the present.