Tip#91: Gifts From New York City, Part 3 - Thomas Crown Affair

Confidence is defined as:
freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities.

How amazing would that be to live your life everyday and anywhere knowing you are free of doubt. You would have no fear and you would enjoy life to the fullest! New York City had that confidence in the air. It was part of that testosterone energy vibe I wrote about in the previous tip#90. You could even taste the confidence in the quality of the city's tasty foods.

Delicious Menus

While on vacation in NYC I discovered that everywhere I ate was a delicious experience. I was satisfied whether I ate at a fine dining restaurant or a hot dog vendor. I found that the quality of the food was full of flavour just like the robust city itself.

One neighbourhood Mexican restaurant in Brooklyn had these incredible soft tacos that looked like a huge bouquet of flowers. It was overflowing with fresh avocado, cheese, tomatoes and roast pork. At $3 it was almost a meal! For brunch on another day we had fantastic omelets and chocolate French toast at a place called Chez Lola. Ahhh, the memories of the warm and moist chocolate French toast!

At night my friends and I dined on crispy thin crust pizza at a delicious Italian restaurant called Il Brigante in South Street Seaport area in lower Manhattan. On another night we had fantastic Thai food at a place called Sea in the popular Williamsburg area.

On my last day my NYC friend took me to the popular Meatpacking District where the character Samantha, from TV series Sex and the City, had a loft. I was brought to my friend's favourite French bistro called Pastis. It felt like I stepped into another decadent time and history in Paris.

I knew right away this could be a pricey venue. But when I looked at the menu I was still shocked to see an order of French fries for $7. Now I've had fine dining before but this was the first time I'd seen one of my favourite foods priced that high. That shock was a pivotal moment. I then became aware that my old habits of thinking (my money paradigms) were being shaken up.

Thomas Crown Affair

That initiate reaction made me remember one of my favourite movies, Thomas Crown Affairstarring Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo. This stylish, fun film featured Brosnan as the extremely wealthy Thomas Crown who sees life like a game. He has so much money that he doesn't think twice about enjoying it.

You see this confident attitude when Crown is betting $10,000 on a single putt on the golf course, losing and betting again casually for even higher amounts. You see it in the fine dining sequences and in how Crown indulges his decadent leisurely pleasures of sailing and flying his glider. There's a scene that sums up the results of his attitude when Russo’s character says to Crown, "You live very well."

There is also a sexy vibe running throughout the film, from the way New York settings are photographed to every hot and sleek outfit Brosnan and Russo wears! But the sexiness truly comes from the pure confidence their 2 characters exude on screen.

Freedom From Doubt

Freedom from doubt is a very attractive thought. Confidence is an attitude that oozes out no matter what you are wearing. It's not about external wealth but the inner wealth and strength of knowing. Confidence glows and can attract others to its radiance.

That confident attitude can also be seen in the movie, The Count of Monte Cristoafter the Count discovers his vast treasures (see tip#62). You can also see confidence permeate the characters of the Ocean's 11movie series especially Ocean's 13 as discussed in tip#70.

I would love to have the pure confidence of Thomas Crown knowing I could purchase anything that I desired. The paradox here is to achieve that confidence NOW as if you are already wealthy or already HAVE whatever you desire in life. As Dr. Phil says you must, "Behave your way to success."

Behave Your Way To Success

It begins with your thoughts and feelings to manifest your confidence. Exposing yourself to environments that test your current reactions and attitude will become mirrors of the thoughts you must change in order to attract what you want.

So that was a powerful gift being at Pastis in NYC that day. Those $7 french fries on that menu put a big mirror up to my current attitude that I needed to change.

As I am in the process of rebooting my career and business in motivating others my finances are clearly in a startup phase. But it won't be like that forever. I'll continue to "behave my way to success" each day as if I already have that financial freedom and confidence.

Confidence Goal

My goal now is to go back to NYC, walk into Pastis and not flinch at any price on their menu or any menu anywhere in the world. I will be more like my movie hero Thomas Crown knowing I could order anything I desired.

And I'll order a plate of those $7 french fries. Only I will see them as french fries first and not a price tag. And my new confidence will allow me to be open to the possibility that these fries could be the best damned french fries in the world and perhaps worth even more then the asking price!

So do your best to behave your way to success. Do whatever you can to build your confidence when it comes to money, career or life. Ooze that confidence. It's about enjoying every delicious moment you can.

And see the learning from the daily menus of your own life. Choose the dishes that will lift up your spirits now!


"Hands down, without a doubt, Pastis has the best French Fries in Manhattan."
Review from newyork.citysearch.com

Emmanuel Lopez
Life Skills & Career Development
www.motivatorman.com
© Emmanuel Lopez 2007