Category: Advocacy

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Mental Health Awareness Month

It’s Mental Health Awareness Month, and Origins of Peace is doing our part by offering 35% off on all products and services in the Peace Boutique. Visit our site at: The Peace Boutique – Origins of Peace Coaching & Consulting Firm  

Enter coupon code Self-care at checkout to take advantage of this offers. Be sure to check the site often for products that will be added to the boutique.

 

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Ok Break This Up & Get Back to Work

Prayer:

Dear Lord,

  In an ever-changing work culture, my prayer is that things will be fair for all people. Understanding that we are uniquely and wonderfully made and all experiencing life together but differently, fairness varies for each individual. I ask for your divine intervention that can move obstacles out of the way that hinder us from reaching our full potential. Give us a testimony oh God. Help us move from conflict to resolution and from chaos to peace. Help us find the assistance that we need to be impactful, productive and prosperous. It is so, In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Value: Fairness

Exhibit the value of fairness at work today by encouraging mutual respect amongst your team. Interact with your employees and colleagues in a way that makes them each feel seen, valued and heard.

Self-Care Tip of the Day:  Actively Listen

Listen to genuinely connect with others and not to respond to what they are saying. Alleviate a little pressure by leaving your superhero, problem solver cape at home for the day.

Daily Professional Goal:

Be transparent in business processes and eliminate any unfair practices.

In the news:

Has your company culture shifted to keep up with changing times. Have the rules in your office become more stringent as the world tries to compete with the fast-paced nature of AI?

Google CEO Sundar Pichai is ruffling feathers over at Google by no longer allowing employees to air their personal agenda at work, and he is placing business back at the top of the company’s list of things to do. Twenty-eight employees were recently fired after staging an in-office protest that aimed to demonstrate their freedoms to assembly and speak. While this type of demonstration has been welcomed in the past and has moved the company to take action in support of their employee’s points of view, those days have seemingly come to an end.

Pichai pinned the following message in a memo to his staff, “This is a business, and not a place to act in a way that disrupts coworkers or makes them feel unsafe, to attempt to use the company as a personal platform, or to fight over disruptive issues or debate politics.”

Reports state this change of culture is happening because AI has business leaders stressed as they attempt to strategize and keep up. This is quite a mixing bowl of occurrences, if we combine this change in culture with the recent ban of non-compete agreements, which allows employees to freely move between companies and take their valuable skills into the workforce and start their own companies.

This is quite the conundrum. I will certainly stay tuned in to see how this all plays out. Learn more about what’s happening at Google by clicking here.

Tips for advancement:

Model behaviors that set the tone for your day and your team.

  • Healthy work habits

  • Encouraging teamwork practices

  • Positive communication

 

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This Morning I Met a Fairy

Prayer:

Dear Lord,

 Your word says that I am uniquely and wonderfully made. Knowing this, I ask for wisdom and discernment to allow my unique gifts to shine through. I thank you for welcoming spaces and removed timidness. I thank you for open dialogue and room for growth and acceptance. I thank you for those much-needed nuggets of wisdom that keep me motivated and moving in the right direction. Lead me oh Lord, In Jesus Name. Amen.

Value: Uniqueness

Embrace your uniqueness by knowing what sets you apart from the crowd. How are you different, and what can you do to use that to your advantage?

Self-Care Tip of the Day: Speak Your Truth

What is your truth? What makes you happy? What brings you joy? What brings tears to your eyes?

It’s important to know these things about yourself and to embrace them. After your confident with who you are, Speak on it! Let others know who you are and what you stand for?

Daily Professional Goal:

This morning, I attended a networking event, and the role that I chose to present was Melissa Rivers, the Corporate Consultant. After a few introductions and hearing others share about their business, I began to adjust my narrative. See, I am so much more than a corporate consultant, I am a Creative Peace Coach. I often bypass sharing my self-assigned title because most people don’t get it. I learned today that the “get it” is in the story and not the title. One of the people that I met this morning stated that her cover page on LinkedIn is a Fairy because it truly represents her attitude and demeanor, and she chooses to show up authentically. After returning from my networking event, I updated my LinkedIn Cover and job title to Melissa A. Rivers, Creative Peace Coach. I bet if you google, you will not find another.

The truth is, I help highly exhausted, overwhelmed professionals find peace by taking inventory of where they currently are in life and work, the challenges they face each day and then take action to add more peaceful moments to their daily routine. That’s me, that’s what I do, and it brings me great joy!

Tips for advancement: Show up Authentically

Don’t allow fear to keep you stuck in a position or with a title that doesn’t fully represent your uniqueness and authenticity.

 

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Lunch & Learn With Me!

Let’s Lunch & Learn!
 
Have you suffered from low energy lately? Is your list of things to do growing while your ability to complete your list decreasing?
 
This coming Monday, I am hosting a short 45-minute session to help you recalibrate and get back to business.
 
Join me on Zoom at 11:30. Register by clicking the link below.
 
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“I Gotta Get to a Place of Peace for Me”

Prayer:

Today, I have the utmost faith that things are working for my good. No matter what it may look like or feel like, I am anchored in the reassurance that it is well with me. 

In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Value: Faith

Faith is important because it provides structure to who you are, your existence, and your hopes and dreams. It allows you to brace for life’s storms and to understand that life is full of uncertainty and not every situation will result in a positive outcome in your favor. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.

Self-Care Tip of the Day: Speak this Affirmation Aloud

“I live an exceptional life without regret. I am focused, disciplined and persistent. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I am achieving even more success now. Today will be a great day. 

Derived from: Planning Positive, 90 Day Planner for Positive Living by Adrienne Reynolds, CEC

Daily Professional Goal:

Decide what freedom in your career should look like and determine the actions you need to take, in order to achieve your desires.

In the news:

In the March issue of Better Homes & Gardens, Tabitha Brown talks about her freedom walk. She states that her freedom walk started because she was sick and desperate to feel better. She suffered from inflammation, a chronic headache for a year and seven months, and back pain spasms throughout her body. Tabitha states that she decided to try one last time to really connect with herself and with God to get to a place of peace.

This article about Tabitha Brown and her freedom walk resonated with me so much. I am currently on a journey finding my course to freedom. I’ve taken great steps forward in the right direction and I’ve also experienced some true wilderness moments. I recently heard on a podcast that strong women don’t often take time to understand what causes their pain, they simply apply a bandage and keep moving. This is so true. As I reflect this morning on my need to enforce boundaries, maintain peaceful spaces and take time each day to check-in with myself, it is so apparent that I still have much to learn and do in this area. Click here to read the full article about Tabitha and be sure to advocate for yourself today.

Tips for advancement:

I have a private Facebook Group called “The Virtual TEA Lounge.” Monday-Thursday we start with a different theme to help set the tone for your life and work. 

This is a special invitation for you to join. 

We are currently a group of 39 ladies, who’ve made the conscious decision to add peace to our daily life.

 Click here to request to join.

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If I Got in the Room, then I Belong in that Room.

Prayer:

Dear Lord,

I have so much to celebrate today. Thank you for the sunshine and the rain, the pleasure and the pain. Thank you for allowing me to see the significance of both. As I venture off into new territory today, I can’t help but feel inspired and on task. I believe that you’ve ordained my steps and if I can just keep going, more rewards await. I thank you for it all, in Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

Value: Achievement

Embodying the value of Achievement is more important than material or financial reward. If you gain satisfaction from completing a tasks, that can signal that you highly value achievement. Achievement-motivated people constantly seek improvements and ways of doing things better

Self Care Tip of the Day: Celebrate Yourself! 

Very rarely do people take time to celebrate their achievements. Let today serve as the starting point of your self-celebrations. There are so many ways to celebrate you. Here’s a short list to get you started: go out to dinner, have a glass of champagne, take a day off and relax.

Daily Professional Goal:

Today’s professional goal is to simply keep going. When things seem confusing and hard to understand, keep the main thing, the main thing and keep working toward your goals. 

LaFern Kitt Batie, of The Batie Group was quoted as saying, “stay close to the mission and date your deliverables.” 

Those words have resonated with me ever since I heard her speak them during The Capp Institute’s Coach Intensive Training last year.

In the news:

Today I am celebrating a few major achievements. Nine years ago, today is when I convinced the technicians to allow me to get a mammogram, two months before my 40th birthday. This started my fight against cancer.

Secondly, I reviewed edits from my soon to be released book, “From God with Love!” I am absolutely ecstatic about this. 

I am soliciting help to create a big, audacious book launch.

Click here to volunteer your time to the book launch planning team.

 Here’s a short article that I found about creative book launch ideas.

Tips for advancement:

Repeat this phrase to yourself, as often as needed: 

“If I got in the room then I belong in that room. I am there, aren’t I?” -Shonda Rhimes

 

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Mobilizing Capital for Black Maternal Health

Prayer: 

Dear Lord,

Today’s prayer is for anyone who feels unseen and excluded. I ask you to heal and protect them as only you can. Help them to know that they are loved and appreciated. Restore where restoration is needed, heal all wounds, seen and unseen. This is my prayer in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Value: Recognition

Embrace the value of recognition to let others know that you value them and their contributions. Recognition raises awareness and encourages inclusion.

Self-Care Tip of the Day: 

Live!

Guess what? You are not on this planet to listen to the negative thoughts that try to consume you. You are here to live.

Do whatever becomes necessary to protect your peace. 

Blockout the intrusive thoughts, delete the negative post, close social media. Whatever it takes to make you feel at ease, do those things.

Daily Professional Goal:

Make an intentional effort to recognize the people who play an important role in your professional life. If you have a coach or mentor that made a big impact on your life, choose today to send them a nod of thanks. A handwritten thank you card or a phone call would serve as the perfect recognition. 

In the news:

April 11th -17th is Black Maternal Health Week. This time is dedicated to advocating for the elimination of maternal mortality. Maybe you read the story or saw the headline about Krystal Anderson, the Kansas City Chiefs Cheerleader who died after delivering her stillborn baby. Mrs. Anderson developed an infection and died from complications of Sepsis, on March 20th, 2024, at the age of 40.

One of the reasons this story caught my attention was because my grandson was stillborn or born at rest on March 21st, 2024. It was terrifying as a mother to watch my daughter endure the level of physical and emotional pain that she suffered. Similar to the headline shared above, my daughter suffered complications and was hospitalized for a week.

Secondly, as a woman, I felt immense sorrow for her as woman who was experiencing such a traumatic loss. I searched for words of comfort but woman to woman, I knew her heart would be changed forever after this event.

While I honor my G-Son and the life that could have been, I thank God that my daughter is still here, recovering and getting stronger by the day. If you pass me on the street and I burst out into spontaneous praise, just know that I have a lot to be thankful for.

Finally, I share this information as a business topic because it needs more recognition. Women professionals face these challenges frequently, and more needs to be done to raise awareness and recognition of this issue.

Today, April 15th is designated for Mobilizing Capital for Black Maternal Health. To learn more about this initiative and the remaining events planned for the week, click here.

To read more about Krystal Anderson’s story, click here.

Tips for advancement:

  1. Don’t wait until a special occasion to recognize the important people in your life

  2. Be authentic and sincere with your recognitions

  3. Let your recognition be as loud as the contribution or effort that was put forth. Don’t be afraid to be loud with your recognition.

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Loyalty is Royalty!

Loyalty is such a huge part of building trust in relationships. Use the information shared below to find ways to enhance loyalty in your personal and professional life.

Prayer:

Dear Lord,

   Thank you for overflowing blessings. You’ve gifted me with much to be grateful for and I am extremely thankful for it all. As we enter a new week, show me how to be loyal with all that you’ve given me and to expand on it. Give me strategies to grow and the momentum to make an impact in places where I am needed. Place me in rooms that value my perspective and skillset. In Jesus Name. Amen. 

Value: Loyalty

Embrace the value of Loyalty to build trust in your relationships. Embracing loyalty means you’re committed to the wellbeing and positive progression of building and advancing, no matter what it requires. 

Self-Care Tip of the Day:  

Manage stress to reduce inflammation in your body.

Deep tissue massages are great for breaking up inflammation in the body which can lead to chronic pain and  health issues.  Additionally, taking intentional steps to manage stress can be very beneficial. Take a walk in nature, create a peaceful outdoor space and take time to slow down, breathe and journal your thoughts.

Daily Professional Goal: 

Seek to understand the current, most prevalent needs of your business or organization and show your loyalty to progress the agenda by being open to change, creative with generating solutions and innovative to think outside of the box and drive results. 

In the news:

Have you filed your taxes yet? Honestly, I have not. With a myriad of recent challenges, I have not had the bandwidth to take care of this very important and necessary task. Today I took the initiative to ease some of my stress and I filed for an extension. As I was researching topics for this week’s In the News topics, I saw an article about Krispy Kreme helping to ease the overwhelm of Tax Day by giving customers a deep discount on a box of Original Glazed Doughnuts. Click here to find out how to receive your discount.

Tips for advancement:

Set yourself up for personal and professional success this week by managing your time wisely and reducing overwhelm by delegating activities when needed. This will help you operate in your area of expertise.

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Kindness Never Goes Out of Style

This week has been amazing. I’ve made great strides to grow my network, better align my services and intentionally practice self-care. My family is blessed and healing in the right direction, work is fabulous and getting better by the day and I feel stronger and more confident in who I am.

For today’s blog post, I am posting about the value of Kindness.

Since Friday is not a regular workday for me, I am using this post for a connection moment. Maybe that will be a new theme for us, (we’ll see).

Kindness is one of those attributes that never goes out of style. It’s like your favorite pair of sweatpants or a comfortable hoodie. Kindness is warm, inviting and protective. There’s simply not enough of it being generated lately. On social media and in real life, you see people bickering back and forth with one another, expressing feelings of hate and rage.

It’s too much.

I’m setting my clock for 10:40 am, to stop what I am doing and go to God in prayer.

Why 10:40am?

Psalm 5:3 says, ““In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.”

Will you join me? Will you help me pray for kindness to be restored on earth as it is in heaven?

My prayer for today is for Kindness to resurface. I pray that God will touch the hearts and minds of everyone to stop with their own motives and agenda and pick up his. I pray that we are reminded of the goodness of God and how it can cover a multitude of sins. I pray for goodness and mercy to chase us down and be forever present in our relationships. I pray for a peace that passes all understanding and every void that exists be filled with love & kindness. God, I pray that those who feel forgotten and left out are reassured of their worth and significance.

This is my prayer today, in Jesus Name. Amen

Have a great weekend and I will see you back, on the blog this coming Sunday.

http://www.originsofpeace.com

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$20 Billion Climate Agenda, Make My Energy Clean & My Resources Renewable!

Prayer:

Today I am most grateful for community. Thank you, Lord, for placing me in the minds of people who have my best interest at heart and will pray for me and my family when prompted. I’m thankful for the prayer warriors that you have positioned in my life to help me advance and move forward when things feel stagnate and stuck. Thank you for forward motion and uncommon favor. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Self-Care Tip of the Day: 

Don’t be hard on yourself when you’re having a bad day. It might sound silly but apologizing to yourself when you are too hard and too critical is the perfect way to reset the course of your day. If you’re having trouble forgiving yourself for some of your past discrepancies, write down what you would say to yourself, then go to a mirror and read it out loud.

Value: 

Community – the value of community promotes health and wellbeing. Our minds are relational and affected by the quality of our social connections. Community is built through acts of intentionality, vulnerability, and creativity. Community is linked to social trust, positive belief in humanity and a belief that most people are fair, helpful and trustworthy.

Daily Professional Goal:

Today I will make at least one new business connection.

In the news: 

As part of President Biden’s historic climate agenda, VP Kamala Harris and EPA Administrator Michael Regan announced $20 billion in awards to expand access to clean energy, climate solutions and lower energy costs for communities across the nation.  

Are you a small consulting company interested in doing work that is meaningful? Do you have the skillset to help push this climate agenda forward? If so, clean energy might be the solution that you are looking for. According to reports work is needed in low-income communities and communities of color to reduce pollution and create new jobs. Find out more by clicking here.

Tips for advancement:

When was the last time you flipped through your old business cards and made a new connection? Place all your business cards in a pile, then close your eyes and choose one card. After you’ve made your selection, call the number, introduce yourself and your business. If you recall how you obtained the business card, share this information (networking event, conference or expo). If the timing feels right, you could even set up time for coffee and conversation to make a deeper connection.