Category: Change Management

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Change the Narrative!

If the definition of worrying is using your imagination to create something you don’t want, what is the definition of manifesting?

It is extremely easy to waste time worry about things that you do not want in your life.  Troubled relationships, career challenges and financial setbacks are just a few issues that can have your thoughts wondering aimlessly out of control.

Several years ago, as I experienced several major crises simultaneously, I often worried if I would survive it all.

First there was the divorce. It was hard and I was stressed. How would I survive, how would it affect my daughter, how would dating and relationships look for me afterwards and how would others perceive my choice? That 12 months of required separation in the state of NC was difficult.

I worried myself to the point of being unhealthy. I was stressed, consistently anxious, not sleeping well, over-weight and extremely unhappy with myself. Just when I thought things were about to get better, the cancer diagnosis appeared.

The week of my divorce hearing, I took time off of work to spring clean my home. I was ready for new beginnings and a fresh start. I wanted so badly to cleanse myself of the constant turmoil and self-imposed worrying. I had my first mammogram, which lead to a callback and subsequently to the diagnosis.

Up until the point of getting married, I was fairly consistent with my physical and nutritional health. Marriage added a level of stress in my life that I wasn’t fully prepared for.

How could this be?

On my last day of radiation treatment, I lost my job and the constant worry continued.

What now & What next?

I share part of my story today because this week marks my 8-year survival story!

I am surviving and thriving. 8 years post-divorce & post-cancer

My journey hasn’t been the easiest, and there have definitely been a few setbacks. What I’ve learned along the way is to focus my time, energy and attention toward the things that I actually want for my life.

I am spending less time focused on things that do not bring me peace, joy or purpose. This involves understanding and owning my values and taking intentional action to reset my personal expectations. It takes discipline to train your mind to focus on manifesting and not worrying.

Many of the traditional methods that are talked about for stress reduction and developing discipline actually work if you work them to your advantage.

  • Journaling is great for getting your thoughts and concerns out of your head and down on paper so that you can create a strategy to effectively manage your challenges. I recently saw a post on Instagram that says, “If you avoid conflict to keep the peace, you start a war inside yourself. I couldn’t agree more”. Get those thoughts out of your mind and create peace within!

  • Exercising is a great way to re-direct your energy and improve your ability to do everyday activities. Imagine the heightened sense of awareness you can generate from a little physical movement.

  • Understanding earth’s elements are a non-traditional method of dealing with stress and redirecting your thoughts from worry to manifest. The elements are air, water, fire, earth and space. Find the element that speaks to you intently. I personally feel most relaxed by varying bodies of water. The crashing sound of ocean waves, or the stillness of a calming lake are both great at helping me to relax and find peace.

For my present and future, I am manifesting an everyday life that is filled with reciprocal love, amazing opportunities, genuine friendships, harmonious family interactions and all the blessings that God has planned and purposed for me.

On June 2, 2015, I had surgery to remove the cancer tumors from my body and on June 4, 2018, I re-entered the workforce with new skills and a highly viable career path. Origins of Peace exist today because of the multiple challenges that I experienced in 2015.

Dating and relationships in this survivor era offer the biggest area of opportunity for me. I’ve come close to manifesting the relationship that I desire, but nothing has panned out completely as of yet. Stay tuned for future posts to see how that plays out. I am hopeful.

What am I manifesting for this area of my life?

A love that is never selfish, always of service, and precisely on purpose.

    From My Mouth to God’s ears

My definition for manifesting is to demonstrate the things that I desire in life prior to actually obtaining them. This is easier said than done, but it is possible, and I am actively doing it.

As I celebrate 8 years of surviving and thriving, I choose to demonstrate good health, love and understanding, progressiveness and forward thinking, spiritual fortitude, and all the desires of my heart while God continues to add blessing upon blessing to my life.

My prayer is that you will change the narrative that you repeat to yourself. May your thoughts of worry turn to offerings of praise and gratitude.

Peace & Blessings to you!

If you are ready to create a strategy of manifestation for your life, let’s work together. Schedule a complimentary consultation today by clicking here. 

Much Love,

Melissa

 

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We’re are Hiring!

Hello Origins of Peace Family!

   My sincere hope is that you are having a fabulous day.

I wanted to reach out and let you know that we are intentionally growing at OOP!

I have two part-time, contractor positions available.

Please see the images below for an overview of both.

If you are interested in learning more, send your resume to: melissa_rivers@originsofpeace.com.

I will be back next week with more peaceful content, to help you own your values and enforce your expectations of peace.

 

#peaceismypriority

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Don’t Lose Your Melody

From the desk of Melissa Rivers

Most people who are experiencing conflict withdraw from doing the things that add peace and enjoyment to their lives. On top of the already solemn mood that is being displayed, a decision is made to stop doing things that are enjoyable, in order to sit in the conflict and ride the wave of emotions.

When it comes to conflict, I often think of the quote by Mahatma Gandhi that says, “happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” 

Nice quote, but how often does this truly happen? How frequently are your thoughts, words and actions completely aligned? Most of the time, one of these three elements isn’t showing up for the party, or ready to play nicely. The words you speak proclaim your intention of doing great things, but your mind tends to disrupt things by ushering in fear or overthinking.

To be real, life is absolutely happening, and we are the benefactors of what happens, good, bad or indifferent.

You have every right to feel sad when you want to or to take a break for as long as you need to, but in doing so, don’t give up doing the things that add peace and joy to your life.

Don’t retreat.  In times like this, you have to remember your melody.

I like to think of my “happiness triggers” as my personal melody.

My melody consists of painting, writing, long walks, beautiful bodies of water and of course music! These are the tools that I depend on to get through my challenging moments. These are the gifts that help me overcome when I feel defeated or less than my best. These are the same gifts that I turn to when I am celebrating a win.

When you find yourself feeling stuck, remember your melody and push Play!

Now there are things that knock the very breath from our lungs when we experience them. I know this feeling all too well. These are the things that leave us speechless or constantly guessing how, why, and what happened! Yet and still, you are an overcomer.

I want to share three things that you can do to realign your thoughts and breathe again when you are left feeling depleted.

  1. Start each day with an expression of gratitude. Ask yourself, “what am I grateful for today,” When you start thinking about things to be grateful for, you allow your mind the opportunity to reflect on your melody.
  2. Celebrate previous wins. Remind yourself of all that you’ve accomplished. If you are reading this right now, you’ve overcome 100% of the things that have been sent to challenge you. Celebrate that!
  3. Find something to focus on.  You need a reason, a purpose or a person to get you over the hump. If making pancakes gives you joy, focus on that!

Your melody is your personal song. No one has the same song. The elements might be the same, but the style and vibe belong to you.

If you resonate with anything in this post, I invite you to join my next Peace by Design Academy or sign up for a CREATE! Empowerment Session.

Both offerings are a great way to extract lessons from past experiences in order to move forward with integrity and a detailed map of what’s next!

You have work to do in this world, and you cannot do it if you do not show up for the opportunity. Grab your melody and let’s go!

Peace,

Melissa

 

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“It’s Ok to Feel What You Feel”

The truth is, it is okay to feel what you feel.

Giving yourself permission to allow your emotions to flow is human and absolutely necessary.

If you’ve been struggling with finding the words to describe your emotions, remember….

“this too shall pass, but in the meantime…it’s okay to feel what you feel”

Lately I’ve found myself asking others questions like, “Is it wrong for me to feel___________?

  AND

Am I wrong for feeling like____________________?

 

After taking a minute to coach myself back from the realities of Imposter Syndrome, I realize that……….

I do not need permission to express my feelings, and regardless of the circumstances, my feelings are mine.

If you’ve found yourself feeling anything like I’ve been feeling lately, take a moment, close your eyes, and exhale.

Trouble is such a loaded word, and there is nothing fun about it. I don’t know about you, but my excitement level about experiencing trouble is pretty much non-existent.
Facing trouble is often painful, isolating and just hard.
HOWEVER
I want to challenge you to consider trouble as an opportunity for you to build your muscle for self-awareness.
Trouble is often a trigger that alerts us to be a little more patient with ourselves, and to get the extra support that we need to get through the situation.
When you honestly acknowledge the presence of your painful feelings that are associated with the troubles that you experience, you can create an honest space of reflection, which allows you to move forward in peace.
This is my prayer for you….
May all the things that weigh heavy on your heart be lifted….
May all the things that trouble you, bring you gladness……
May all the things that make you doubt how amazing you are, vanish….
Be encouraged.
#originsofpeace
Let’s make this a great week.

 

 

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Greater Than What I See….

 

Tribulation is a term that can mean trouble or affliction of any kind.

I don’t know about you, but my excitement level around experiencing tribulation is pretty much non-existent.

There is absolutely nothing fun about it……………….it is often painful, isolating and just plan hard.

I am learning to use my feelings about different tribulations that I experience, as a sign of self-awareness.

I’ve begun asking myself, what type of support do I need in order to get through the situation?

While I am very aware that those feelings of pain and isolation are most likely temporary, it sure feels like an eternity when you are experiencing them.

I thank God for Romans 8:24, because within it I am made aware of the hope for something greater…..

Greater than the hurt

Greater than the isolation

Greater than the disappointment

Greater than……..

More often than not, tribulation is not directly about you, but it is definitely for you.

Acknowledging your feelings about an experience creates a truthful space that allows you to see more deeply into your own needs and perceptions.

Yes, tribulation can create an awareness of what you need in order to make it through, but it can also make you aware of your hidden judgement toward others.

#somethingtoconsider

Tribulation produces Patience

Patience produces Experience

Experience produces Hope

This week I challenge you to use the knowledge that you gained about yourself when you were experiencing a trying time, AND THEN extend those lessons learned to others who are experiencing tribulation as well.

#originsofpeace

 

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Set A New Table

You deserve experiences that are uplifting, empowering, reciprocal and nourishing.

You deserve to be embraced, supported, celebrated and encouraged.

Is this your experience? Are you feeling the love? More importantly, are you feeling loved.

It is perfectly ok to dream a new dream and to create a new reality for yourself.

This goes for all aspects of life: relationships, career, health, etc…

If you are not feeling loved in all your wellness dimensions…create a new reality, set a new table but definitely let go of what no longer serves you.

Have you established expectations for what you would like to receive?

Here’s a tip: Start with love and work backwards.

If love is what you want to feel in all of your wellness dimensions, determine what’s necessary for you to achieve it?

 

Origins of Peace,
Melissa
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Love & Culture Month

Welcome to February, the month designated for the appreciation of blackness and love, remember to lead with love.

                                           “you attract more goodness with honey than vinegar.”

You cannot be bitter and spiteful toward those you lead or love and expect them to show up as their best self!

What’s one thing that you can implement during the next week to lead with honey (love).

Origins of Peace,
Melissa
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Draw A Circle Around The Things You Love

What do you love and how do you keep it sacred?
Anyone or anything that is near and dear to my heart has a specific prayer strategy attached to it.
This is important to me now more than ever because the world is different, people are different and the expectations that are placed upon us can be quite daunting.
It can be A lot!
No matter how challenging times may seem, if I hold something sacred to my heart, I tend to protect it…sometimes more than I should.
                                                                           I can be guilty of protecting relationships that I have no business entertaining.
With this being the case, I place everything that is near to me in a prayer circle. I identify it as something special and then I create specific prayers around it.
My prayers include guidance to know if I should protect it, nurture it or eliminate it.
It is extremely important to classify accordingly. My circle includes family, friends, acquaintances, career & business and anything else that is significant to me.
I am definitely not a “good vibe” only type of person. I believe in genuine interactions and meaningful connections, however; when I’m done, I am done for real.
                           BUT TRULEY, I tell you, if anything that is within my circle allows outside influences to deteriorate what we have, a realignment is in order.
                As we prepare for Love & Culture Month (February), let’s get clear about what is important. If it is important to you, you should be important as well.
                                                                                                   What’s in your circle and do you have a prayer strategy for it?
On February 1st I will begin re-reading the book Draw the Circle The 40 Day Prayer Challenge.
Want to join me?  
We can check in with one another every 8 days or so to see how things are going and to discuss the revelations that are being shown to us.
Will you join me? Grab your copy here.
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3 Day Vision Board Challenge!

This morning, I kicked off my annual Vision Board Workshop. This is a three-day experience where you will gain the tools you need in order to do the following:
1. Perform a Mindset & Wellness Analysis
2. Create a usable Vision Board
3. Identify your opportunities for growth, that will help make your vision a reality!
 
If you haven’t already created your Vision Board for 2023, I invite you to join me.
Copy and paste the link below in your browser to gain access.
 
 
I hope to see you in the group.
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The Wellbeing Summit

“We are intentionally designing a convening that will capitalize on the fact that we have all of you — the experts — in one room. At the Summit we’ll connect across boundaries to ignite dual sparks of creativity and purpose. We will spend our time learning from one another and actively designing solutions for how we tackle some of our communities’ largest challenges, together”.

Last month, the Wellbeing Summit was held in Charlotte, NC. I had the honor of being invited as a local maker, to showcase my business and share my products with some of the nation’s most recognized thought leaders and change managers. It was an honor to be invited, since this was an invitation only event and it highlighted the fact that when one suffers, we all suffer, and when one has a well thought out solution……it should be shared!

Today as we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., take a moment and check on your neighbor, your friend, you family member…..and get a better understanding of what they currently need. It could be as simple as an encouraging word or as detrimental as a nice hot meal.

Whatever it is, let’s do our part to bring the world a little closer together today.

Happy MLK Jr. Day and may his spirit live on forever.