Category: Conflict Transformation

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Swinging and Humming

💫 Last week was full of insight for me. With the constant going, pushing and striving to do more, be more, create more and get booked more, I hit a wall.

I found myself way past exhaustion. I could barely hold my head up.

After a much need coaching session (yes, coaches need coaching too), I took time to identify what was challenging me, and then I made a plan to improve those things.

I realized that I had not taken any time to celebrate my accomplishments before moving to the next “thing” on my list. The constant pushing and striving caught up to me and left me feeling totally and completely spent.

In need of a rapid improvement plan, I left my house, hair undone, natural face with a t-shirt and shorts on, and I found a swing.

I swung until my heart was content, tension released, and contentment filled my spirit.

I know it sounds simple, but sometimes that is all you need to change the energy and momentum around you.

From this experience, I learned that just like I schedule those 4:45am treadmill sessions, I need to schedule celebration sessions too.

(Let me warn you ahead of time. The audio within this video is LOUD. In addition to humming, you will also hear the sound of traffic passing by. If you are in a quiet setting, proceed with caution!)

 

So what am I celebrating?

💫 Completing Professional and Executive Coaching Training Intensive through the CaPP Institute

💫 Completing Equity in Contracting Training through CPCC

💫 Acceptance into the Women’s Entrepreneurship Program at

eCornell University and completing my first course with a perfect score.

💫 Becoming a member of ForbesBLK

💫 Acceptance into the 2023-24 Milestone Circles Program at the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center

💫 Gaining two new coaching clients

After taking a moment to reflect, I realize that I have a lot to celebrate (I am sure that I left something off of my list).

Celebrations are important.

If you have a hard time celebrating your achievements, you are not alone, but just like I hit a brick wall last week from overwhelm and exhaustion, you can too.

Let’s hold one another accountable for showing up as our best self by taking important moments to celebrate.

I invite you to join the Origins of Peace Community by visiting http://www.originsofpeace.com.

You will receive a bi-monthly newsletter and priority notice of events and happenings within the community.

Make Peace A Priority,

Melissa

 

#managementconsulting #consulting #Coaching #businesscoach #lifecoach #executivecoach #leadershipcoach #livingyourbestlife #techsabbath #techfreesunday #coaching #creativity #enjoylife #getterstronger, #courage, #lifecoachingforwomen , #mindset, #personaldevelopmentcoaching, #personalgrowthanddevelopment #personalpower, #overcomingobstacles, #planningandscheduling, #positivethinking #positivepsychologycoaching, #reachinggoals, #stayingpositive, #excitedforthejourney, #strongertogether, #successfactors, #successcoaching, #takingabreak, #transformationalcoaching

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Did You Get Our Latest Timeout Newsletter?

Hey Friends!

Did you get the latest issue of The Timeout Newsletter? No? Let’s change that…

Subscribe today at: http://www.originsofpeace.com

 

#timeoutnewsletter #originsofpeace

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With Gratitude

Happy Sunday! I hope this post finds you renewed and ready to embrace the week with vibrance and enthusiasm.

Today, the Origins of Peace Team wanted to take a moment to remind you of the incredible power that lies within you, in all of the roles that you fill on a daily basis. It is important to recognize that your best efforts are valued and appreciated.

As you go about your week, it is totally natural to encounter challenges and complications. Remember, to keep your perspective fresh by taking a step back to reevaluate your next steps. If you feel anxious or nervous, embrace vulnerability and growth as necessary parts of your journey.

Creating a routine with peace and purpose requires intentional nurturing, not just strategies and tactics. You have to align your authentic self, your values, and your belief in self to unleash your Origins of Peace! This happens with time and commitment.

This week remember, “you cannot find peace in a place that you do not trust.” Trust yourself to make right decisions for your now and your future. If you feel overwhelmed, take a deep breath and know that you are capable of achieving greatness beyond your imagination.

Place your faith on top of that simple truth.

***Due to scheduling conflicts, our weekly newsletter was not delivered this morning as planned. The good news is that we are consistently working. The lesson learned is that we have a growth opportunity to manage our calendar and time requirements better.

To help remedy this challenge, beginning in September, our newsletter will be delivered twice monthly with content focused on personal and professional development.

Thank you to all who participated in our survey requesting your feedback on what our newsletter content should focus on.

If you have not submitted a survey but would like to, please do so my clicking the link below. It takes less than 60 seconds to complete.

https://forms.office.com/r/52Pw05tBjZ

Make Peace A Priority,

Melissa

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Peaceful Co-Working Lifestyle August Session

Join me on Sunday, August 27th for the next Peaceful Co-Working Lifestyle. We are talking about PEACE Goals and the 7 Building Blocks you need in order to make them sustainable.

I quoted the time incorrectly in the video, so please make note of the correct time: 4pm-5:30pm.
 
Here’s the link to join:
 
Here’s the link to the Peace Capability Assessment:
 
Make Peace a Priority,
Melissa Rivers
 
All Rights Reserved @2023
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Creatively Corporate

According to the June 2015 Forbes article entitled, Can A Creative Person Survive Corporate Life, a creative person can survive in a corporate environment by taking the following five actions:

  1. Decide what you want
  2. Make a plan to get what you decided you want.
  3. Look at the ways your current situation can help you get what you want.
  4. Practice self-awareness.
  5. Speak your truth

I believe in today’s corporate climate, an intentional practice of number four, self-awareness is one that must be done on a consistent, and continuous basis.

As a creative in corporate, I fully realize that my adherence to timelines is sometimes variable. I begin with the greatest of intentions to complete a task on time but find myself off kilter when urgent requests arise or when something happens to redirect my focus. When this occurs, I am fully aware that it takes me a while to find my way back to the original focal point.

So what am I doing to correct this?

In total transparency, this is a current situation that I struggle with. I have recently started using new tools to help with time management and productivity, but it all boils down to the type of projects that drive your creativity and knowing when you’ve done enough creating to move forward to next steps.

If you are a creative struggling in your current work environment, ask yourself, “what do I want?”

Is it time to move forward to something new or will you take the necessary steps to make improvements in your current work environment? As a creative, it is totally up to you.

As you move through this week, be gentle with yourself and know that your creativity is not an impediment to your success, it is a gift. Value it, but make sure your protect it.

Make Peace a Priority,

Melissa

 

 

 

You were created to live each day with purpose.

 

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Authenticity Matters

In a world full of AI, Gridlines and Algorithms, showing up as your authentic self still matters.

“When You Show Up Authentically, You Create the Space for Others to Do the Same. Walk in Your Truth” -unknown

During a recent presentation, the meeting organizer stopped me in mid-sentence and said, this is amazing. The colors are so vivid, and your presentation tells a great story. I acknowledged the comment and thanked the organizer for noticing. Her words meant a lot to me because I strive to show up differently in every aspect of my life, business included.

Professionally, the brand of Origins of Peace, LLC is bright colors, vivid photos and transparent stories. I love creating a unique experience of peace through my content, with the hope that it will free you to show up and engage with us in the same manner.

If no one has told you lately, your authenticity matters.

I personally believe that if we hold space for one another, by allowing each other to show up as our unique self, without judgement; corporately we could all breathe a little better.

I challenge you this week to help your neighbor breathe a little easier by being authentic and holding space for them to be authentic too. Here a few things that you can do to accomplish this challenge:

  1. Be intentional with your words
  2. Demonstrate accountability for your actions
  3. Show interest in learning from others
  4. Express your emotions clearly
  5. Look for ways to have fun in the process

It is totally ok to be you. As a matter of fact, God created you because there was a void without you. Never allow the opinions or actions of others to stop you from being authentically you. There are so many obstacles that are put in front of each of us on a daily basis. Don’t get tired or weary in your daily doing. It’s all about the bob and weave method to make it through.

If you’ve been feeling anxious or uneasy about your interactions with others, remember that social anxiety is something that everyone experiences on some level.

Origins of Peace provides coaching services to help you create an action plan to navigate your feelings. Click here to get started.

Make Peace A Priority,

Melissa

 

 

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Is It Time To Uplevel Your Life

“Simply be the qualities you seek in others.”
Is there someone that you admire personally or professionally? Is there a colleague or friend that has certain qualities that you desire to exhibit more of in your life?
If this holds true for you, what actions can you take to move from your current reality to the desired reality that you want. Is it as simple as taking the appropriate steps to mimic what you see in others, or do you need to create a more structured plan to make to make it happen.
Personally, I am working on intentionally strengthening the qualities of curiosity, spontaneity, and adventure in my life. Years of overbooking my schedule and failing to prioritize, caused these attributes to become basically nonexistent.
For me curiosity involves traveling to places that I’ve never been, seeking out alternative ways to work and experience financial freedom. Spontaneity and adventure resemble taking the trip prior to feeling burned out and overwhelmed.
On Friday, August 4th at 11:30am, I am hosting a Lunch and Learn Planning Session with step-by-step guidance on how you can move from your current reality to the life you desire. Join me to get the 5-step blueprint, which can be applied to all areas of your life where change is desired.
Let me help you find your #originsofpeace. Email melissa_rivers@originsofpeace.com to receive the meeting details.
Make Peace Your Priority,
Melissa
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Good Vibes for Managing Worklife & Summer-fine Goals

Affirmation: I am intentionally making time for self-care this summer. I will soak up the sun, release compressed emotions and spend quality time with people who make me feel good.

It is possible to enjoy summer to the fullest while maintaining a full work schedule.

You can have a productive summer and find time to recharge by managing your time between summer-fine goals and your professional aspirations.

Manage your time and prioritize self-care so that you can actively and intentionally take care of yourself. Preparing for work the night before, beginning your day earlier and being productive at work allows you to not feel guilty for clocking out as soon as your shift ends, in order to still enjoy the day.

One very important thing that you can do to ensure you have time for self-care this summer is to put yourself first. Prioritize things that are important to you and be sure to make room for those things. If beach trips are important, plan them. If fitness is important, make time for it. If romance is a priority, make room for it.

Be consistent with things that are important to you and keep them close!

Enjoy this short video where I list some of the resources that I am utilizing this summer to manage self-care and create more balance.

If you find it challenging to manage work-life and summer-fine goals, email success@orignsofpeace.com and allow us to help you create a time management plan.

Remember: Commitment is what turns a promise into reality. Commit to your own personal self-care.

Peace,

Melissa

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And Just Like That! Mission Accomplished.

“Appreciate again and again, freshly and naively, the basic goods of life, with awe, pleasure, wonder and even ecstasy, however stale these experiences may have become to others.”  – Abraham Maslow

*****Mental Clarity, Self-Preservation, Rejuvenation, Service to Others*****

One of the fundamental values of Origins of Peace is rejuvenation, simply taking the time to halt all routine commitments and take an extended moment to inhale, exhale, show gratitude and repeat. Repeat the process until you are empty. Empty of worry, stress, expectations, commitments, insecurity and doubt. An extended moment to simply exist as your authentic self.

When I popped open my beach lounger in the middle of town, right on the front lawn of the Visitor’s Center, I knew my mission to rejuvenate myself had been realized. There I lay, relaxed, under a huge oak tree, directly across from the waterfront, with not a care in the world.

The previous 72 hours had been spent boat hopping, beach bumming, cloud gazing, and daydreaming. I kept doing these things until the stress began to melt away.

The early morning coffee conversations with God while sitting on the dock of the bay were essential in restoring bliss and awe in my life.

When I first arrived at my destination, I was full of anxiety. I had reached my tipping point with just about everything that I was attached to. The day that I popped open my beach lounger I was at ease and feeling stress free.

As I continue to build, and refine the mission of Origins of Peace, LLC., destination retreats with a specific focus on our fundamental values are in the works. If you are interested in learning more about our peaceful retreats specifically focused on mental clarity, self-preservation, rejuvenation and service to others, click the link below to express your interest.

Contact Us – Origins of Peace

Thank you for being a loyal member of the Origins of Peace community.

Peace, Love & Reciprocity!

Melissa

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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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