Category: Conflict Transformation

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Kitchen Table Talk

Use this resource to help add structure to your day and maintain a sense of peace when things become overwhelming. Start your day with a heartfelt prayer and then leverage your strengths and values to create a strong personal and professional strategy when life and work become exhausting. 

Prayer:

Dear Lord, thank you for another day.  As the new week begins, I stand with courage, armored with your grace and mercy. Thank you for opening doors, setting tables and placing me in rooms to be seen, heard and valued. Thank you for new opportunities to prosper and elevate and thank you for covering me with your love. In Jesus’ Name, I pray this prayer. Amen.

Value: Courage

Exhibit the value of courage today by believing in yourself and your abilities. It is easy to want to conform to what others are doing and stay out of the spotlight, but when you know your worth and set goals for yourself, you build the courage to go against the status quo and do extraordinary things! 

Self-Care Tip of the Day: Implement 30 for 30

Every 30 minutes, do a high intensity exercise such as squats, lunges or push-ups, or do a really good stretch routine for 30 to 60 seconds. These micro workouts will help boost your metabolism and improve your fitness levels.

Daily Professional Goal:

Find the courage to be innovative today. What can you do differently at work today that will set you apart from the crowd.

In the news:

What are you good at?

I read this article on Essence.com that described how two sisters created a vegan haircare company inspired by ingredients found in their Mom’s kitchen. Can you believe that carrots and turnips can make your hair grow, or that avocado can be used to add moisture to dry locs?

What innovative ideas are you sitting on? Do you have a hobby or skill that you’re great at but you don’t think the world will understand the concept and see the value that it adds?

What if you are wrong about your perceptions? What if you have the answer to a great riddle that is waiting to be solved?

What if?

Today is the day for you to move! It took great courage for the Rucker Sisters to turn their kitchen table talk into a fully executable business plan. Get inspired. Click here to read more about their story.

Tips for advancement: Exhibit courage daily by doing the following

  • Face Difficulties Head-On

  • Speak up for yourself or someone else

  • Stand Up for Your Values & Beliefs

  • Ask For Help

  • Act with Integrity

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Here’s What’s Happening on the Blog this Week

This week on the Blog we’re talking about the values of Loyalty, Achievement, Recognition, Grace, Balance and Faith. After our morning prayer to set the tone of each workday, we will dive into self-care topics, tips for professional advancement and discuss various trending business topics.

I can’t wait to share my thoughts and I hope that you feel safe to engage in discussion with me.

As the week begins, I am praying for grace and favor to flood your entire existence this week. May your name be mentioned by decision makers, and may you walk with confidence and the reassurance that this week will lead to uncommon favor for you (I love that phrase).

 

Posted on by — Leave a comment

At the End of the Day….

Hey everyone! I hope your days have been filled with love, peace and happiness. I haven’t had a chance to do a welcome to spring post, so here goes!

Welcome to Spring!

For anyone new here, my name is Melissa Rivers, and I am a Peace Coach. I provide coaching services to professionals who are overwhelmed and experiencing burnout. Through my Peaceful Lifestyle and Peaceful Profits Coaching Programs, I empower my clients to embrace new mindsets, achieve personal and professional alignment and genuine authenticity in every area of life.

I am also a Consultant for small businesses and organizations. I provide, conflict resolution services including process improvement, crisis management and change management in the areas of clean energy, renewable resources, food insecurity and environmental justice.

Origins of Peace is WBE certified and in the process of securing additional certifications.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now that the formalities are out of the way, I have a few questions for you.

Where is your level of peace & are you capable of experiencing more?

How are you doing & what’s on your mind?

Do your thoughts bring you joy & do your words inspire others?

 

You have 24 hours to do whatever you choose, and at the end of the day, the day gotta end.

What do you want to end your day with, positive energy or dreadful regret?

The choice is yours.

If your choice is positive energy, focus your mind on things that are good, inspiring, and true.

Instead of focusing on trouble, focus on opportunity.

Instead of focusing on grief, focus on positive memories.

 

Now you might be saying that it is so much easier to say you’ll focus on good things than it is to actually do it. If that’s the case, call me and I’ll coach you through it.

Peace begins with possibility, and it ends with trust.

You have to believe that it is possible for you to have peace, and then trust that you will obtain it.

___________________________________________________________________________________

My mission is to provide content that is useful and easy to understand.

Join me here on the blog each day for Daily Inspiration or subscribe to my email list and have it delivered directly to your inbox.

I invite you to follow me on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn at Origins of Peace.

Thank you for being in the Origins of Peace Community, I look forward to connecting with you soon.

Peace is Possible,

Melissa

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Morning Prayer- March 20th

Morning Prayer

Dear Lord,

There are many things in this life that I do not understand. Sometimes I feel lost, and doubt enters my mind, yet you are always there to remind me that your grace is sufficient in all things.  Your word says, “for by grace you have been saved through faith.”  My faith tells me that things will work out for my good. My faith also tells me that you shall not withhold any good thing from me. My faith goes on to say that even my bloodline will be blessed. I stand on your word and accept these things as truth. As you continue to bless me, I will bless others by giving them grace because this is pleasing in your site.  I humbly pray this prayer today and ask for a double portion of your anointing. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Activate Your Faith & Go!

Shirley Chisolm was quoted as saying, “You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.” 

 

In 2020, I started the process of certifying my business to help me qualify for set-aside money. Set-asides include historically underutilized, minority-owned, and disadvantaged categorizations. Millions of dollars are set aside for these designations yearly and they provide those who qualify, a leg up in the competitive world of government and corporate contracting.

As a minority-owned, historically underutilized business it means the world to me to have these considerations. They offer needed assistance in the unequal world of business. 

With the recent 6-3 ruling against Affirmative Action at Harvard College and the University of North Carolina, the end of these distinctions in every sector could be near. The ruling shifts away from the 2003 decision in Grutter v. Bollinger which upheld the University of Michigan Law School’s use of race in admissions (access this link and learn more, at CBSNews.com).

Fast forward to present day and I am still in the process of certifying my company. I am definitely side eyeing my past actions of complaining and failing to implement while taking time to reflect and learn the important lessons that procrastination can reveal.

As a recovering, overly exhausted professional I’ve shifted the way that I work to be more intentional than exhausting. This started with the deliberate action of giving myself permission to experience life, love, work and learning differently, on purpose. To quote my friend Dr. Ebony Stone in her latest blog post entitled, Faith Without Works is Dead, “As black women we are known to work.  We are taught to work.  Work is what we do.  Often being referred to as “strong”, being the most educated demographic in the country, and overcoming the constant struggle that is inherent with being a black woman in America…we KNOW how to work.  We work without even thinking about it most times. But faith…that is a different thing.”

I was definitely doing the work to get certified, but what I’ve learned about how procrastination shows up in my life is that it includes taking on too many projects at once and putting the needs of others in front of my own. These two factors played heavily in my inability to successfully complete the process, back then.

With each intentional action that I take, I am learning a valuable lesson about energy. Sometimes all you need to do in order to activate your faith is make the first move, even when you are unsure of what that move should be. The energy and momentum that is created from trusting that things will work out in your favor, and then taking the first step forward create the perfect breeding ground for miracles to happen.

So what can you do to implement when things seem hard, and procrastination gets in your way? 

First, activate your Faith and secondly, Go! 

Start by giving yourself permission to experience life differently and then activate your faith for forward progression.

Of course, I have some regret about not moving forward with my certifications years ago, but by giving myself a little grace, I can confidently say that I would not have been capable of moving forward in the world of certifications at that time.

In my case, delay is not denial, and I am purposely moving forward to achieve my goal this time around.

Coach’s Corner

To the overly exhausted professional, procrastination often shows up as missed deadlines, analysis paralysis and indecisiveness. This does not mean you are unqualified to perform the task, it could mean that you have too much on your plate to proactively think through the complete process.

Tips to Move Forward

  • Review your list of responsibilities and make a conscious decision to reposition lower priority items to the bottom of the list

  • Cancel all unnecessary or redundant obligations

Last week I canceled two meetings which were nothing more than distractions for me. I was able to complete a few more pressing tasks and end my workday a little earlier for some much-needed self-care time.

Procrastination can also have you operating as a novice when you are clearly a subject matter expert. Come back for more on that topic next week.

If you operate a small business and would like to learn more about the certification process, I am a member of an awesome organization called Queen City Women in Business. The mission of the organization is to make the certification process easier for women in business to connect & collaborate with local city & corporate programs & opportunities through access, education & events!

Use my affiliate link to take a look at all we have to offer.

Let’s Work Together 

Visit my website at www.originsofpeace.com for additional support to help you move from exhaustion to intention in every area of your life.

 

Written by: Melissa A. Rivers 

Melissa is a certified life and business coach for the mentally & emotionally exhausted professional who is learning to find peace again.

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Morning Prayer – February 29th, 2024

A Prayer of HonestyMy Dearest Heavenly Father,
I hope I am not a bother but
From you I need to hear, just to know that you are near
I need to feel your love, and strengthened from above
My issues have me weary Lord and I need to see more clearly
Your word to me revealed, in your presence I am healed
I am in my sacred place, lying prostrate on my face
I am putting aside the weight that you promised me you would take
I am casting my cares on you because your instruction tells me to
Lean not to my own understanding although my life can be demanding
I will have faith to trust and believe that your promises will be achieved
Amen

This is an original poem by Melissa A. Rivers, All Rights Reserved.

Click here to receive notifications regarding the book, From God with Love

much love & many blessings,

Melissa

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Mind, Body & Spirit

Dear Lord,

Thank you for this life that you have given me. I appreciate your love, your guidance, and the purpose that you have laid on my heart to fulfill in this world. As I close out this work week, I appreciate the opportunities that I’ve had to imagine, create and execute. You are responsible for those opportunities, and I am grateful.

I am grateful to walk in purpose and make a positive impact while doing so. Your word says no good thing shall be withheld from me, and I believe that your word is true.

I look forward to resting this weekend and allowing you to replenish my mind, body and spirit. This is my prayer. Amen.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Not My Will But Yours

Dear Lord,

Thank you, for this day. Thank you for a fresh anointing of grace and mercy today. I appreciate your love and guidance as I move freely to work and connect with others. Because of your love I am prepared to go through this day with courage and confidence, knowing that your will is sufficient for me.  Keep my mind focused on the bigger picture, which is to glorify you and you alone. Let my work speak for itself. Let my heart lead with love and let my thoughts stay centered on the plans that you have to prosper me and everything concerning me. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Hold Me Accountable

Dear Lord,

Thank you for this wonderful day. I thank you for bringing me through another work week, empowered but not overburdened, useful but not oversaturated and impactful but not taken advantage of. You’ve guided each of my steps and I am thankful for that. In this season of intention over exhaustion Lord, I ask you to hold me accountable to step back and rest when needed. Help me not to operate with anxious thoughts. Help me to stay focused and true to my purposeful calling. Hold me accountable Lord to be a beacon of hope and faith in this working community and to all who I encounter that need a living example that work can be enjoyable and not troublesome. Let this message ring true to all who need to hear.

In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Grow My Faith

Psalm 94.19 NASB – When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, your comfort delights my soul.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for another opportunity to grow in faith. Thank you for your new mercies, your support and your grace as I rise and enter this day. Lord it is only because of you that I am here. This morning, I ask you to touch my mind and my heart so that I may be still and rest in your love. Help me to see that your timing is perfect for me and more than enough. Help me to be confident within myself, knowing that you have put me together with everything that is good and perfect. Thank you for the opportunity to be bold, to be sure, to be intentional and most of all, thank you for providing opportunities for me to be dependent on you. Not by my might or strength Lord, but only because of you. My faith is fully in tune with your will for my life. Help me to see it through. I love you and I thank you. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen

~When we water anxious thoughts and give them life by clinging to them, we allow them to take root in our minds and grow.

“Be still and know that God is God!”