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What is Really Happening?

Affirmation:
“I am progressively moving forward in life to experience great wellbeing and receive the promises that I hold true. I am worth the effort.”

Not so long ago I experienced an extremely challenging time. As things began to escalate, I could not pinpoint exactly what was happening to me. Things felt extremely hard, and weird at the same damn time! Work was hard, relationships were weird and finding time to decompress was non-existent.
I felt like I had to move heaven and earth to make the smallest bit of progress in my work, and in my relationships. I felt more like an observer than a participant. To be clear, I felt helpless in both areas.

The constant drive to be disciplined and to be consistently “on”, left me feeling like I could not keep up. I felt like my performance occupationally and personally did not measure up to my self-imposed expectations.
I was raised to believe in the promises of purpose, meaningful relationships, safety and acceptance. At that point in my life, I felt stuck in the belief of those promises, with no concrete method of how to move them forward.
I’ve had enough life experience to know that those promises are often challenged by people, situations and circumstances, self included.

It is easy to get in your head and allow your insecurities and imposter syndrome to cripple you into thinking that you are not progressing in life.

After seeing a post online that said, “Black women don’t often recognize that they are struggling with depression or anxiety, instead they think they are failing,” I began to take a more in-depth look into the emotions that I was experiencing.

I was anxious, mentally exhausted, and totally burned out! Purpose, safety, and acceptance are basic life necessities. When those necessities are compromised, it will cause you to act outside of your norm and to go into survival mode.

Now that I am moving past those hard and weird feelings, I am able to identify anxiety as the root cause. Anxiety absolutely got the best of me in the form of overcommitment and blurred boundaries.

The 2023 State of Workforce Mental Health Report, states that 86% of workers experienced at least one mental health challenge over the past year, with only 36% of those surveyed workers received mental health care.

In order to start dealing with my feelings, I had to realign my thoughts and perspectives around those basic necessities and understand that I wasn’t failing. I was experiencing a personal crisis that needed to be addressed.

My first course of action was to take some much-needed time off from everything. No work, no deadlines, no commitments, nothing outside of what I had in the present moment.

By sharing this information with you, I hope that it helps you to become more compassionate with yourself, and your needs. If you are experiencing challenges in areas that usually align easily for you, take some time to investigate those feelings. You could likely be experienciencg some anxiety.

A Peace Map is the perfect way to get back on track. To create your custom Peace Map, we will evaluate your wellness areas, set goals to experience more peace in those areas, and then create a blueprint to make it happen.

I’ve helped many of my clients create maps in specific areas of life.

From now until July 2nd our CREATE! Empowerment Workshops are 50% off. During this session we will cover the topics above, and you will have a custom Peace Map in the end. Sessions are available online only.

Use the link provided above to secure your session. One of our team members will contact you to schedule your session.

Any questions about this offer should be directed to: success@originsofpeace.com.

Peace, Love & Reciprocity!
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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Protect Me Like Academy Sports Protects its Online Purchases

Audio Companion

 

See the picture above, this was me last week relaxing in my new RIO Beach Backpack Lounger from Academy Sports.

Please forgive my nearly closed eyes, but I’ve been dealing with some major sinus congestion for more than a week now. Sheer agony!

Anyway, for weeks I had been searching for a beach lounger, when I came across the perfect one on the Academy Sports Website. The color scheme perfectly matched my beach dining accessories from Tabitha Brown’s latest release at Target, it was light weight, and the straps were perfect for easy portability.

I ordered the lounger using a gift card that I received on my birthday last year. When I arrived at the store to pick up my order, I decided to use curbside pickup, since I was not feeling well. I selected the appropriate options to alert an associate that I was outside waiting. When the associate arrived, he immediately asked me for my ID. This posed a problem for me because I had lost my driver’s license at the beach, the previous weekend. Before uttering a word, I looked in my purse and retrieved the gift card that I used to make the purchase, my confirmation email, and my temporary driver’s license.

As I am doing all of this, I told the associate that I had lost my driver’s license, but I had all the items that I listed above as verification that I was in fact the person that placed and paid for the order.

The associate’s initial response was to refuse delivery. My response was, how will my picture ID assure you that I am the person who made the online purchase? Your website didn’t ask for a picture, so how would that help you validate the purchase and me as the purchaser?

We discussed the dilemma for a few minutes and then a second associate came out to my car whom I assume was a manager.

After about a 10-minute delay, I was able to get my order.

As I began driving away, I immediately thought to myself, I need this kind of protection in my life.

Protect Me Like Academy Sports Protects its Online Purchases!

The intention, the verification, and the validation of transacting with the appropriate party was top tier for me. Although I was the one who could not provide the needed information, I appreciate the steps taken by the store to ensure that I was in fact who I claimed to be.

Imagine if each of us took that same level of care in our everyday relationships. Instead of rushing into agreements with others, what if we took time to actually validate who they really are? I was able to gain the trust of the associates because I described the color of my dining accessories and how the colors complimented the lounger that I purchased. I also talked about my past trip to the beach and my intention of going back. All of this discussion helped the associates get to know a little about me and become comfortable with the decision to give me my lounger.

I’ve had a number of representatives show up in my life claiming to be someone whom they really were not. When I thought that I was dealing with someone who had integrity and was trustworthy, but in reality, they turned out to be just the opposite.

The lessons that I am taking from this encounter are:

  1. I will always show up as my authentic self, and I will expect others to do the same
  2.  I will value the connections that can be made by simply engaging in a little small talk
  3. I will respect the boundaries and values of others, and I will expect others to show the same respect to me

These are simple truths that are now part of my #originsofpeace.

How about you? Are you showing up authentically, and do you have set expectations and values that others must adhere to?

There is a quote that says,

Intention is one of the most powerful forces there is. What you mean when you do a thing will always determine the outcome. The law creates the world.”

 

My intention is to be protected as well as Academy Sports protects its online purchases! What’s your intention?

Peace & Blessing!

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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“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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Mention My Name

It’s a celebration, and I could not have did it without you!

Today marks our 4-year anniversary. In true transparency, Origins of Peace has existed in many forms since 2011, but today marks four years of being intentional about our purpose, our name, and of course, our brand.

We’ve definitely come a long way by beginning as an online blog, repositioning as a community needs trainer in the back of Breakfast Time Restaurant and now transitioning into the corporate arena.

 

“For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” Habakkuk 2:3-4 NKJV

Thank you to everyone that has mentioned my name and offered a word of reference on my behalf.

I am grateful!

Origins of Peace,
Melissa

 

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Happy Valentine’s Day to You!

Happy Valentine’s Day to you from Origins of Peace!
Valentine’s Day means so much more when you truly love who you are inclusive of the challenges, scars and tears that have been shed.
Valentine’s Day is an expression of true love with a whole-hearted understanding of the person whom you’ve decided to commit to.
 Origins of Peace, LLC sends the biggest hug and warmest wishes for genuine love of self to you on this day.
May your day be full of magic!
Peace & Love,
Melissa