Lessons from Rahab is an interactive workbook packed with over 40 pages of resources and self-reflection activities that will help you get unstuck and move forward to your next chapter.
In the short video series below, I will introduce you to the four categories that are found within the workbook.
Understanding Your Origin Story
Setting Obtainable Goals
Moving Past Negative Influences
Recognizing Your Growth Opportunities
Lessons from Rahab is a great addition to add to your personal development library. Check out the videos below and let us know what you think. If you like what you hear, click the link to make your purchase!
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:
Be intentional with your words
Demonstrate accountability for your actions
Show interest in learning from others
Express your emotions clearly
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.
Affirmation: I am open to change……I easily adapt to change……I create change……I am a Change Leader
Many people are resistant to changing their traditional ways of doing things. Traditions that have become the go to method of operation, no matter how inefficient or unproductive are sometimes hard to let go of.
This is an emotional response, not a logical one. In some cases, people, more specifically women, fear change due to shaking things up and disrupting the normal operation of how things are done at home and in the workplace.
Many fear they will lose things that are important to them, such as a relationship or work status if they ask for change.
Truth be told, the longer you fulfill a need or role either personally or professionally, the harder it is to change or require something new for yourself.
If you are considered the errand runner, dinner maker or grocery store extraordinaire in your family, letting go of these time-consuming responsibilities, or asking for help could be a huge ask.
If you are the coffee runner, note taker and calendar manager at work, these too might be tasks that you cannot easily allow someone else to fulfill or assist with.
Although it might feel hard to ask or even want change from your everyday norm, it is possible.
Today’s post is meant to inspire you to take action this week to shake things up, disrupt the norm and take risks to try something new. I am sharing 3 steps that you can take to help you disrupt your resistance to change.
In the corporate world, the practice of Lean Six Sigma involves finding more efficient ways to conduct business. It involves identifying and eliminating areas of waste in order to perform work more efficiently. In our daily lives, work life balance and mindfulness techniques can be used to create intentionality and to manage everyday life responsibilities.
In both areas, those who are the front-line workers and task performers often resist change because of comfortability.
I challenge you both personally and professionally to utilize Movement to disrupt your resistance to change.
Movement is a common but less thought about method for creating momentum to activate change. As professional women with work and family responsibilities it is easy to create a routine of taking care of everyone else’s needs before tending to your own. Additionally, women of color are more prone to fulfill nurturing and supportive roles in our communities, churches and even at work. Use movement to shift the norm!
Your body is the first gift you are given in this life. The gift of your lungs allowed you to take your first breath. The gift of your mouth allowed your first cries to be heard. The gift of your muscles allowed you to make your first movements. Though you may have gained and lost many things along your journey, your body has stayed with you. It is time to allow your body the full range of expression that it desires and the gratitude that it deserves (Find Your Peace, A Workbook for A More Mindful Life by Kiki Ely)
Professionally, get out and socialize. Attend networking events or invite a colleague to lunch. Personally, ask a neighbor to accompany you on a walk through the neighborhood. These are just two examples of how to implement small acts of movement in your life. Small activities of movement can activate your willingness to change.
1.Start by reflecting on areas in your life that need to be disrupted. Where should you begin?
2. Build on the awareness that you’ve created by embracing your desire for change. What will change look like for you?
3. Take one step toward your desire. What activity can you complete in the next 14 days to get started?
Do you need to disrupt your resistance to change? Are you willing to make a move toward your desires?
I offer personal and professional coaching, and I would love to help set you up for success.
Share with me your thoughts about the information that has been shared in this post. Comment below and let me know if this information is helpful to you.
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.
“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.
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:
I will always show up as my authentic self, and I will expect others to do the same
I will value the connections that can be made by simply engaging in a little small talk
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?
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you were judged based on a version of you that existed long ago?
If so, were you bothered by it?
As a continuously evolving individual, there are so many different versions of you that will exists, over the span of your life.
I’ve found myself in that situation, and I can truthfully say that it didn’t feel good at all.
As a youth, I dealt with so many insecurities which often left me feeling inadequate, unsure of myself and isolated in a huge world.
These feelings caused me to retreat in certain situations, and to avoid settings that felt uncomfortable.
As a forward-thinking adult, therapy and self-reflection played a huge part in my process of becoming whole.
When others decide to judge you, based on who they knew you to be, during your impressionable years, it can trigger a setback and cause feelings of inadequacy to become more profound. You can also simply acknowledge what was said, glean any lessons that you need to take with you, and continue to move forward.
This week, I challenge you to move forward and celebrate yourself for making progress.
The level of value placed on the thoughts and opinions that others have about you, is totally up to you.
If you decide not to allow those opinions to weigh too heavily on your mind, don’t.
We all know those people who like to remind you of your past or who they think you are in their mind, and it can be a detractor from your progress.
Don’t allow it to be.
If you are doing the best that you can at this moment in life, keeping going. If you are placing too much value on the thoughts and opinions of others, stop doing that.
The purpose that God has placed in you, can’t be measured by another human being. Your purpose is God given.
Place people in the categories where they belong in your life and keep this scripture close to your heart….
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
Before you were born, I set you apart….. -Jeremiah 1:5
“You can’t find peace in a place that you do not trust. Trust yourself.”
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
Romans 5:3-5 in The Message Bible says…
There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next.
In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged.
Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!
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….
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