Category: natural hair

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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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Is the First Impression the Only Impression?

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.”

Much Love,

Melissa

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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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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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Create!

Do you have a 2023 Vision for Career Development or Personal Travel?

Do you have the resources to lead your team or family to make intentional decisions in the New Year?

Quick suggestion:

Make plans for Sunday Dinner & pull out your Vision Board Kit to get the conversation started.

I would love to curate a personalized Vision Board to fit your needs. Complete the form below & let’s chat.

 

Origins of Peace,
Melissa
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Intentional Gatherings by Origins of Peace, LLC

There’s something new and exciting happening at Origins of Peace, LLC.
We’re introducing Intentional Gatherings by Origins of Peace, in an effort to unite small groups of like-minded people with the intention of building community and friendship while supporting a worth-while cause.
Our first event takes place on Sunday, February 12th with a trip to the Mint Museum in Uptown Charlotte and Brunch at a local restaurant. If you are a lover of art and food, this event is perfect for you.
Our purpose is to raise funds for our non-profit sector, Heal, Recover, Grow Inc., where we support survivors of divorce, chronic unemployment and breast cancer by providing tools and resources to live a confident and empowered life after tragedy.
The cost of this gathering is $40, which includes admission to the Mint, including a timed visit to the Picasso Exhibit ($25), donation to Heal, Recover Grow Inc. ($15) and the collective company of a great group of soon to be friends. Tickets will be sent from Origins of Peace, upon purchase.
The cost of brunch is not included. 
Secure your space asap, tickets are going fast.
This Intentional Gathering is limited to 10 people.
Secure your space and make your contribution by clicking the link below.
Peace
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New Year…New Office Hours

Does your New Year come with more in-person office hours on a more regular basis?

If so, remember to add kindness into your daily rotation. There are so many professional ways to express appreciation to your fellow co-workers.

Review the list below provided by @HackingHR and implement as you see fit.

Remember, people have been at home for years now, working remotely or on a hybrid rotation. All small, random acts of kindness are welcomed and appreciated.

Origins of Peace,
Melissa