I have so much to celebrate today. Thank you for the sunshine and the rain, the pleasure and the pain. Thank you for allowing me to see the significance of both. As I venture off into new territory today, I can’t help but feel inspired and on task. I believe that you’ve ordained my steps and if I can just keep going, more rewards await. I thank you for it all, in Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.
Value: Achievement
Embodying the valueof Achievement is more important than material or financial reward. If you gain satisfaction from completing a tasks, that can signal that you highly value achievement. Achievement-motivated people constantly seek improvements and ways of doing things better
Self Care Tip of the Day: Celebrate Yourself!
Very rarely do people take time to celebrate their achievements. Let today serve as the starting point of your self-celebrations. There are so many ways to celebrate you. Here’s a short list to get you started: go out to dinner, have a glass of champagne, take a day off and relax.
Daily Professional Goal:
Today’s professional goal is to simply keep going. When things seem confusing and hard to understand, keep the main thing, the main thing and keep working toward your goals.
LaFern Kitt Batie, of The Batie Group was quoted as saying, “stay close to the mission and date your deliverables.”
Those words have resonated with me ever since I heard her speak them during The Capp Institute’s Coach Intensive Training last year.
In the news:
Today I am celebrating a few major achievements. Nine years ago, today is when I convinced the technicians to allow me to get a mammogram, two months before my 40th birthday. This started my fight against cancer.
Secondly, I reviewed edits from my soon to be released book, “From God with Love!” I am absolutely ecstatic about this.
I am soliciting help to create a big, audacious book launch.
Click here to volunteer your time to the book launch planning team.
Thank you for this day. Thank you for another opportunity to rise and be great. Today I am most thankful for the gift of good health. With so much sickness surrounding me Lord, I thank you for the ability to move without pain, to bend without breaking and to breathe with ease. I thank you that my lungs can expand to full capacity and that my mind can think and reflect easily. Good health is an attribute of success, and I am happy to find success in this way. As I move throughout my workday, help me to keep these things at the forefront of my mind. This is my prayer. In Jesus’ Name. Amen
Thank you for this day. I am grateful for another opportunity to work and walk in purpose. I appreciate the guidance that you provide that allows me to go after my dreams. It is only because of you that I keep going. Today I am open to receive your provisions. Search my mind and heart Lord, knowing that my steps are ordered by you. May all the plans and ideas that come to my mind be pleasing in your sight. May all the people that I know and love find favor with you. This is my prayer today and I ask the same prayer for anyone connected to me, in Jesus Name. Amen
Reading is an excellent way to gain new perspectives and insights. During the first quarter of 2024, I am reading several books to assist me with curbing procrastination, embracing authenticity and effectively managing negative emotions. Since the first core value of Origins of Peace is Mentality Clarity, it is only right that I take this time to gain insight and share the valuable knowledge that I hope to gain, with you.
To start with, “The 12 Week Year” is a great choice for anyone looking to improve their productivity and overcome procrastination. The book provides a practical framework for setting goals and achieving them within a shorter timeframe, which can help you stay focused and motivated.
“The Courage to Be Disliked” is a unique self-help book that draws on the principles of Adlerian psychology to encourage readers to embrace their own individuality and let go of the need for external validation. This can help you develop a more authentic sense of self and build stronger relationships with others.
Lastly, “Managing Negative Emotions” is a valuable resource for anyone looking to cultivate a more positive mindset. The book provides practical strategies for dealing with difficult emotions such as anxiety, anger, and depression, which can help you feel more balanced and resilient.
If you find any of the titles that I’ve shared interesting, please let me know, and I will set up a virtual book club for us. Happy reading!
💫 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.
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.
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.
Affirmation: “I welcome opportunities to shine. I will tap into my magic and show up in irresistible ways personally and professionally.”
The magic that was available to you as a child is still available to you as an adult.
You likely were raised to believe that all things were possible to you as a child and that you could be, have, or do anything that your heart desired.
Somewhere between adolesence and adulthood, perspectives begin to change.
Everything that once felt like a miracle, begins to feel like a challenge to overcome, or an unreachable goal. As an adult you’ve some how forgotten the magic that you have, and the miracle that is you.
No matter how old you are, the magic still exists. Personally and Professionally, you have the ability to make magic happen in your life.
Ask yourself the following questions to help you tap into your magic:
What can you do to make deeper connections at work and in your social settings?
Are you scheduling networking opportunities with colleagues and engagement appointments with associates to build commaradere?
Does your schedule allow time for you to feel relaxed and at ease, instead of feeling hurried and anxious?
If you are disappointed with the answers to these questions, it is time to make a change.
Start by making a list of opportunities to connect. Brunch, after work activities or weekend Food Truck events are a few ideas to help you get started.
Next, decide who you want to connect with. Are there at least three work colleagues that you would like to get to know better?
Do you want to build your relationships with a few of your associates? After you have worked out those details, now comes the most challenging part.
You have to make time in your schedule to build those connections.
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.
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.
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