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With Gratitude

Happy Sunday! I hope this post finds you renewed and ready to embrace the week with vibrance and enthusiasm.

Today, the Origins of Peace Team wanted to take a moment to remind you of the incredible power that lies within you, in all of the roles that you fill on a daily basis. It is important to recognize that your best efforts are valued and appreciated.

As you go about your week, it is totally natural to encounter challenges and complications. Remember, to keep your perspective fresh by taking a step back to reevaluate your next steps. If you feel anxious or nervous, embrace vulnerability and growth as necessary parts of your journey.

Creating a routine with peace and purpose requires intentional nurturing, not just strategies and tactics. You have to align your authentic self, your values, and your belief in self to unleash your Origins of Peace! This happens with time and commitment.

This week remember, “you cannot find peace in a place that you do not trust.” Trust yourself to make right decisions for your now and your future. If you feel overwhelmed, take a deep breath and know that you are capable of achieving greatness beyond your imagination.

Place your faith on top of that simple truth.

***Due to scheduling conflicts, our weekly newsletter was not delivered this morning as planned. The good news is that we are consistently working. The lesson learned is that we have a growth opportunity to manage our calendar and time requirements better.

To help remedy this challenge, beginning in September, our newsletter will be delivered twice monthly with content focused on personal and professional development.

Thank you to all who participated in our survey requesting your feedback on what our newsletter content should focus on.

If you have not submitted a survey but would like to, please do so my clicking the link below. It takes less than 60 seconds to complete.

https://forms.office.com/r/52Pw05tBjZ

Make Peace A Priority,

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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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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Peace By Design 2023

Mental Clarity * Self-preservation & Rejuvenation

Change is one of those things that never goes out of style.

 

Join me on Friday, November 18th at 12pm for my first Lunch & Learn Session.

During your lunch hour we will watch Bevy Smith’s 16-minute Ted Talk,
How To Discover Your Authentic Self-at Any Age.

“From repossessing her bold childhood nature to becoming her own brand to envisioning her life’s next great destination.

Bevy invites viewers along on the route of her personal transformation to reveal how each of us can live our best lives with honesty, joy and when we’re in the mood, a killer pair of heels!

Melissa Rivers- Creative Peace Coach

After Bevy’s Talk, we will spend the next 15 minutes discussing the importance of goal setting and how you and I can work together to curate your personal Peace By Design Session for yourself or your crew.

2023 isn’t wasting anytime getting here. Make sure you are ready to start it off right with Renewed Vision, Peace Goals and an Action Plan for Peace!

Click here to register.


#originsofpeace

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Doing the Absolute Most!

 

There are so many Rhymes & Rhythms to

understanding Peace and the Pursuit of it.

Before I jump into the discussion about people pleasing, I want to explain the concept of Acknowledgement to

strengthen your Spiritual Wellness.

Increase your Acknowledgement of what is around you in order to build trust, knowledge and foresight to manage your personal struggles.

There will be times when you do not understand why “a certain thing” happened in your life, and you will not know if it happened to you or for you.

There will also be times when you cannot seem to shake the residual effects of “that certain thing”    BUT

There are special promptings and messages that show up as direction for your journey.

Biblical Scripture is my personal compass because the content found within it has helped me to elevate out of various dark places in my life.

You can utilize whatever word inspires you to take action, you just need discernment to notice the direction that is found within the text. 

I’ve used the word direction repeatedly because the word that inspires you needs to have a layout of forward progression.

 

Take a look at the diagram above.

The Energy Enhancer/ (Scripture) is: Genesis 50:20-21

The direction found within is: “Don’t Be Afraid.”

The knowledge gained is: God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives

The Trust Factor is: I will provide for you and your children

The Personal Struggle Statement is: You intended to harm me

Acknowledgement of all the factors contained in the scripture allow you to freely move in Peace. You are essentially giving a head nod to the fact that the opposition had it out for you, they tried everything in their power to trap you, but the intention for your life is greater than any plan they could think of or imagine SO THEREFORE God’s word over your life cancels out their plan. 

PERIOD.

You will find your blessing (Peace) on the other side of your personal struggle.

Face whatever you need to face and deal with whatever needs to be dealt with. By doing so you remove its power over your life.

You were designed to be a creator, an innovator, a mountain mover and an overcomer.

It’s time to live!

Now, a quick word about being a people pleaser or as I sometimes refer to them as “a performer.”

 

  • Are you the type of person who feels like you always have to be doing something to gain attention or support from others

  • Do you often feel overlooked or isolated if you are not helping someone by providing a solution to their problems

  • Do you neglect your self-care needs by putting the needs of others before your own

If any of these people pleasing/ performer traits sounds familiar to how you move in this world, it’s time to have a long talk with yourself and make different choices.

Neglecting your needs to appease others is a quick way to achieve mental, physical and emotional exhaustion.

When we fail to establish boundaries with others and we willingly perform in order to gain their acceptance, we are merely acting, and just like in the entertainment industry, we are not showing up authentically. You are uniquely and wonderfully made. Acknowledge that and walk in the acceptance that your needs matter too.

I am sharing 3 tips to help you put down the script and stop performing:

  • Realize that your needs are important

  • Develop an Action Plan to prioritize what you need

  • Ask yourself this question each day: “Did I choose me today?”

I’ve shared a lot today so let’s seal it with a prayer.

Click here to hear this message in its audio version and to receive the special prayer at the end.

You know how to reach me if I can be of service to you:

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: (1) Melissa Rivers – YouTube

Sign up for my email list: Origins of Peace, LLC – Continuous Improvement Coach, Personal Development Mentor, Professional Growth Educator! (melissaarivers.com)

Purchase my Course entitled Create! and let me help you start your journey to Peace.

Peace,

Melissa – Your Creative Peace Coach

www.originsofpeace.com

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Making HerStory Everday!

March is the month for celebrating women and all of our accomplishments. Either past or present, international or domestic, large scale or small, your contributions to history are important, necessary and they deserve to be celebrated.

Always remember the opinions and judgements of others belong to them. Never allow those opinions to keep you from expressing your intelligence, your creativity and your freedom to be exactly who you desire to be.

Now my question to you is, “what do you want to accomplish and what’s your plan to get there?

How will you muster up the confidence to show up for yourself and to take the necessary risks to live a life that you love?

The Law of Navigation is often used by leaders to ensure their team is well prepared for success. I like to use this law when I tackle any type of personal endeavor.

The Law of Navigation says, “A Leader is one who sees more than others see, who sees farther than others see and who sees before others do.”  In short, this means you need to approach your dreams from a 365-degree view and then zoom in on the details. Open your eyes, your heart and your mind to envision the journey and all that you will need to make it a reality.

So, what is that you want to accomplish and how do you need to prepare for it. What’s your goal and what milestones do you need to accomplish in order to get there?

Let’s talk about your vision. For the month of March, you can grab one of my quick hit strategy sessions for 50% off. You’ll have 60 minutes to run your idea by a neutral party and brainstorm different ways to make it a reality. Now is your time to make a plan and act on.

What side of women’s history do you want to be on?

Keep dreaming. believing & manifesting!

Oh yeah, if you’re near Charlotte, NC today stop by The Coco Drip from 12p-3p. The location is 1824 Statesville Blvd. Ste. 105, Charlotte, NC.

I’ll have a variety of Planters, Sunglasses, Headwraps and Earrings for your shopping pleasure!

Happy Women’s History Month!

 

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You Should Definitely Write This Down!

Today my mind kept pondering on one thought….”I wonder how America’s response to this pandemic will be documented in history books.”

I mean we are directly in the midst of a pandemic and America basically said enough playing it safe, we have to re-open, we must re-open! Covid-19 cases are continuing to rise and social distancing is becoming non-existent.

No vaccine, no documented way of slowing the spread beside staying put and all 50 of the United States of America are in some variation of the re-opening phase.

Personal thoughts aside, it’s happening. I just wonder how we’re going to look on the other side of this. When the federal government initially predicted 100k deaths everyone was like what, wow, why would they say that but last time that I checked, we were at 96k. Not too far from 100k. I guess WuTang Clan called it in 1994, when they said, “Cash Rules Everything Around Me!”

I say all of this to remind you to journal. You should definitely document this period in time and document your personal thoughts. It’s a great way to release tension and also to reflect on current events.

Some of the greatest solutions are developed after the fact. So grab your pen & notebook and be sure to journal.  

I’ve added a journal to my product offering and I would love for you to purchase one. Head over to my site: www.melissaarivers.com/products and grab your Origins of Peace Journal.

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Day 6: Grant Yourself Some Grace

Day 6:

I hope this post finds you well. I intentionally took a few days off from posting to rest my mind. I’ll be sure to catch us up before the week ends.

Listen, whatever your role during this pandemic, remember to grant yourself some grace. Put some distance between reality and expectation and know that you are doing the best that you can in this situation.

If you’re working from home, your office hours aren’t going to look the same as they would if you were still going into the office. If you’re homeschooling your children, their school day will not look the same as a regular school day. It’s important for you to know that and to be easy with yourself.

I challenge you to accept the alternative and grant yourself some grace.

A little grace

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Why Journaling Works & How to Do It Better

Do you Journal?  If not, what’s holding you back and if you do, what keeps you going?

A lot of people journal to release emotion and organize their feelings. To be honest, we’re all out here experiencing about 27 emotions daily. That is quite a ride and it’s tough to manage it all. So, what we’re doing is taking the emotion adding to it our daily responsibilities plus the needs and expectations from others and then attempting to get through the day without a method to release. This is the perfect formula for a mental breakdown.

I get it, we want to appear like we have our stuff together with little resistance, add to that this whole self-care trend of “don’t kill my vibe, “don’t interrupt my peace” and “don’t bother me with that”, this leaves us feeling obligated to hold in our emotions.

I’ve found journaling to be a helpful outlet. During those times when I am overflowing with emotions, both positive and negative, journaling helps me to reflect on events, organize my thoughts, release some pinned up energy and even generate solutions. It’s one of the many tools that can be used to re-direct your energy.

There’s another benefit of journaling that very few people notice. Journaling helps you to identify trends. If you journal often and notice a trend of negative or low-energy words and phrases, it’s safe to say you are probably suffering with Imposter Syndrome, self-sabotage and maybe even low self-esteem. If this is you, it’s time for a change in perspective.

I deal with those feelings too. I doubt my abilities, second guess my capabilities and I will overthink a scenario to the very extreme. It’s quite exhausting but I’ve figured out how to manage those feelings.

If you’ve been a member of the Origins of Peace community for any amount of time, you know that our #1 goal is to empower you to get out here and Impress Yourself. There are two reasons why this is important:cropped-origins-of-peace-1-1.png

  1. If you don’t impress yourself, no one else will ever stand a chance of impressing you. This is important for business deals, relationships, money goals, all of that. You must set a standard and stick to it. Example, if you want to be in a loving relationship, you must first love yourself. Impress yourself by doing things you enjoy and going to places that make you happy. This produces impression and excitement. It’s mentally stimulating, and it gets you into the habit of Impressing Yourself so that you will know when others are meeting and exceeding your expectations!
  2. A whole lot of time is spent impressing other folks. You impress your boss when you show up for work and do an exceptional job, you impress your kids by showing up for them daily. It’s time to Impress Yourself!

For the month of November, I am challenging you to use journaling as a tool to change your communication message to yourself! There are 30 days in November. I am giving you 1 word each day to use as a prompt. You will reflect on how the word shows up in your life on that day and compose a journal entry. Your entry can be written or a short video that you keep on your phone. The words that I provide to you should evoke feelings of happiness, bravery, calmness, rejuvenation and friendliness.create-her-stock-office-beauty4

I would love to know how this challenge goes for you. You can find me on both IG and Facebook at Origins of Peace to get the word for the day.

You can leave a comment one either platform to get the dialogue started.

Oh yea, if you’re not on my email list, you should be. Our next gratitude offering winner will be announced on Monday, November 4th. You must be on the list to get included in the drawing! Visit www.melissaarivers.com to sign up. You can see the prize for Monday’s drawing on my IG page.

Let’s connect!

Melissa

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Your Heart Is Bigger Than You Think

I used to think that I only had a limited amount of space in my heart to love and appreciate certain situations, including people. I was convinced that my capacity meter for “stuff” was on the fairly low side. Over the years I’ve been met with unexpected events that challenged my perceived personal truths but also ignited my will to overcome and win. I’ve learned that people are designed to be durable and flexible if we choose to operate at full capacity. Today, I am sharing 3 points of action with you, that will help you create more space in your heart to accept, embrace and handle whatever you find yourself dealing with.

  1. Understand why life has presented you with this opportunity

One of my favorite scriptures in the Bible is; Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”  From this scripture, I am reassured that unexpected events can actually be a blessing in disguise. When the event is truly embraced, our thoughts aren’t directly centered on our personal needs alone and we are challenged to think higher and to make peace with the situation

2.  Focus only on what you have control over

Focus and take action on what you can control and have faith that the things you can’t control will also get taken care of. I’ve learned that good things are often orchestrated on my behalf simply because I did my part and showed up when it was my time to perform. You can find opportunities to be a blessing to others when they least expect it. Believe that the people you are connected to can’t fully do their work/assignment until you complete yours, and you can’t complete your work until others complete theirs. Things that we don’t have control over aren’t ours to control, they are simply an associated assignment. It’s not yours to handle but it is connected to you

3. Remain present and at peace

Do what you can today in order to accept what you’re facing. Taking small, daily steps toward acceptance will open your heart to new capacities of love and will help you navigate through unexpected change.

Challenge: Think about the most intensive challenge that you are currently facing and decide that you are going to rise to the occasion. What can you do today to embrace the change and release negative thoughts surrounding it. How will you show up? Who will you become after it’s over?

Note: To the Origins of Peace community, “thank you all so much for following the blog and for connecting with me in so many different ways. Effective immediately, blog posts will release once a month on or around the 10th of each month, and the Heal, Recover, Grow Newsletter will release quarterly. The next issue is scheduled to release on July 1st.”

You can always connect with me on all social media as Origins of Peace or by emailing me at: info@designedbymelissarivers.com

Peace In Action,

Melissa