Category: entreprenuer

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Making Accommodations

Heeyy Origins of Peace Family!

I pray life has been good to you and good for you! I am slowly getting back into the groove of things after a looonnnnggg holiday hiatus. Real quick, let’s check in, how are you doing?

I know this time of the year can be a bit overwhelming because everyone is attempting to live their best life and construct the perfect Vision Board. It can become a bit much.

I did things a little different this year, as far as creating my Vision Board. I decided to allow my Spirit Needs to be the governing body for all that I manifest this year. That means I’ve chosen 4 Scriptures to guide me in all things Melissa…personal and professional. I have 4 overall objectives to accomplish: 1. Celebrate the good things daily, 2. Maximize my health, 3. Do more of what I love and 4. Grow my business.

I’ve listed several goals under each objective to help me achieve them. I turned my goals into an Action Plan that I visit and review daily. I’ve learned that I need to be more specific in asking for what I want, and Make Accommodations to receive!

I’ve already met my January financial goal for my business!

It’s not enough to have good intentions and an Action Plan. You need a good word to stand on. You need a good scripture or quote that will help you get through the challenging times when things begin to look bleak. I’ve chosen 4 Scriptures that are my building and stumbling blocks for 2020. If I start to stumble I want to rest in the assurance that I am stumbling on a good word – Amen!

Here are my 4 Scriptures. You can feel free to use the same four or find others that will help you Make Accommodations to receive!

  1. Philippians 4:8 – Whatever is honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent and worthy of praise..think about these things
  2. 3 John 1:2 – Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.
  3.  Hebrews 1:14 – Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
  4. Philippians 4:19 – And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

I want to hear from you! Have you created a Vision Board for 2020, if so how do you feel about it? Has it been beneficial so fare? If you haven’t created a Vision Board, what’s stopping you? Comment below and tell me what’s on your mind.

Peace,

Melissa

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Confidence is

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Being sure of yourself * Acknowledging your strengths & opportunities * Trusting qualified partners to help you make it work * Seeking opportunities to glean wisdom * Being open to continuous improvement

November has been an extremely busy and rewarding month for me. With renewed intention and focus, I am serious about seeing the fruits of my labor manifest.

It’s interesting because I was certainly struggling a few months ago. I couldn’t find the time, energy, focus or resources to strategically grow my business.

Things have definitely change.

I had a meeting with my team (me) and came to the realization that things would never manifest if I did not take the time and make the effort to accomplish my dreams.

What happened?

I realized that I needed a written, executable plan of action.

Why?

That’s simple. There is clarity in the written word and when you have clarity, you can move in confidence.

So, my top tip for turning up your confidence in your personal and professional life is to always have a written plan. PERIOD. Your plan serves as your blueprint to success.

Peace by Design

On Black Friday, I am releasing my newest course, Peace By Design. This course will help you get clear about what you want in all areas of your life. I am equipping you with the knowledge and understanding of what it means to set executable goals and to determine who you will need to become in order to achieve those goals. Along with the course, you will receive my signature Herbal Tea Collection which includes Peaceful, Focus & Rejuvenation to help you design your way to peace and clarity.

There will only be 10 bundles available for purchase with all three Herbal Tea Blends. You can make sure you receive your bundle by pre-ordering yours today for $97.00.

As an added bonus I am including a 30 minute one-on-one Consultation with me to help you develop your plan. https://www.paypal.me/originsofpeace

I’m excited about it and looking forward to sharing it with you!

Peace✌🏾

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Remember When

Can you remember the last time that you were excited by the ordinary? I’m talking about those simple pleasures that we often taken for granted like nature, peace, love and even silence. Oftentimes we find ourselves caught up in acquiring more, achieving more and constantly looking for the next promotion, elevation or fancy purchase that we believe will help us to find happiness.

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of watching my grandbaby experience excitement from being able to play with a lid. As I watched her face glow with amusement, I could only think about how easy it is to forget about the simple things that once provided us with joy.

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“I have three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.” `Lao Tzu

Today I am sharing 3 tips about simplicity, patience and compassion that may help you live a happier life.

  1. Living a life of simplicity will help you focus on what is important. Let me first start by saying that simplicity looks different for everyone and only you can decide what simplicity looks like for you. Personally I enjoy things with low or no maintenance, little fuss and very little worry. I normally spend more time, money and energy researching a product or service before making a purchase to alleviate or reduce the amount of stress that comes with a lot of wear and tear. Because I am a person who experiences anxiety when things are out of order, I attempt to maintain as much order as possible by keeping it simple.
  2. Be patient with yourself and others. Patience is important because it helps you build empathy for others and accept people for who they are. That last statement is so true but please understand that having patience with yourself is priority number one because it helps you become more tolerant of the different stages of life that you will experience. There will come a time when you feel inadequate. Instead of getting discouraged and beating yourself up remember to exercise patience!
  3. Extend compassion as often as possible. Have you ever found yourself saying, “it’s always something,” or “why can’t I ever catch a break?” The people around you are saying the same statements to themselves. Be kind and extend compassion to the next person because everyone is experiencing life and sometimes life can be tough.

Fill your life with simplicity, patience and compassion to not only live happier but also to live healthier. Incorporating these tips can reduce your stress level and boost your immune system.

In my last post I challenged you to make a list of the people, places, things and experiences that add peace to your life. If you’re not familiar, catch up by reading

Grace & Mercy Have My Back

Now that you have your list, use the following scale to rank the level of peace each item adds:

  • 1-not much peace
  • 2- moderate amount of peace
  • 3-extreme peace

To elevate your Peace Factor spend more time focusing on the items ranked with a 3, determine if items ranked with a 2 can be elevated to a three and consider what changes should be made to remove or redefine items ranked with a 1.

This exercise can be challenging. If at anytime you feel yourself needing support simply email me at: info@designedbymelissarivers.com

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Professional Habits To Maintain in Your 40’s That Will Keep You Feeling Peaceful

As a forty-something female professional, there are habits that you can implement or release that will boost your professional self-confidence and empower you to trust yourself more.

If you’ve been in your current position for an extended period of time, you may feel underwhelmed and uninspired. It may be difficult for you to focus on your work and deliver your absolute best. Unless you work for yourself or you operate the family business, this can be a real problem. Depending on who’s watching, you could find yourself in a situation where management doesn’t feel like you take your responsibilities seriously. If you work for yourself and fail to deliver a stellar product, you could appear as an amateur to those you conduct business with.

When I returned to work after recovering from cancer, I was my biggest critic. I felt insecure about my appearance and I didn’t feel on top of my game because personal development and professional training had taken a back seat to my recovery. I was also well over 40 and the corporate workplace was now flooded with Millennials!

Upon returning, there were several things that I did to boost my confidence. Today I am sharing 3 of my signature tips that will help you operate from a place of grace instead of  a place of constant hustle.

The objectives are to be more polished, to trust yourself more and to feel good about who you are!

  1. Develop and implement a morning routine.
    • Wake up early, spend time in prayer, affirm what you want and meditate on the good, positive situations that you are welcoming into your day.
  2. Release actions that are unnecessary.
    • If you’re a woman who constantly apologizes even when situations do not warrant an apology, Stop. Over apologizing makes it appear that you are unsure you belong in the room. When these feeling arise (Imposter Syndrome) remember; you did the work to be in the room and grace elevates you further than effort ever will, Receive It.
  3. Remain Inspired.
    • If you’re not excited by your work, find inspiration in the daily details. Examine your partnerships, goals, expected outcomes and even your clothing and accessories to find inspiration. I recently found inspiration in a pair of beautiful, hand-crafted earrings which where created by Angelique Car, owner of tha dak brand.

      Check out these beauties!

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Are you inspired yet!?!

I’m inspired by the collaboration and individuality of the materials that were used. Each element has a specific purpose and performs a distinct role in the overall design. These earrings simply make me happy and that’s exactly what our clothing and accessory choices should do.

Here’s what Angelique has to say about her designs:

“Each pair of earrings are unique and one of a kind. I allow my creative wave to do it’s thing in the moment. Sometimes I come up with designs that really show what my mood was at that time. I feel like that’s what makes them so special, they are genuinely made with a little soul and a lot of life! I am at a very happy place in my life right now, and I am grateful that I can birth something that allows me to share that with the world.”

I can’t help but think about the individual gifts and talents that women posses. We are strong, resilient, tender and creative all at the same damn time.

At any given point we have the flexibility and ingenuity to pull from those resources to accomplish our goals and to create something beautiful. When opportunities arise for us to combine our gifts with the gifts of the next woman, we can come together and make a beautiful masterpiece, just like those earrings!

As promised, I have one more bonus tip for you.

  1. BONUS – Find your passion and cultivate it.
    • Peace is my passion. With my passion I choose to teach conflict resolution strategies to women that provide guidance for mental clarity, self-preservation and service to others. I also create courses that empower women to trust themselves more! This is my passion and how I use it. To discover your passion, grab my e-book; Design Your Happy Track To Peace and schedule a Consultation so we can chat!

If you are interested in learning more about Angelique and her upcoming fall collection, check her out on Instagram at: @thadakbrand or shoot her an Email at thadakbrand@gmail.com. You can also find her on Facebook at: tha dak brand.

If you’re a female business owner or simply a female with a positive and uplifting message to share, let’s link up! I would love to feature you on my blog and learn more about what you’re up to.

Create Your Peace!

Melissa

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When Good is No Longer Good Enough

Peace Up! It’s been a while since my last post. In my absence I hope that life has been good to you and I hope that you’ve been good to yourself. I pray that you’ve taken time to indulge in things that you love and that you’ve experienced happiness and joy. As the saying goes, “life is not a dress rehearsal,” so get out there and live it!

Since my last post, I’ve turned the big 44. This is a huge deal for me because my birthday signifies another year of surviving and overcoming. Along with my 44th birthday, I celebrate being 4 years cancer free and 4 years free from a troubled marriage.

Life is good.

Life is really good but in this next year, good is no longer good enough. I’m ready for the exciting, adventurous and spontaneous.

I’m ready to start living again and experiencing new things. I’ve been in maintenance mode for far too long. Protecting my peace and preserving my happiness has been defined as making sure problems get solved, ends meet and opportunities are realized. I need a new definition. I need to incorporate things that I love such as: relaxing by the lake, driving to the mountains, hanging with friends and making time for self-care.

This one life that I’ve been blessed with, deserves an overhaul.

I’m sure that I’m not alone. Have you reached a placed in your life that no longer represents who you are or what you stand for? Are you ready to create new memories? Is good no longer good enough?

Now’s the time.

It’s time to choose different and to choose better. Peace is not simply the absence of conflict, but also the inclusion of all the things that celebrate who you are!

Challenge:

  • Make a list of the things that make you happy but you seldom experience. As a child I loved gymnastics and ballet. I haven’t participated in those activities in years but the memories always make me smile.
  • Once you’ve compiled your list, be the first person to send me your list in an email and you could win a free sample of my Peaceful Herbal Tea. Send your email to:info@designedbymelissarivers.com.
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Do You!

Hi PeaceMakers! I am so excited to have you on my site today! Thanks for your continued support and encouragement.

What’s My Intent for this post: My intention is to give you a quick word of encouragement. With that said, if this is your first time checking me out, My name is Melissa Rivers and I am a Peace Coach. Most of the time, I coach entrepreneurs in their quest to plan, build and manage a business that is authentic to their unique gifts and talents. In addition to that I coach women in designing self-care routines that promote mental clarity, self-preservation and service to self.

What’s Important for you to know: Both my Leadership Academy & Personal Coaching programs are heart centered.  Together, you & I sit down and create a Peace Map that will help you peacefully move through your leadership development program or your current crisis situation. I’ve assisted clients during career, finance, relationship and health transitions. What are my qualifications? I have a full-fledged Master’s degree in Peace & Conflict Studies, I am a  Certified Change Manager and a Certified Lean Six Sigma Professional. That means, I have the necessary skill-set to help you identify the underlying issues, create a plan of change and give you the steps to make that change  part of your normal routine.

What Matters: I stopped by today with a word of encouragement. “Don’t be afraid to build your business your way”. If you don’t hear anything else that I say to you, hear this. It is perfectly okay to do you and to pursue a business that makes you feel good, provides a useful service to others and that caters to your unique gifts & talents. I was recently told that you can’t create a profitable business from doing the things that you like to do and if it makes you feel good, it’s a hobby.

A hobby?    Wrong, wrong & wrong! With the right mentor and tools, you can turn your passion into a successful business that feeds your spirit and your pockets.

I invite you to sign up for my N.I.C.E Mentoring program today. Click here to get started!

Don’t give others the power to deter you from following your heart and pursuing a cause that you truly believe in. Peace is my cause and I am all in. Too many women in our community deal with setbacks from infidelity issues, unexpected health diagnosis and sudden job loss, just to name a few.

There is a map to peace during the crisis. Let me help you figure it out.Screenshot_20190128-190406

If you’re local to the Charlotte, NC Metro area. Join me on March 2nd for “No More Struggle Prayers.” This is an interactive creative writing course where I teach you how to compose prayers that are filled with language to inspire, uplift and encourage! Click here to register.

 

 

 

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My Game Plan

Hello PeaceMakers! I hope this post finds you well. If you are new to my site, my name is Melissa Rivers and I am a Peace Coach. I help entrepreneurs plan, manage and build a peaceful, authentic business that aligns to their personal gifts and talents. I also assist women in their quest for mental clarity, self-preservation and service to self through goal setting and intentional self-care. If you haven’t already subscribed to my blog, I invite you to take a leap of faith and join my community of PeaceMakers who are loving themselves and feeling great through the process.

I read an article today that says Oprah Winfrey starts every meeting by asking three questions. What’s our intention? What’s important? and What Matters? To better serve you, I am going to implement this same practice into my posts.

So What’s My Intention? The intention for today’s post is to share my Game Plan with you. We started the year off by discussing Spiritual Wellness. You’ve been introduced to fasting, meditation, visualization and affirmations. I even told you how I developed 5 of my favorite affirmations. If you haven’t yet listened to my last blog post, you can do so by clicking the following link: This Is What Happened.

With January coming to a close, We will transition to topics focusing on Emotional Wellness.

So What’s Important? It’s important for you to know that your Emotional Wellness is your Inner Strength. How you deal with your emotions, be them positive or negative effects your level of self-care and your ability to relax and handle stress. As your Peace Coach, I am here to help you build your inner strength muscles.

And What Matters? is that February is packed full of great opportunities to love on yourself by subscribing to my blog. Simply go to Originsofpeace.com and sign up. Each post in February will be inspired by a poem or lyrics to a song. If you would like to recommend a poem or song, please feel free to leave a comment on my page or you can email OriginsofPeace@gmail.com. My first post for February is entitled, Could We Agree to Meet at Maybe? I was inspired by the poem Wild Geese, written by Mary Oliver. Second, I am opening registration for my newest program entitled, No More Struggle Prayers. This is a creative writing program where you will learn how to create bold and confident prayers and affirmations. Please be on the look out for details coming soon.

So there it is, my Game Plan in less than 500 words.

Thank you for your support.

Peace Up,

Melissa

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Slay The Day With an Intentional Morning Routine

Good Morning PeaceMakers!

If this is your first time on the site, my name is Melissa Rivers of OriginsofPeace.com. I am a Peace Coach helping individuals and business owners take action to solve problems using their unique gifts and talents.

Last week we spent time developing a routine with our 3 Day Fast, The Fundamental Necessities of Success. We denounced procrastination and made room for process, completion and reward in our lives. We completed a fast, studied scriptures and affirmed positivity. Click here to grab this essential free tool.

In keeping the same momentum, let’s talk about the importance of having an established morning routine.

If we’re honest with ourselves, routines are difficult to implement. Getting started can be tough.

I would like to encourage you that establishing a morning routine is totally worth the effort. Waking up at a designated time, and putting a few tasks in place will set the tone for your entire day.

My morning routine includes 3 fundamental necessities:

  1. Waking up to a musical alarm. I’ve programmed Alexa to wake me up to some good, inspirational, soul-stirring music. This week’s song of choice is “Thank You”, by Benita Washington. Listening to this song reminds me of how grateful I am for life. I lay in bed while the song plays listening to the words and thinking about all the victories in my life and the obstacles that I’ve overcome.
  2. I read scripture or an inspirational quote. I am very much an Old Testament girl. A Torah girl to be exact. I love the first 5 books of the bible. Most days you will find me in Exodus. I love Proverbs and Psalms as well.
    1. I love the book of Exodus because it reinforces the necessity of progression for me. It inspires me to keep moving forward through conflict, doubt and uncertainty. The only way out of a tough situation is to keep going. Exodus gives the direction to “gather & go” when dealing with situations like anxiety, unfaithfulness and lack of resources, just to name a few. You gather the lesson that you need from the event and then you move on! There’s so much instruction in Exodus. I encourage you to spend time reading this extremely informative book if you haven’t recently.
  3. I speak positive affirmations over myself and silently meditate. I believe in positivity and I very much believe in the gift of silence. In a time when things seem to be extremely negative and moments of silence are hard to grab, you have to make time to be kind to yourself and speak life affirming words of encouragement. I am providing an example of a few affirmations that I speak over myself throughout the day:
    1. I am loved
    2. I am appreciated
    3. I am rewarded
    4. I am successful
    5. All things work together for my good

After repeating the affirmations 3 times, I sit in silence for a few minutes and take time to absorb the words. I visualize what each phrase represents in my life.

Next week I will break down each phrase and tell you what each represents to me.

The 3 practices that I’ve mentioned are the core foundation of my morning routine. Some mornings I add journaling while enjoying a cup of herbal tea from http://www.handsofsage.com.

If you currently do not have a morning routine established, I encourage you to get one. Doing so will be one of the best and most strategic decisions that you can implement along your path of peace.

Have an awesome week!

Much Love,

Melissa

**Bonus content included in the audio!**

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Be A Living Demonstration

Starting the New Year with renewed perspective. “It’s not always about what you do. Oftentimes it’s about how you do it.” Here’s to a year of saying yes to yourself and no to what you simply don’t want to do.🎉

” We carry the message in many small, subtle, but powerful ways. We do our own-recovery work and become a living demonstration of hope, self-love, comfort and health. These quiet behaviors can be a powerful message.” – The Language of Letting Go (Melody Beattie)

The best way to make an impact on others is to be a living demonstration of the message you want to communicate.

Many talk about self-love in public but fail to demonstrate it in their private lives.

A thorough self-love routine can include pampering and relaxation but more importantly it should involve setting boundaries, making time for self and doing things that promote positive mental and physical health.

Setting boundaries is how we demonstration our love of self to others. If we’re constantly saying yes, over-extending ourselves and repeatedly putting the needs of others ahead of our own, we’ve failed to establish necessary boundaries in our lives. The problem with always being available and always saying yes is that you eliminate time to be still and self-evaluate. If you’re constantly chasing everyone else’s needs you could miss those internal signals that alert you when things are going wrong internally.

The best way to set personal boundaries is to ask yourself a few questions?

  1. How can I peacefully co-exist with myself?
  2. How can I balance my desire to help others with my obligation to care for myself?
  3. How can I make the most impact in the shortest amount of time?

Answering these questions will help you create an action plan to lead a more balanced life.

Prayer: Today I am thankful for a balanced life. I am thankful for opportunities to serve others and myself. I acknowledge quiet moments of reflection and I value the self-love and empowerment contained in those moments. Thank you for opportunities to release co-dependency and to embrace self-love. By doing this I will be of greater service to myself and others.

Much Love,

Melissa

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Allow Me to Re-Introduce Myself

My name is Melissa Rivers and I am a Peace Coach. My mission is to help entrepreneurs and individuals manage conflict, make brave choices and take action to achieve their goals. I’ve been in business for myself for nearly four years and I’ve successfully helped dozens of clients achieve their own personal measure of success.

Like many others, I’ve made some pretty lofty goals for 2019. The most important one for me is to do more of what I love.

I think after my divorce, cancer, job loss and a handful of other setbacks, my focus shifted from hope and expectation to survival. Survival is necessary but there has to be a healthy balance between obligation and enjoyment.

My obligation for 2019 is to show up for myself and to do the work for my clients. Enjoyment for me comes in the form of writing & blogging. There’s definitely more of that coming this year.

So, I will end this year with a declaration: I make room for intentional enjoyment in my life!

Here’s to a year filled with bold, confident and powerful prayers. Intentional declarations of progress, growth and opportunity. Resources to be a blessing to others and invitations that will set you in the presence of Kings and Queens. May your focus be consistent and intentional, may your actions be deliberate and kind, may your opportunities be often and abundant. May you find peace in all you search for and may you empower the good in yourself, others and life. Release anything that no longer serves you, add all things that give you positive vibes and love!

Much Love,

Melissa