Take Time To Clarify & Listen To Your Heart

How exciting it is to embark on a fresh New Year!

As you enter 2008 I challenge each of us to take the time to clarify what we really want to create. Take time for quiet as you enter this year. Be in the silence -- listen to your heart. Watch your fears arise as you look at your dreams -- and then tell those fears that you are BIGGER THAN FEAR.

The more you take the time to clarify what you want, the more likely you are to create what you want. It seems like a simple idea -- yet, how many of us jump right into doing and quickly set goals -- yet we don't really take the time to think in detail of what we want to create.

One of my life coaching clients has been working on clarifying his goals the last few weeks. One of his goals is to change professions. That's a great goal. Yet, as we've talked and worked together, I've posed question after question to him to get him to clarify what he REALLY wants to do next. By taking the time to do some soul searching before he starts his job search, he is setting himself up to get EXACTLY what he wants in his next job.

We have clarified things like -- how many hours per week does he want to work? Does he want to be sitting in an office or working from home? How much does he want to earn? What does he love about his current work? What does he want to change? Does he want to travel with his work? There are so many questions that you can pose in regards to your goals so that you can clarify your goal in such detail that you will KNOW what you really are looking for.

He is clearer now than he has ever been. . .and he continues to clarify what he is looking for each day. With this greater clarity, he will not waste his time and energy on interviews or job searches that don't match what he truly wants.

Each of us can take this time as we start the New Year to clarify our goals.

Make this your focus -- how do you really want the chapter of 2008 to look like?

• How will your health be?
• How much money do you want to flow into your life?
• How will your relationships grow and change?
• What type of service will you give to the World -- how can you volunteer your time and talents to make a difference?
• What new skills do you want to develop?
• What will you do for fun this year?

Isn't it exciting that we can be whoever we want to be? To know what you want, listen to your heart rather than your logical mind. Listen to your inner voice guide you rather than the voices of society, friends and family.

Make getting to know yourself a priority for 2008. You will be so glad that you took the time at the outset of the year to do this. From knowing who you are you will be able to move quickly to creating what you want. The being must come before the doing.

May this week's focal point be on YOUR BEING. Get a journal. Get reacquainted with yourself. Let the inner yearnings of your soul guide you into a blessed, exciting, passionate and joyful 2008. For, we are all capable and deserving of experiencing wonder in our lives.

If you need help or guidance in your journey, please drop me an email at patricia@patriciaomoqui.com .

My heart's desire and my goal this year is to assist others in knowing themselves again, clarifying their dreams and then supporting them in taking the steps needed to create exactly what they want.

With love, light and beautiful energy to each of you,


Trish
http://www.patriciaomoqui.com/

Check out this link to listen to the free tele-class I hosted several weeks ago: http://www.patriciaomoqui.com/harness.html - this tele-class introduces you to the first step of Harness Your Power - Observing Your Mind. More free tele-classes to come in the New Year!

Looking Deeply Into Their Eyes

My dearest friends, I write this blog after an intense week. It was intense in a most delightful and wonderful way.

I had the privilege on Thursday of joining Mr. Glenn Toby, founder of the Book Bank Foundation, for a day called "Shelter from the Streets." (Please check out the Book Bank Foundation website at http://www.thebbf.org/).

Glenn was a homeless child from age eight until the seventh grade. He has had a remarkable life journey and now represents big names in the entertainment and sports World (you can learn more about him at http://www.glenntoby.com/. ) As he told me several days ago, supporting and working with the homeless through his foundation is a passion that found him. I have had the privilege to work with Glenn in 2007 and he is one of the most helpful, caring and giving men I have ever encountered. He is passionate about bringing change to our World.

During the day a group of volunteers traveled in cars and mini-vans filled with clothes, toys, books, toiletries, coats and blankets through all five boroughs of New York City. We made stops at Hempstead (Long Island), Family Rescue in Jamaica (Queens), Auburn Family Shelter (Brooklyn), The Concourse House for women and children (Bronx) and the New York Rescue Mission (Manhattan). After stopping at these shelters we then hit the streets and stopped to give those in the cold the blankets, coats and clothes that so many of you donated.

There were many touching moments throughout the day -- but what struck me most throughout the day, is that when you look into another person's eyes -- when you look into their eyes deeply, you lose all sight of their clothes, their "societal status," their looks, and their disabilities. In fact, when you look deeply into any person's eyes you see a remarkable, resilient spirit shining through.

Throughout the day I experienced so many touching moments. I had the privilege to look deeply into the eyes of homeless men, women and children. I also was able to see the beauty, warmth and passion in the eyes of those who work in the shelters. Those who work in these shelters are Earth Angels of the World -- giving their time and energy to make a difference each and every day.

Those who are homeless are people like you and me -- and they need a helping hand, a kind smile and someone to take the time to support them in their time of need.

It is a touching experience when you realize that we are all the same -- we are made of the same flesh and blood. . .and we all have love that resides in us at the core of our beings. We all have tremendous potential waiting to be unleashed. We all have unique gifts and talents to share with the World. We all have intrinsic, eternal value. We all have more in common than we realize.

I count it an honor to have been part of this transformative day. I was surrounded by heroes -- people like Marvin Brown and Rene Napoleon who spent hours upon hours behind the scenes organizing this event. Free (former host of BET's 106 & Park) also joined us for the day -- she has a humble, beautiful spirit. It was touching to observe her in action and in service to the community.

Hundreds of homeless people were filled with joy and provided with a few gifts to brighten their spirits during this Christmas Season. We spent the day laughing, crying, singing Christmas Carols and giving away the beautiful items that so many of our friends and family donated.

The gift I gave to those I encountered during the day was a simple one. It was a 5 x 4 piece of paper with a set of Daily Affirmations for Self Empowerment. I want to share these with you (see below).

Affirmations are a wonderful way to help you remember the beauty you have deep within you. The best way to use these affirmations is to say them in the morning when you rise, keep a copy with you in your purse or wallet so you can read them throughout the day (especially when you find your mind focusing on the negative)-- and then before bed, make sure to read them aloud one last time. Affirmations are beautiful, positive, helpful and transformational thoughts you can use to focus your mind in a way to unlock your fear, self-doubt and worry so that you can walk through the door into your full potential.

Before I leave you with these affirmations, I challenge each of you this week as you spend time with friends and family and as you finish your shopping -- look deeply into the eyes of those you encounter. Look at them with new eyes -- look into their eyes without judgement, with no thought of the person's status, financial position, or past. Instead, look with fresh eyes. . .

May your week be blessed.
Use these affirmations as you prepare for the New Year ahead.

Daily Affirmations for Self Empowerment

I am a being of great value.
My worth is not dictated by my circumstances.
I am worthy of creating and experiencing beauty in my life.
I am full of potential.
I have unique gifts and talents.
I move beyond my fears. I begin to express love as often as possible.
I focus my thoughts on what I want to create in my life.
I allow myself to dream again – to imagine the life I desire.
Each day I take baby steps towards what I want.
I ask for miracles to occur in my life.
I open to receive the gifts the Universe has to offer me.
I release all guilt and shame. I forgive myself and others.
I open to love. I am love at my core.
I allow the light of love to shine through me anywhere I go.
Each day, I find something to be grateful for.
I choose hope. I choose peace. I choose joy.
I choose to connect to the power I have within me.

With Love & Joy,
Patricia Omoqui - The Thought Dr.
http://www.patriciaomoqui.com/
©Patricia G Omoqui, All Rights Reserved 2007

P.S. We are already starting to collect donations for next year's event. Please collect as much of the following as you can:
Gently used blankets, coats, and winter clothes
Books for children
Coloring Books, Crayons, and new toys
Toiletries of all kinds (even the ones you get in a hotel and never use)

When you have donations ready, please contact me at patricia@patriciaomoqui.com

We plan on making next year's event even bigger and better so that we brighten the lives of even more homeless people.

(If you'd like to read more quotes from the day, please visit Ed Tseng's blog -- http://www.edtseng.blogspot.com/ . Ed joined us for the day and he is a delightful person as well as a remarkable tennis player, inspirational speaker and coach.)

Let Your Light Shine This Week!

I was reminded of a wonderful analogy this week -- one that I knew from my days growing up and going to Sunday School. Do you remember the song, "I'm Going to Let it Shine?" The part that really got me thinking this week is where it says: "Hide it under a bushel, No! I'm going to let it shine." I never understood what the "bushel" represented before. But, as I was coaching my clients this week, it became so obvious to me.

I believe that our inner lights are hidden under fear, stress, worry, self-doubt, shame and guilt. These are all part of the "bushel" that we put over our inner light. Our inner light is still shining inside of us. . it is just waiting for us to remove the layers of fear that have built up over the years. As we peel back these layers one by one, we begin to get a peek of our inner light. The more fear we remove, the more our inner light shines. When that light shines, it illuminates our World!

One of my clients this week was focused on some challenging life circumstances -- and he was feeling overwhelmed by what was happening. As we talked, it became evident that he was making a lot of assumptions -- assuming that the worst case scenario might happen in each situation. As we talked and looked at the assumptions and the fear behind the assumptions, he began to see that it was possible to shift his thinking and focus on the BEST CASE scenarios instead.

We can begin to shift our thinking and make new assumptions. The key is that in every situation where we feel the panic, the fear, and the worry set in, we have to step back to understand "WHY?" we are feeling the way we do. If we observe our mind and watch our thoughts we can clearly understand the feelings we are having. Then, we can learn to shift our thinking.

As my client finished up the week, he started to see that much of his worry was needless -- the situations were turning out in a very positive way for him. The energy he was spending on being worried and upset was keeping him from focusing on clarifying and moving towards his dreams.

The question for each of us to answer this week is, "Can I assume the best will happen rather than the worst?" As you do assume the best of people, of situations and of yourself, you will allow your light to shine in the World.

The World needs more of us to unleash our Inner Lights. Let's shine this week. Why feel the worry and stress of the holiday? Could we instead feel the joy, the excitement, the beauty of sharing our love? How we feel and how bright our light can shine is merely dependent on how we focus our mind.

It's exciting to know this. It's even more satisfying to live this truth.

Ok, so, no more hiding your Inner Light. It's time to shine again! "Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!"

A big hug to you all.
May this week ahead of you be full of positive thoughts and wonderful excitement.

I trust you can see and feel my light shining. I send you beautiful energy this week and hold this truth for all of us.

Trish

p.s. I still have a space or two left in my Circle of Power Life Coaching Group. Check out http://www.patriciaomoqui.com/circleofpower.html for more details. If you sign up by Dec. 17th you will receive a discount.

p.p.s. If you really want to start off the New Year moving at the speed of light towards your dreams, then sign-up for one-on-one life coaching. You will be launched into 2008 in a way you could never have imagined! Check out what other clients have said: http://www.patriciaomoqui.com/lifecoach.html (see the bottom of the page).

Will You Choose Joy this Holiday Season?

One of the most helpful questions I have learned to live by is, "What will bring me joy?" I used to live my life out of a sense of obligation and guilt. I would force myself to do things I didn't want to do. I would often go places I wasn't really all that interested in and I would hang out with people who I really didn't resonate with . I did all of these things because I felt I SHOULD do them and that I HAD to do them.

As I hit the tipping point in my life several years ago and felt totally overwhelmed, I began to watch what was motivating me to do all the things that I packed into my daily schedule. I found that often I was acting out of obligation. I would force myself to call someone because I felt obligated to stay in touch. I would force myself to go to the gym every day without fail, because I felt I HAD to do this to stay in shape (even days when I dreaded going or felt exhausted, I pushed myself to go). I would buy Christmas gifts for people because I felt I HAD to or NEEDED to rather than because I wanted to. I also would attend events out of obligation -- I would show up at the event but be somewhere completely different in my mind while I was there, wishing I hadn't gone at all.

As I saw the energy behind the decisions I was making it occurred to me that the reason I was not enjoying my life was because I was acting out of obligation, the desire to please others and putting my joy in consideration last.

I now choose to live my life in joy. If I am going to an event, I go because I want to go. If I decide to call a friend or business acquaintance, I call because I know I will enjoy talking to them and reconnecting. If I decide to buy someone a gift, it is because it feels good to share my love, money and energy with them. By acting out of joy as often as I possibly can, my life has changed dramatically. I feel joy almost all of the time! Life feels good, easy and light when you act out of joy.

My challenge to you this Holiday Season is to watch the motivation you have behind the activities you choose to be involved in, the parties you choose to attend and the gifts you decide to buy. Ask yourself, "Am I doing this because it brings me joy?" If the answer is yes, then you are on the right track and you are bound to have an enjoyable holiday season.

Here are some daily affirmations to use to keep you focused on making good choices during the Holidays:

I choose to live in joy.
I choose to experience inner peace.
I choose to feel hopeful about my life.
I choose to enjoy each moment no matter what the circumstance.
I choose to see my own value and to trust my intuition.
I choose to be powerful and make good decisions rather than feel victimized by life.
I choose to amaze the World as I connect to my talents and begin expressing my authentic self.
I choose to dance, sing, play and lighten up about my life.
I choose to share love with each person I encounter.
I choose to listen and hear what others are saying.
I choose to have a blessed, peaceful and joyful Holiday Season.

(Note: To get the most out of these affirmations I suggest you print them and keep them with you. Read them first thing in the morning and last thing in the day. Say them aloud and say them in front of a mirror. Keep a copy in your purse or your wallet -- as you have spare moments throughout the day, pull them out and read them over and over. Affirmations work if you practice them and allow them to become part of your subconscious mind).

Imagine if you truly began to choose all of the above things! The more you make joyful choices with your thoughts, words and actions, the better your life is going to feel.

Choose Joy this Holiday Season. . .and allow yourself to enter 2008 focused on enjoying every single moment of your life!

With a big hug to all,
I celebrate each and every one of you.

Trish
www.patriciaomoqui.com
Join my free Teleclass this Tuesday at 7 pm EST: http://www.patriciaomoqui.com/harness.html

Open Your Wings and Fly!

I have always been serious in nature and extremely focused. Part of it stems from the way I grew up -- my Dad was always stern and if my brother and I started to joke around or get too silly, he would tell us to "stop that nonsense." Another part of it is the personality I arrived with -- from the time I was little I was organizing my mom's life, making sure my brother was behaving (well, ok, I was bossing him around), and trying to figure out a project schedule for our family and all my friends in the neighborhood.

The last few years I have been rediscovering the fun that is possible in life! It feels good to "lighten up" on life and simply enjoy myself. I used to think having fun was a waste of time -- it was at the bottom of my priority list. I believed work was serious and that if I wasn't serious, then I wasn't focused enough on getting the job done. I felt I needed to concentrate on what was important in life -- and yes, be serious about it. Then, if there was some time left over, I might crack a smile, have a laugh with friends and spend time on a fun activity. But that happened very little.

I now know that I can have fun while I focus on what is important to me. I can get my work done and have a blast. Because I have "lightened up" about life, I am so much happier. By lightening up, a load has been lifted from me. I feel physically lighter when I am smiling and enjoying each moment. I feel that I can soar through life when I release the heaviness that became my habit.

One day while having a session with my music / massage therapist an image came to my mind: I felt that as she massaged my back she was opening up the hidden wings that I had. I began to realize that I was an Earth Angel and that to fly to the heights I desired, to experience and share love to the extent I imagined, to bring peace to the World and hope to everyone I encountered, I needed to open those wings up wide so I could fly. My wings opened that day. And, I display those wings proudly now. I believe that we are each Earth Angels at heart but most of us have just gotten so bogged down with life that we forget to open our wings.

With my wings now fully open I started to understand that if I felt heavy about life, I was unable to fly through my day. I couldn't take off to soar if I was weighed down by fears, worries and perceived problems. I am determined to allow nothing to hold me back from flying high every day through my life. To do that, I now make a conscious effort each day to simply lighten up. I visualize myself releasing any fear that has built up on my wings. I release seeming problems to the Universe and ask for miracles to appear in my life. I only put those things into my mind that remind of peace, hope and love -- and leave the other dramatic and sensational inputs from the media out of my life.

My life is play now. If I'm working with life coaching clients or speaking to audiences, I am full of joy and having a great time. When I create a new product or write a chapter for an upcoming book, I am full of enthusiasm for my work and the joy bubbles within my heart. If I'm vacuuming my house I make it an activity that raises my energy -- putting music on or being silly with my children as I do the chore. If I have to do something that I don't typically enjoy doing, I find a way to make it pleasant. As I've practiced having fun in all I do, it has now become my habit.

This week I offer you a wonderful challenge -- focus this week on lightening up about your life. Give thought to how you, as an Earth Angel walking the Earth, can bring about more joy to your life. As your joy increases, you will bring joy to those around you. As love fills up your heart, it overflows and touches people you encounter on your path.

To create the changes we all long for in our World, we must focus first on bringing about those changes within. We are all equipped with wings -- all we must do is Open Our Wings and Fly.

If you have stories of flying high through life, I'd love to hear from you. If you are spreading love as an Earth Angel, let me know about your journey. I love to connect with others who know they have wings;)

With Love and Light,

Trish Omoqui

p.s. The name I use when I perform my poetry is Earth Angel. It's my favorite nickname!

"Floetry" In the Now Moment

Last Saturday I spent the early evening hours sitting in the hospital with my 84-year old grandmother. Being in the hospital with my grandma could have been a situation I resisted. . .because she was not well, and I was watching her struggle with her pain. But as she slept I settled into the chair next to her bed and "floetry" was going through my mind. I sat in complete peace in the Now moment. I was relaxed.

A key aspect to Harnessing Your Power and enjoying your life to the fullest is to be focused in the Present Moment, the NOW. Had I been wishing I was somewhere else or been distracted and distraught about my grandmother's condition and what the future held for her, I would not have been able to enjoy and be fully present in the NOW. By having our energy focused in the moment, we can connect to power, creativity and joy.

As I sat in her hospital room, the following pieces (see below) flowed gracefully onto the page.

It was a delightful time I had with her. . .feeding her graham crackers, giving her sips of tea. . .repaying her the love and care she has showered on me her whole life. My grandmother has always been a creative, playful spirit. She made up all kinds of fun characters in her mind -- even created a whole village of bugs with special names and cute interactions. I have always admired her child-like delight with life and her imagination.

When she was in the hospital about 2 months ago I stopped by to see her. I didn't have time to get her flowers but I had a tiny pink stuffed animal that was left over from a happy meal I had bought for my kids that week. I took it into her and she was so delighted to have the new little friend show up in her room. She didn't know, nor did she care, that it was something free I had gotten at McDonald's. She felt how soft it was and cherished it. (She can't see anymore because her diabetes caused her to lose her vision).

I sat staring at her as she slept. I saw her as the beautiful girl who lived out on a farm, the mother of 7 kids trying to keep her head above the piles of laundry, then as the loving grandmother who slipped me a 20 dollar bill from her wallet each time I saw her during my college days (she loves "green stuff" as she calls it.)

So, in her honor I share these 3 pieces that flowed onto the page in the time I spent with her.

Let's embrace our lives! Let's live our lives to the fullest and celebrate each moment of the day! There is so much to be thankful for, so much to cherish.

Cloud of Responsibility

See through the cloud of responsibility.
Walk calmly through each moment
Simply doing your best in joy.
Those things that don’t get done
Will be there for you tomorrow.
Don’t fret—
Know that the strength, peace and hope you need
Are given to you for your journey.

Breathe Deeply.
All is well.

Circle of Life

Wouldn’t the circle of life be better
If we were playful each step of the way?

Work should be play;
Play should be our work.

Playfully creating love,
Skipping along,
Jumping for joy,
Resting as need.
Imagining delightful ways to spend our days
Creating fun, fun, fun
Until our time on Earth is done
Until we merge back to Oneness
To play, play, and play some more!

My Thoughts

Wondrously willing to follow my passion
Peacefully sure my mission unfolds perfectly
Wisely choosing each thought
Gracefully moving in baby steps
To all my heart desires.

This week I challenge you to observe how much of your time you focus in the past, the present or the future. The more you can focus all of your energy in the NOW, the more productive you will be, the more powerful you will be and the more enjoyment you will experience in your daily life.

With peace, joy and deep love for All,

Trish

Facing a Monster: Guilt

This week was a delightful week for me. My birthday falls the day before Halloween and my family and friends made sure I celebrated in style -- I was showered with flowers, cards, good food and some special clown plates and cups for the party that my 2- and 4-year old girls threw for me.

Another exciting part of this week has been the progress I've made towards publishing my first book: Transformation: Journey to Awaken Your Authentic Self. The book cover is being designed by a wonderful woman in Germany named Llana! She has a beautiful website if you are interested in seeing some of her work: http://www.llananeal.com/ . (I'll keep you posted once we determine a publishing date!)

On Halloween my girls transformed into kitty cats and meowed their way to bags full of candy. This was their first "real" trick-or-treat experience. Skye, my 2-year old, would say after each door we went to: "Another one door!" In other words, "let's rush to the next door and get some more candy, Mom!" Watching my kids have fun like this filled me with wonderful energy and brought back some funny childhood memories.

While some monsters only show their face during Halloween, there are some monsters that stick around all year long. One such monster is GUILT. I was reminded of the power of guilt this week as I had sessions with my life-coaching clients. One of my clients was on the verge of making a major decision and the driving force behind the decision was guilt. She felt guilt on many different levels and because this monster was so strong, it was overpowering the voice of self-love that was whispering to her.

The wonderful thing is that she is growing aware of the guilt. Awareness of guilty thoughts is the first step towards becoming free of this monster. By understanding guilt and knowing it is there, we can then determine if we are going to allow this monster to bully us anymore. Guilt drains our joy. Guilt causes us to focus our energy on doing things we often do not want or need to do. Guilt causes us to feel obligation. Guilt blinds us to joy. Guilt brings us suffering.

I challenge you this week to observe your mind and take note of all the times you feel guilt. Write these thoughts down on paper and look at them closely. Keep tally of how often this monster approaches you. You may be surprised to see how often this monster appears in your life.

Question these thoughts of guilt. Ask yourself: What would my life be like if I acted out of self-love and joy rather than out of guilt? Would I continue to do the things I do each day? Or, would I use my energy on other activities? What emotions do I feel when I focus on guilty thoughts? How would I feel inside if I chose not to feel guilty?

These are some powerful, transformational questions to consider. It's better to face a monster head on than to allow it to continue to haunt you!

May you have a blessed, guilt-free week ahead!

A big thanks to all who made my birthday so special,

Trish

Uncover Your Authentic Self Through Awareness

This week one of my life coaching clients said to me "I am a new person now!" We've been working together for several months and she has transformed in amazingly beautiful ways.

As I thought about her words I realized that though she feels new, the person she has become has been in her heart all along. Her Authentic Self was hidden under guilt, shame, fear, worry, self-criticism, and self-doubt. Before our work together she was not aware of how much her thoughts controlled the outcomes in her life.

Over the months that we have worked together Jenn (she gave me permission to use her name) has found that her self-limiting thoughts and beliefs have caused her to settle for jobs that she didn't really enjoy. She also saw that she moved at a frantic pace in her life because she was trying to prove her value to herself and others.

As she has become aware of the thoughts that were controlling her and as she has done daily, moment-by-moment work to begin to replace those thoughts with new ones, she has now created a very different experience in her life! She actually feels good about herself and her life.

Personal transformation takes a high level of awareness. A key step to Harnessing Your Personal Power is to become fully aware of what is happening in your mind. This is very easy to do. All you need to do is to turn on your "Observer."

Your Observer is that part of you that can look into your mind and see what thoughts you are thinking. Ask your Observer to closely watch all the thoughts you are thinking throughout the day. As the Observer watches, it should take note of the self-talk you use (both positive and negative), the recurring fears or negative thinking you have, and whether your mind is focused on the past, the future or the present moment. What you find may be surprising to you.

I suggest to all my life coaching clients to use a journal so they can write down clues that the Observer is giving them. By growing in your awareness of your thoughts, you begin to see the moment-by-moment choices you have been making. You begin to see how the thoughts you have focused on have created the life you are living. The exciting news is that through your new found awareness of your thoughts you can decide if you want to keep choosing these thoughts or if you'd like to begin replacing the old thinking with some new thinking.

If you decide to give this a try this week I'd suggest you do it in a spirit of fun and interest. Just watch what your mind is doing. See how fascinating it is when your thoughts control you. Each of us can become the Master of Our Thoughts if we desire to.

Awareness brings personal power to change. Awareness allows you to connect to your passions again and begin living an authentic, joy-filled life. I can tell you from my own personal experience that these steps I'm sharing with you through this blog are POWERFUL. They work if you really put them into action. I uncovered my authentic self about two years ago and I feel such joy, hope and peace now in my life. My life coaching clients change dramatically as they put these ideas into practice.

I'd love to hear from you if you give this idea a try! Let me know what you find as you look closely at what is happening in your mind. Drop me an email at patricia@patriciaomoqui.com .

With love, light and great awareness,

Trish

Taking Time to Jump For Joy

I trust you have had a wonderful week. My daughter, Maggie, reminded me of something wonderful this week -- the importance of jumping for joy.

How long has it been since you were so excited about something that you physically began to jump up and down? For me, it has been years. I guess jumping for joy is not a normal behavior for adults. I may begin to break this unspoken rule. . .

On Wednesday afternoon I announced to my daughter that the following day she would be taking a field trip with her school to MerryMead Farms. MerryMead is a local farm that has hayrides, a corn maze, pumpkin patches and of course, ice cream. The moment after I made the announcement, my daughter began jumping up and down for joy. She could not contain her delight! Her smile was as wide as her face and she even began to squeal with delight!

I enjoyed seeing her so happy. Maggie truly loves life and celebrates everything about it. In the morning if I give Maggie oatmeal for breakfast, she makes an audible "mmmm" sound as she eats each bite. Sometimes she even tries to lick the bowl clean because she savors every last drop!

One important aspect of Harnessing Your Personal Power is to begin to live in a state of gratitude. As my inner despair got to its worst a few years ago, one of the only ways I knew how to shift my emotions was to begin taking stock of anything and everything I could feel grateful for. I saw that if I focused my thoughts on things I felt grateful for, my emotions shifted from feeling negative or down to feeling positive or up.

The more that I focused on gratitude and walked one thought at a time down "The Trail of Gratitude," the better I began to feel. The more I took stock of things I was thankful for, the more blessings in my life I became aware of.

Gratitude is now a daily practice for me. Anytime I feel myself starting to get sad, worried, fearful or depressed, I can regain my power by focusing my thoughts to gratitude.

As you approach this week, I encourage you to start expressing gratitude for anything and everything you enjoy in your life. Make a list -- from little things like a nice, hot cup of coffee to big things like having a joyful child -- get it all out on paper. Then, begin letting the people around you know when you feel gratitude for them. Imagine what the World would be like if we expressed to those around us how much we appreciate them. . . I envision a World where people smile more and where more adults begin to jump for joy.

If you happen to have any stories to share about things in your life that make you jump for joy, please pass them along to me. I enjoy sharing in joy with as many people as I can!

May you create an experience in your life that gives you the opportunity to jump for joy this week!

A big hug to all,
Trish

First Step To Harness Your Power

This week I wanted to take a few minutes to explain why I chose "Harness Your Power" as the name for this blog. I've experienced major transformations in my life the last few years -- in fact, people around me often remark how different I am. The changes are visible in my physical appearance, my emotional state and in how I carry myself through life each day. The changes I've experienced have allowed me to harness my personal power so that I truly enjoy each moment of life and so that I create what I truly desire to experience in my life.

My desire with this blog is to share with you ideas that will enable you to begin harnessing your personal power so that you too can enjoy life to the fullest.

Several years ago I felt stuck in my life. While I was succeeding in my career, I felt empty when I went to work. I would wake up each morning with a pit in my stomach. Even after 8 or 9 hours of sleep I still felt drained. I was extremely worried about the future of my oldest daughter who has special needs -- would she be able to lead a normal life? I worried all the time. Each month when I sat down to pay the bills I felt my chest tighten and my blood pressure rise -- how were we ever going to "get ahead?"

I stayed in constant motion during the day. I wanted to keep busy because I believed relaxation had no value. The fast pace of my life, on top of the tremendous fear and worry I had inside, brought me to a point of complete physical and emotional exhaustion. I honestly felt that I was going to breakdown if I didn't start to change my life.

What a gift that "tipping point" was for me. It was the worst feeling I'd had in my life but it was the catalyst for me to take steps towards making personal changes that would transform my whole life.

This week I share with you one of the most important steps I took in my journey of transformation: I slowed the pace of my life and I began to create spaces of silence throughout my day.

I had packed my days full of activity -- rush to get out the door, rush to work, non-stop motion at work, rush to daycare to get the kids, rush to get dinner on the table, rush to get the kids in bed, rush to the gym to get in a quick workout then CRASH at home for a few moments before bed. Rush, rush, rush, rush. . .stress, stress, stress, stress. I knew something had to give if I was going to find time to focus on healing and personal change.

I made a decision, a very difficult one for me, to stop going to the gym in the evenings. This was a hard choice for me -- I had struggled with my body image all my life and I worried that I would gain weight if I stopped going to the gym. But, I knew that my priority needed to be inner change so I decided to leave gym workouts to the weekends.

Instead of going to the gym in the evenings, I decided to sit in silence after I got the kids in bed. I left the TV off and sat on the couch each evening. At first, even a minute of silence felt like an ETERNITY to me. I felt awkward and uncomfortable with quiet. I had become accustomed to constant noise in my life. I saw my inner noise turn on as I sat quietly. My mind raced. My thoughts were unruly. Why couldn't I get my mind to settle down? I had no idea how difficult sitting in silence would be!

I'm the type of person who likes a good challenge -- and I saw immediately that learning to master my mind was going to be my next personal challenge. Each night without fail I would take my position on the couch and close my eyes. I began using my breath as a focal point. If I saw my mind begin to race, I would refocus on my breath. I did this over and over again in the few minutes I sat quietly. After several weeks of doing this, I saw that my mind began to slow down a bit. I also noticed that sitting quietly simply felt good. Breathing deeply relaxed my body. Slowing my thoughts relaxed my mind.

I decided that I would create more "spaces" in my life for silence. Rather than having news-radio or music on in the car on my way to work, I turned it off and enjoyed a few moments of peace before I walked into work each day. I would sit and breathe deeply as I drove. I laughed at myself as my hand would still reach to the power button on the radio in my car each day -- I saw what a creature of habit I was! I knew it was time to create new habits. That is what I did.

During my lunches at work I would take a few minutes of lunchtime to enjoy spaces of silence. If it was nice outside I would take a walk and focus on the beauty of nature as I walked along rather than allowing my mind to go through my mental to-do list. Sometimes I would find a park bench and be totally silent.

By slowing down my life, I opened up the space to change. By slowing down my mind, I opened up the space to heal. And, healing is what happened. I began to see how much healing my thoughts needed. (I will save that topic for another day -- Healing Your Thoughts is another essential aspect of Harnessing Your Power.)

How fast are you going every day? Do you ever feel out of control and overwhelmed by the schedule you are keeping? Is everything you are doing really necessary? Or, are you in constant motion for fear of what you might feel like if you slowed down?

If you are ready to harness your personal power, consider slowing down the pace at which you live. Consider as well giving silence a try. . .these steps I took opened the doors to tremendous joy, inner peace, hope and inspiration to flood into my life.

One last thing I wanted to share with you-- I had the privilege of speaking to an amazing group of 110 kids last week at Hudson Community Enterprises. These 15 - 21 year olds were so full of energy and excitement. Each one of these kids is disabled to some degree and they go to Hudson Community Enterprises to learn life skills and job skills that will prepare them for life after high school.

The highlight of my time with them was the point in my presentation when we practiced our new, positive thoughts. We all were on our feet together shouting at the top of our lungs "I CAN DO IT. I'M GREAT. I'M TALENTED. I HAVE GIFTS TO GIVE THE WORLD!" Imagine the energy that filled the room as we joined together in one voice to express these truths.

If you want to feel really good right now, why not get up on your feet and shout some of these thoughts -- see how good it feels to use these positive thoughts to get your good energy flowing. In fact, why not say these thoughts to yourself at the beginning of every day?

I'd love to hear from you if you ever want to discuss these ideas further. Please drop me an email at patricia@patriciaomoqui.com . Or, feel free to post your comments to this blog here on the website.

May your week be blessed!

Are You Ready To Receive?

Many times as I am coaching my life-coaching clients, I become aware of areas of my own life where I may still be limiting myself or not living my life to the fullest. Several weeks ago I was working with a client (we will call her "Beth" for the sake of this article) and I could see so clearly that the Universe was offering her an amazing gift that she was going to pass up.

Her friend was offering to allow her to continue to stay in a nice house for a very reasonable price. Beth was at a major crossroads in her life and really wanted and needed some more time to listen to her heart and make a major, life-changing decision. She was forcing herself to make a decision more quickly because she felt she didn't have a place to stay anymore. Beth felt internal pressure to move out of her friend's place because she felt she was "taking advantage" of the situation her friend was offering her. Her friend was being blessed by the situation because she needs someone to live in the empty house and take care of it. Yet, Beth still felt that she shouldn't take her friend up on the offer anymore.

As we talked, I saw that Beth held a belief about the situation that was keeping her from enjoying this beautiful gift. She felt she didn't deserve the help and that she could only receive so much help from a person. After our discussion, Beth decided to talk with her friend and she is now enjoying the house and the additional time she needs to determine her next steps in a very challenging life situation.

As I listened to Beth that day, I saw that I had many beautiful gifts people were offering me that I was not taking them up on. A friend of mine was offering me a free massage because she enjoyed my daily email list so much. My cousin was offering to teach me a new form of stretching that helps to balance your body's energies. My husband was offering me the opportunity and freedom to take more time for myself. Yet, I was letting these amazing gifts sit on the table because I felt I didn't have the time to enjoy them.

After my conversation with Beth, I decided that I needed to take the Universe up on the gifts I was being offered. I am so glad that I did! Last week was a wonderful week for me -- I had that massage and was able to release some lingering negative energies that were causing pain in my body. The next day I spent lunch stretching with my cousin. My body felt energized and realigned after we stretched. Yesterday I enjoyed a wonderful haircut while my husband watched the kids. By taking the time to receive these gifts I allowed myself to feel refreshed and re-energized.

I have asked the Universe for some BIG gifts recently -- to see my book published quickly and easily, to be guided to additional speaking opportunities so I can reach larger and larger audiences with the message in my heart. . .but, I believe the Universe offers us small gifts sometimes to see if we will be able to receive the large gifts we have asked for.

After experiencing such a rich, beautiful week last week, I've decided that I am going to take the Universe up on ALL the gifts that are flowing into my life. Giving and receiving are part of the same flow of energy. Many of us give and give and give of ourselves. Yet few of us take the time to receive and enjoy what people are offering us. I challenge each of you to look at your lives and see what gifts you have sitting on the table of your life. . .are you ready to receive?

Receive and rejoice -- I promise you that you will be glad you did!