Harness Your Power: Listening...Renewed Focus

I've decided to renew my focus on listening.  I want to be more aware, more present to others.  I see that often the greatest gift I can offer another person is my full attention.  So, with clients, with my family members and with my children -- I am quieting my mind and opening my heart.  I am choosing to engage my listening.

So, in light of all this, I offer a few suggestions that I am practicing this week.


1. Commit to spending at least a minute or two each day in silence. Focus on your breath. Simply notice your mental chatter. Understand the vitality of each thought. You might want to look at them as prowling tigers and appreciate their strength and beauty as they parade across the screen of your mind. Try not to engage them. Simply let them pass. Return your focus to your breath. If you find yourself tempted to play with the tigers, you might be in for a tussle. That’s okay. It’s natural. Just smile and go back to breathing. First practice this silence on your own. Then, when you find yourself in conversation, practice silence again. Quiet your mind and choose to focus on the other person’s words. Let your own thoughts pass by.

2. Observe yourself while in conversation. Are you able to stay focused while someone is talking to you or does your mental activity take over? Just notice. Don’t judge yourself. Become aware of the opportunity you have to grow your listening skills. Set an intention: I desire to become an attentive listener.



3. To increase your self-awareness, do a daily listening review each evening. How many times did you truly listen? How many times were you bored or uneasy? How many times did your mind take over? If your mind took over, where did it go? Here are some possibilities: To your own activities? To the past? To a criticism of the other person? To self-defense? Let this practice of detached self-evaluation help you grow.

I have much practice to do on this topic...and I'm approaching it with a light heart and spirit of adventure.
 
Why not join me?
 
With love,
Patricia Omoqui, The Thought Dr.
http://www.patriciaomoqui.com/

Harness Your Power: Actively Listen for Guidance

The more often I am able to quiet the chatter in my mind, the more often I am able to hear clear guidance. This guidance comes in many forms -- from books that I am drawn to, to the lyrics of songs on the radio and to the words of the people I encounter each day.

Last week when I was in my yoga class the teacher, whether she knew it or not, was saying the exact words I needed to hear. As we got started she reminded us to, "Relax. Feel your inner energy." I closed my eyes. I used my inner sense to feel my energy level.

We eased into the class with stretches and poses that were gentle. As our bodies got warm, she led us through more challenging poses. It was hard! She encouraged us, "Have patience. Be balanced." I listened. I held the positions longer than I thought possible. "Connect to your breath right now," she told us. Again, I followed her instruction and my breath gave my body the support it needed.

As the class continued she told the whole class, "Stretch and expand. One little stretch more each week will help you be more flexible." Yes! I wanted to stretch and expand -- and, in fact, that is what I am always encouraging audiences and life-coaching clients to do.

I love the fact that the Universe is actively coaching and mentoring us. These helpful pieces of advice and encouragement abound when we actively listen for guidance.
I have slowed down my life and my mind to a point that I take notice of so much more than I used to. I used to be moving at a frantic mental and physical pace so I rarely would notice billboards, facial expressions, or pay attention to the details of my experiences. Now that I do, I am AMAZED. The guidance I receive all day long in various forms keeps me laughing.

I believe the Universe has a great sense of humor. We could be laughing all the time if we were able to lighten up, quiet our minds and take notice of the intricate interweaving that occurs all around us.

This evening my children and I went to Ikea. After shopping we sat in the little cafe area and had some ice cream. At the table next to us were 3 children under the age of 4. They were hilarious. The middle child, a little girl, was sitting in her stroller eating a big cup of ice cream. She was smiling and laughing. She kept saying something to me. Though I couldn't understand her exact words, I could tell that her energy was joyful. I said to her, "Ice cream is a taste of Heaven, isn't it?" She giggled in reply.

By slowing down and breathing I see, taste, hear, smell and touch my life experience in glorious ways. I truly believe that there is more Heaven available on Earth than we can comprehend.

I am thankful that I taste more of Heaven each day!

Take the time to quiet your mind this week. Meditate. At least breathe deeply for five minutes even if you can't calm your thoughts. Walk more slowly. Take time to look in the eyes of people you pass on the street. Look at the billboards you drive by with new eyes. Notice license plates. Listen more closely to the lyrics of the songs you hear while you are shopping or driving.

Messages from the Universe abound. All it takes is to actively listen for the guidance your heart desires.

May your week be full of amazing signs....

I'd love to hear from you if you can relate to this blog.

Enjoying glimpses of Heaven on Earth,

Trish Omoqui
http://www.patriciaomoqui.com/

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!