Harness Your Power: Just Dive In!

Last night was a surprise. I took the kids to their last day of swimming lessons. Little did any of us know that they were going to give each child a chance to go off the diving board. As I watched the children in the pool I could see a wave of excitement move through their bodies.

Skye's group headed to the pool and Maggie's followed very soon after. I quickly gathered my things so I could get a glimpse of the action.

Skye was fearless. She walked right to the edge of the diving board and took a big leap forward with no hesitation! Her instructor, Mr. Mike, was waiting down below with arms extended to help her in any way she needed it. She was so proud of herself and eager to get back on the diving board and do it again!

Maggie was full of courage. She marched 1/2 way down the board and then suddenly, hesitation set in. Her teacher got on the board with her and helped her to the end. With toes on the edge, Maggie stood at the end for a minute unsure of whether to jump or not. Then, to my delight (and hers) she jumped right in. Again, Mr. Mike was there to help her make it to the ladder at the side of the pool.

For the next hour there was constant chatter, "Mom, I went off the diving board!" Even total strangers were given the good news, "I just went off the diving board!" As I put the girls to bed there was still a sparkle in their eye and they asked me, "When can we go off the diving board again, Mom?"

Watching them last night got me thinking deeply. First off, I am always refreshed to see my children's excitement for life. Going to the pool is as exciting to them sometimes as going on a major international trip. The littlest daily accomplishments bring them a deep feeling of pride and self-satisfaction. Their bubbly approach to each day makes me realize that it is way more fun to approach life like a child does. (I'm trying to regress in age rather than get older...I want to be as child-like as possible!)

I then began to consider the diving board experience. What I loved most about it was the tremendous support each of them were offered. Their success was guaranteed if they just jumped into the water. A teacher was behind them and a teacher was waiting for them in the water to ensure they were safe and given whatever level of support they needed. I believe this is a perfect example of the way the Universe works with each of us. We are surrounded by help. Yet, few of us recognize the constant kindness and support we are offered as we walk our path and find ourselves in uncertain circumstances.

Is there a place in your life that you are feeling ready to take the plunge and ready to try something new? Dont' let your fear hold you back. Support is there even if you can't perceive it. The Universe surrounds us and cheers us on when we follow the longings of our heart. There was a book title that popped into my mind -- Leap and the Net Will Appear. That's the truth, isn't it?

There have been moments the past few years as I left the security of the corporate world and dove head first into my own business that I wondered if I'd be okay. Each step of the way has provided me with new challenges. I've found myself on the edge of the diving board time after time wanting to jump forward, feeling excitement rush through my body. I've had to JUST DIVE IN. There has not been one time I've taken the dive that I haven't received all the help I needed.

I can look back over my life and find countless examples of how I've taken the leap and the next has always appeared!

What are you waiting for? Now is your time to dive in and experience the life you truly want to live.

Joining you on the diving board of life,

Patricia Omoqui

http://www.patriciaomoqui.com/

Harness Your Power: You Are Being Prepared

I am fascinated by the way I seem to always be prepared for my next step in life. It is as if the Universe knows what I need and gets me ready for the situations that I am about to encounter. Seeing this and giving thanks for this preparation assists me in relaxing. I am more able to trust my path and walk forward in excitement and joy instead of feeling worried and afraid.

As I look back at my childhood I see that even then, I was being prepared for where I am today. My mom was a high-school English teacher when I was in elementary school. For many years she also was a speech coach and directed the plays at the school I attended. I was always encouraged to get up in front of audiences and speak. For some reason I had no fear -- I would write my speech (with assistance from my mom) and then practice my delivery. My mom coached me on the dramatic pauses to insert, the pace to speak at and the fine details of getting an audience engrossed in my message.

My mom coached me to win two speech contests as a junior high student. It was fun to be part of the national competitions. Little did I know how important this preparation would be.

In high school I was in a leadership position in my youth group. My speaking abilities came in handy in getting my peers to join together in spiritual learning and growth. When I went on to Princeton, my speaking ability established me as a strong voice on our basketball team. I never hestitated to step up and encourage our team to push ourselves hard on the court so that we could succeed as a team.

As I traveled during the summers between my college years, I continued to get up on stages and speak in various parts of the World. When I went to Brazil I got to combine my Portuguese language skills with my speaking skills as I spoke to kids in the public schools and taught them basketball and life skills. Never, in my wildest dreams, would I have thought that the fun I had with my mom working to win speech competitions was preparation for delivering messages worldwide.

I traveled to Nigeria last week for a Women on Wellness Seminar. It was one of the first seminars of its kind in Nigeria. I was a keynote speaker. The focus was on revitalizing Nigerian women in mind, body and spirit. I marveled at the fun I had connecting with close to 400 women. There was no need for any stress or concern, I was fully prepared for the event and felt at ease delivering two presentations. I even had people approach me after I spoke and say, "You changed my life today with the message you shared." Wow. These types of comments leave me speechless and joyful.

Life is wonderful. There is never a need for worry. The Universe supports us and wants us to reach our full potential. Why not chill out this week? Take a look back on your journey thus far. Can you see examples of how you were being prepared for an opportunity or an encounter and you didn't even know it? My guess is that if you take the time to reflect you will find plenty of evidenced that the Universe has been preparing you all along the way for the opportunities you have now to express your gifts and talents in the World.

Relax this week. Celebrate this on-going preparation. Preparation doesn't necessarily mean long hours and stressful training. It might simply mean following your heart and joyfully throwing yourself into the experiences in life that bring you a sense of excitement. Each experience prepares you for the next. Have fun in each moment. Laugh as you see the wonderful way your path is unfolding. There is so much joy on our path when we release our fears and self-doubts.

Having fun being prepared for the remarkable journey unfolding before me,

Sincerely,

Patricia Omoqui

http://www.patriciaomoqui.com/

Enjoying the Discomfort of Growth

What struck me most this past week is that for some reason I have created several situations in my life that have caused me some discomfort – not in a painful way, but in a way that caused me to feel very unsure of myself again. As I watched this feeling of discomfort, I realized how beautiful it is because when we find ourselves uncomfortable in situations it means that we have tremendous opportunity to grow and expand who we are.

I started my hip-hop dance class 2 weeks ago. The first week I went I quickly realized that I had a lot to learn. I tried my best to keep up with the rest of the class and get the moves down. It was hard work to keep my mind from judging me harshly! I felt the thoughts come up like, “You can’t do this. You aren’t good at this. Why are you even trying to learn. . .” I quickly stopped those thoughts and brought myself back to the present moment. Once I was fully present, I just decided to throw myself completely into the dancing and not worry about how I compared to others around me.

I felt such joy in dancing and saw how much fun it is to learn something new again. It was exhilarating listening to the music and diving in head first to something that was new. The discomfort of the situation turned into pure bliss – because I was putting myself out there – I was deciding to do something that made me uncomfortable so that I could get the results that I wanted in my life. I have been passionate about dancing for years and I’m finally taking a class.

Today I sat doodling in my journal after an event I attended for the Book Bank Foundation in AZ. As I drew and scribbled on the page, the following phrases popped out of my subconscious mind:

In the center of the page I wrote in big letters: GROW!

Around the word GROW I doddled these ideas:

Dive in head first!

You are ready!

Love your Journey (all aspects of it even the seeming negative,difficult and challenging).

Allow life to flow to you – just expand yourself in faith for what is to come.

Have courage.

Trust yourself.

Trust the process of blooming.

Trust others to their own journey.

Trust the Universe.

Let love expand.

That says it all for where I’m at in my journey. I am living what I teach you in this blog. I am living what I speak about to audiences. I am living what I teach people in life coaching sessions. Because I am living what I teach, I am constantly growing. I can also relate to people I am working with because I am constantly encouraging them to take baby steps to become what they want to be. Well, I am taking baby steps and feeling the challenge of growing in new ways too.

It takes courage to grow and expand. Yet, the fun, excitement and passion that flows from having courage and trusting yourself to navigate new situations allows you to Harness Your Personal Power in ways you never thought possible.

If you are sitting in a very comfortable life that you can navigate with very little thought or effort, it might be time to try something new! What have you always wanted to try? Is there a class you have been saying you’d take for years? Are there relationships you’ve wanted to develop that you keep putting off? Is there a cause that you care about that you’ve been meaning to get involved in? Life is what we make it. Why not create something extraordinary?

It feels a bit uncomfortable to put yourself into the unknown but the payoffs are wonderful. I never want to live my life saying, “I wish I had… or I should have done…..”

My children enjoy every aspect of learning. They don’t care if they can’t do the dance moves like the other kids in their class – they haven’t yet been taught to worry about these things. Our habits of worry and self-judgment can be released. Let’s make learning and growing our habits instead.

I love my life. I finally love every aspect of my life. I believe this is true for me now because I’m expanding beyond my initial discomfort with the new activities, events, classes and people I’ve put into my life.

Harness Your Power this week – EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS. Don’t sit and wait for life to bring excitement to you – instead, create excitement each day by trying new things. You may feel some initial discomfort in trying something new, but you will be so glad you did.

I’d love to hear about the new things you try and that initial discomfort you experience. . .isn’t the human experience fascinating?

With love, enthusiasm, and wonder for life,

Trish

www.patriciaomoqui.com