Harness Your Power: Choose Peace

Peace has been my focus this week.  In the midst of uncertainty, I have learned that either I can be afraid of what's to come or I can choose to relax into the unknown.  I've been relaxing.  I've been affirming:  I am always guided.  I am clearly shown the best next steps on my path.

Life has a way of guiding us when we open our minds and hearts and trust.  I've seen this repeatedly in my life.  I have plenty of evidence of the unique twists and turns my path has taken.  So, in this time I am remembering how I always am supported and cared for even when the path ahead appears cloudy.

I've gone back to the basics of breathing deeply, stretching my muscles, taking a walk and connecting with nature.  I've looked at my children and focused on being child-like with them.  I keep coming back to THIS MOMENT and finding the enjoyment available to me now.

Hope these ideas help you in finding some peace this week.
You deserve to have peace NOW !!

With Love,
Patricia Omoqui, The Thought Dr.
http://www.patriciaomoqui.com/

Harness Your Power: What Is Your Approach?

Here is a question I have been pondering for the past few years: Does Life emerge through us or do we need to "make" things happen?

I'd love to hear your philosophy.

In our society, most people adhere to the idea that it is our responsibility to make it all happen on our own. Let's call this the Responsible approach. We push forward. We rack our brains coming up with new solutions and next steps. We forge ahead, trying to stay ahead of the pack or even just with the pack. We believe it takes 110% of our effort to get to where we want, even if we go down many rabbit trails as we move forward. Action is king. The challenge with this approach is that we often exhaust ourselves, feeling guilty if we aren't always taking steps. After all, WE are responsible to make it all happen so an idle moment is not about resting, it is about wasting precious time that could be used in effort forward.

I've been learning about and practicing a new Guided approach-- a much simpler, easier one. In this perspective, there is very little action needed. We only act when we are clear about the next steps. Our next steps come from our inner guidance, from deep within us rather than from our mind. We find that when we wait for intuition and then follow, the path forward is miraculous, graceful and often more direct to what we want than the Responsible approach.

This Guided approach requires an inner peace and calm -- a way to quiet the small, chattering mind so that a grander, wiser voice can emerge. In my experience, I've been able to tap into this voice in a clearer way through meditation. What I've realized is that this voice has always been there throughout my whole life. I often didn't hear it or understand what it was because I had always been so busy making lists of pros and cons for every decision I made.

The challenge in living from this perspective is patience and faith. Do we really believe that guidance will come when we need it? Are we willing to trust? Is it okay that the path forward is easy or we feel guilty if we don't stress our bodies and minds to get to our goal?

I have found myself and others I introduce this to thinking "this is way too easy." Also, I find that this underlying belief that I was programmed with is very strong, "I have to make things happen. I am responsible and must keep acting all the time or I am being lazy."

Yet, I made a decision a few years ago to adhere to the Guided approach. I wanted to test it to the fullest and see if it works. I'll share a bit of my experience with you.

My faith has been deepened from following this approach. In fact, I often feel as if I'm sitting in a space of "not knowing" for long periods of time. Each day I open to what my next steps would be. I often sense that my next step is to relax, to wait, to be present to whatever comes to me throughout the day. Then, I'll get clear direction about who to call, where to go and what needs to be done next. The more I relax into not knowing, the easier life becomes. I have more peace in this approach and I am much better rested. I also often find myself amazed at how things come together in the least expected ways.

Here are some recent examples. I enjoyed writing so I decided to start writing a weekly blog in addition to Food For Thought, the daily email list. Through the blog, I was clarifying my ideas and getting the hang of writing longer pieces. Out of the blue, I was approached by a woman in Nigeria with the opportunity to write a weekly column for one of Nigeria's largest newspapers. I didn't come up with this idea and I had no clue that writing for an International newspaper would be part of my journey. But, because I had followed the guidance to write my weekly blog, I was ready for the opportunity.

Because I was writing the weekly column, I was invited last June to be the keynote speaker for a large Women on Wellness conference. While there I was interviewed for TV. Then, months later, the woman who interviewed me offered me the opportunity to have 5 - 7 minutes each week on her morning TV show.

Each of these opportunities arrived in my life. They emerged on my path. I didn't seek them out. When I was ready, they showed up. I took action when I needed to -- I wrote the weekly column. I created the TV segments. It was all so simple, so effortless and exciting. It was (and continues to be) miraculous.

When I review my past, I see that many of the things I thought I made happen were actually given to me! It's fascinating to take a closer look.

I'm in a phase now of waiting for the next step forward. I find that all the right life coaching clients show up. The ideas for my weekly column pop into my mind. I get expert feedback on my TV segments without even asking for it! The next steps always become clear.

My struggle has been waiting and sitting in the unknown for what seems long periods of time. Yet, the more I relax into these times of quiet and darkness, the more I see their value. Being in the dark is actually refreshing, it isn't scary any more. (It has given me plenty of opportunity to face my remaining fears!) They are preparatory times of healing, taking care of myself, my home and my children. They are times of being creative and allowing growth that I didn't even know I needed to take place.

One last note--I find that when moving from the Responsible approach to the Guided one, it can feel rather uncomfortable. I have felt that two different mindsets were happening at once. It felt like a verse from the Bible that I remember memorizing as a child, "A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways." I eventually decided that if I wanted to find out the approach that felt right to me, I needed to give the Guided one my complete attention. I'm continuing to "test" it out.

I'd love to hear your perspective on this. Please leave a comment on this blog or send me an email at allure@patriciaomoqui.com . What have you found to be true and best for you?

May you have an easy, guided, miraculous week,

Patricia Omoqui

http://www.patriciaomoqui.com/

Harness Your Power: Enjoy Life's Synchronicities

One day this week the idea came to mind to go to a store in the area and buy myself the largest size sketchbook they have. I enjoy doodling, coloring, and journaling. In fact, last year my mom bought me a set of colored pencils and I began drawing and sketching for the first time in my life. I've never been "artsy" in any way. But, as I've started the process of doing some artwork, I've been surprised at what can emerge when I just relax and let what is in my heart flow out onto the page.

As I was driving to the store to buy the sketchbook, another idea popped into my mind. I stopped at a thrift store on the way and decided just to look around for a few minutes. I'm so glad I followed this guidance. I went in and found a big sketchbook with heavy pages at a wonderful low price. I knew it was for me because on the front cover was my symbol -- a blue butterfly!

When I attended a life coaching training several years ago in California, one of the speakers had us do a simple exercise. He had us close our eyes and do some deep breathing. Then he had us pose a question to ourselves, "What is my soul symbol?" He suggested we listen to the first answer or picture that popped into our head. The answer that came to my mind was a butterfly. Next he asked us what color our symbol was. I immediately sensed it was a blue butterfly.

When I woke up the morning after we had done this exercise, I went to check my email. Would you believe that someone had sent me an e-card and on the front of the birthday card was a blue butterfly! What! How is this possible?

Of course, after that training I began seeing blue butterflies everywhere I went.

So, back to the thrift store. I picked up the sketchbook and went to the counter to pay. The counter near the cash register was a glass case with jewelry and other small items in it. As I was waiting to pay I noticed a beautiful, silver butterfly ring and a pair of butterfly earrings with small blue gems in them. How amazing. And, they were very reasonably priced so I purchased them.

For the price I would have paid at the store I had originally intended to go to buy the big sketchbook, I instead got the sketchbook and the butterfly jewelry.

Amazing how the Universe works and guides me even in the small, fun aspects of living.

What a blessing this sketchbook has been. I am an early riser. The morning is my favorite time of day. Each day I get up around 5:30 a.m. I got downstairs to have my coffee and I sit with my sketchbook. I use whatever words and images that come to my mind to create a page that represents where I am in my life. What I love about this is recording my life lessons is so fun when I'm doing this in an artistic way!

Do you tune into the guidance you receive? When you get an urge or an insight to call someone, stop at a particular place or write to someone, do you follow this guidance? If you don't, what is holding you back? Life is so amazing and rich when we tune into this wisdom.

The more I quiet my mental chatter and release my fears, the more I hear this guidance. The more I follow this direction, the better my life becomes. There are times when I am in such awe of how I am helped with even the smallest details in my life.

Knowing and experiencing this brings deep inner peace. I feel myself relaxing into life more and more. Fighting life, worrying and fretting about things. takes too much energy. It is just not necessary to get worked up. The key to stopping this it to notice the patterns of worry, fear and self-doubt going on in your mind. Just notice them. Watch the impact these thoughts have on your life. Question the thoughts. Ask if you might be able to choose new thoughts, ones that help you to feel better.

Notice this week when you receive inspired ideas. Follow them. See what happens. Share your synchronicities with others...it is so lovely to see how we are all guided in such fantastic ways. I'd love to hear your stories like this. Drop me an email if you want to share.

Enjoying life's synchronicities and opening to experience even more of them!

Patricia Omoqui

http://www.patriciaomoqui.com/

Harness Your Power: Follow Your Guidance Fearlessly

This week was an exciting, intense week for me. I did another taping session for the TV segments that I have on STV in Nigeria and on MindTV in Philadelphia. It was fun getting prepared and seeing everything come together. I have a wonderful group of supportive friends and teammates who helped make it possible (a big thanks to each one of them).

*Here is the link to one of the videos we just produced: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y06I8D4LJwo . Please rate it and leave your comments after watching it on youtube!

What I am seeing so clearly in my life right now is that it is essential that we follow our inner guidance fearlessly if we want to create the life we long for. If you are guided to do something, take action even if it feels a bit scary or uncomfortable. That is what I've been practicing the past few years as I launched my career as a speaker, life coach and writer. I had my dream. I was unsure of how it could all come together. But, one day at a time, I took my baby steps. The cool thing is that I didn't need to figure it all out in my mind. I just had to be ready to seize the opportunities that presented themselves to me. I had to be willing to step out on faith and do things I might not have done before. As I did, things came together in miraculous ways.

This continues to happen. I'm not worried about the results anymore because the process of living, expanding and exploring this adventure of life is so enjoyable. The journey of life is not about the final destination or about the achievements. It is about allowing ourselves to live fully every step of the way. As we release our past and let go of worry about our future, we are empowered to really, truly, fully live on purpose RIGHT NOW.

Your time is now. Don't delay acting upon your guidance. Quiet your mind so you can hear the Universe guide you. When you understand your next step, don't question it. Follow through. Even if it seems like a stretch or it feels a bit scary, just do it. Learn from each step. Grow. Be willing to do your part and then see how the miracles come together. The people, resources and opportunities you need do appear at the right time. Trust the timing of the Universe...it is always for your best.

In the next few days my new video segments will be ready for viewing. I'll be releasing one each week via my daily email list.

Following My Guidance Fearlessly,

Patricia Omoqui

http://www.patriciaomoqui.com/

Harness Your Power: Live Life Fully

I saw a wonderful movie on New Year's Eve called The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. It was the story of a baby who is born with the makeup of an old, 80 year old man. As he gets older in age, his body gets younger and younger. It was a heart-warming story and I found myself in tears at several points in the movie.

First, during childbirth Benjamin's mother dies. So the father, in great despair over the baby's monster-like appearance as well as the death of his wife, runs through the town and leaves the baby on the steps of a home. Little did he know that it was a home for the aging. What touched me early in the movie is the way that Queenie, a woman who worked at the home, accepted and loved this baby, adopting him as her own child, even though others found him difficult to look at. Benjamin was given a loving home that supported him during his early years.

The movie showed how quickly the cycle of life moves . People were continually dying in this old folk's home and babies were being born. It caused me to notice how fast my own life is moving -- I am 35 now and my children are growing bigger and smarter by the day. I don't want to miss out on any of the richness of life's experiences. I want to be tuned in and engage all of my senses on this wonderful adventure that I'm living. I want each day to be full of joy and purpose.

Love was another topic the movie addressed. Benjamin and a beautiful young lady found a soul connection. Throughout the movie they reappeared in each other's lives. It was a passionate, intense love that they shared for one another. Because of Benjamin's disease of growing younger, towards the end of the movie he chose to distance himself from his wife and family. What struck my heart deeply was the importance of fully loving and enjoying the people we care for because you never know how life's twists and turns might prevent you from being as close as you once were.

Live fully. Enjoy all aspects of life -- the upturns and downturns, the times that make you cry and the times that cause you to laugh. We are here to experience as much of our journey as we can allow ourselves. There are rich details of life that are very easy to miss if you are distracted or depressed. Slow your mind. Live in the now. Open your eyes further. See the textures, smell the scents, feel the touches of others, hear others in a new way. Don't miss out.

The time of your life is NOW! It's not in the distance. Will you allow yourself to start 2009 with a new awareness of how miraculous your life is? No matter what challenge you are facing or what mountain you have just climbed, enjoy where you are.

All is well, my friends. It is better than what the media tells you. Don't allow the sensationalized, fear-based news to get you worked up. Stop tuning in to these voices. Instead, look at your life right now and see all the blessings available to you. These blessings come in so many forms -- smiles, touches, laughter, sunrises, sunsets, clouds in funny shapes, flowers standing tall for you to see them, trees reminding you of your strength....take note of it all!

I send each of you a warm hug. May the comfort and guidance of the Universe fill your heart this week.

I'm always here if you need me, only ever an email away,

Patricia Omoqui

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/

Harness Your Power: Waking Up to Life!

Scene 1: The alarm clock goes off. The young woman rolls over in her bed and pushes the snooze button. She is dreading the day. Her job drains her -- she is busy at work but the type of work she is doing doesn't excite her anymore. The newness of the job wore off several years ago but she has continued at the job because she is unsure of what other types of jobs she'd even enjoy. She stays in bed so long that now getting ready for work and out the door on time means she will be racing against time. She goes into auto-pilot mode: shower, make-up, hair, clothes, coffee, packed lunch and out the door. She feels lowsy about the day ahead. She resigns herself to her life and keeps her daily routine going.

Scene 2: The alarm clock goes off. The young woman wakes with a smile. She feels rested from a good night's sleep. She takes a moment before sitting up to take stock of some of the things she feels thankful for -- a warm bed, a kind neighbor, a loving family, a strong body....She has energy this morning and feels ready for a new day. Each step she takes that morning feels wonderful to her: as she showers her body feels alive again. As she blow dries her hair, she sings her favorite song to herself. As she puts on her makeup she notices how beautiful her face is and she smiles at herself and says, "I'm proud of you." As she puts on her clothes she can see the progress in her body from the exercise that she added to her routine in the New Year. She heads to the kitchen for a light breakfast and smiles at the fact that there is good, healthy food in her fridge. She leaves her house feeling excited about the day and invigorated by the work she has ahead of her.

Two scenes. Two totally different feelings to life. One woman. Two different times in her life.

This is me. The first scene is me five years ago. The second scene gives a glimpse of me now.

The difference: I am awake to my life now. I used to robotically walk through my life. I would "grin and bear it" because that is what I was supposed to do. I was in non-stop motion several years back and wasn't fully aware of the choices I was making and the impact it was having on how I felt and what I was creating with my life. I was highly intelligent. I had a great heart that cared about people. I was just stuck in patterns and habits and I didn't even know it.

The change: many of you know that my daughter Maggie's illness was my point of choice -- I was either going to allow life to overcome me or I was going to learn to look at my life and live my life in a new way. Thankfully I was surrounded by wonderful people in my life and beautiful mentors who encouraged me down the path to waking up to my life again.

I woke up to my life by bringing my unconscious choices to conscscious awareness.

By observing and noticing my beliefs, thoughts, feelings, actions and habits of relating with others, I was empowered to consciously choose to create my life in a new way, in a way that I could enjoy.

This week two of my life coaching clients happened to be watching Oprah the same day. Oprah had Louise Hay on her show along with two life coaches. Neither of my clients had planned to watch Oprah that day but the circumstances of their lives led them to the show. Louise Hay is a beautiful soul -- she knows the power of our thoughts and the impact they have on creating the reality we live. She is awake to life and teaches others to wake up to their power and potential. She is someone I admire greatly.

The reason I bring up this show is that each of my clients was also introduced to a wonderful new book that Oprah has chosen for her book club: Eckhart Tohle's, A New Earth. Oprah and Eckhart are going to be teaching a 10 week class on the topic. My soul is singing because of this. They are introducing to millions of people the idea of waking up to life.

I decided to go to Barnes & Noble last night after the kids were in bed. I wasn't planning on buying the book but happened upon it. I knew buying it was the right move because I've enjoyed Eckhart Tohle's other work (The Power of Now, Stillness Speaks) and have been changed as I began to live the concepts he teached. I'm so glad I bought this book. After I got home I began reading and I couldn't put the book down. I've been saying the past year that I believe it is possible to experience Heaven on Earth -- that it is all a matter of how we view our lives, the thoughts we choose and our approach to each day. Eckhart's book echoes the same ideas.

I believe we are ready to wake up to our lives as a society. Yesterday as I sat waiting for my kid's to finish up their dance class, I was talking with some of the other mom's. We were talking about how easy it is to live a non-stop, totally booked life. One of the mom's remarked: "I hope that our society will change." I said in response, "I believe it can and will as each of us individually make changes to slow our lives down and live with a conscious awareness of what we are creating. . . .by doing this our inner lights shine brighter and people will notice a difference and want to understand how we've been able to create a life that is so enjoyable and full of good energy." I'm not sure if she could hear what I was saying, but I know in my heart that this is the case.

A wave of change is moving across our planet. People are ready to experience life in a new way. People are more open now than they ever have been to finding change and to experiencing joy again.

Are you ready? Are you feeling excited about each day or are you dreading it? Are you aware of your thoughts? Are you aware of the choices you make throughout the day and how each choice impacts your energy?

By observing and understanding what we are experiencing and how we create our own reality, we become powerful and gain the knowledge we need to step-by-step shift our lives.

Have a super week! Check out Eckhart's new book (or his other books). He is an amazing man with a deep understanding of life. Also, you can check out Oprah's course she is offering: http://www.oprah.com/obc_classic/webevent_registration.jsp .

If you are ready to wake up to your life in a totally new way, and if you feel you need some guidance and assistance in doing this, please let me know. My work as a life coach is to assist people in this process of regaining a true sense of their own power and purpose -- to show them that they can make new choices and in doing so, create new, amazing and joyful lives.

With love, hope and bright light shinging on the World to Wake more of us up to life,

Trish
Patricia Omoqui
Thought Dr.
http://www.patriciaomoqui.com/