Harness Your Power: Love is the Purpose

I've come to realize that no matter what job we have or what our "outer purpose" is in the world, LOVE is our true purpose.  Anything done in the spirit of love --whether laundry or cutting the lawn or greeting a stranger, picking up trash or being an executive in a boardroom--anything done in the spirit of love can touch lives deeply.

This week, my simple focus is love.  Perhaps, that is truly what my life focus is.  As I center myself in love, more and more I realize that anything I do can be infused with color and meaning.  I used to dread the daily trivialities of housework and paperwork and the nitty gritty tasks of dealing with life.  But now, as I bring love to it and have a joyful song in my heart, I even see the amazing aspects of these ordinary tasks.

Open to infusing love into everything you think, say and do.  It's a tall task, I know.  But, if you begin to do so, life will take on a whole new look and feel for you!

Writing this short blog post with my love,
Patricia Omoqui, The Thought Dr.
http://www.patriciaomoqui.com/

Harness Your Power: Speak From the Heart

This was a busy week for me but a very rich one. I want to share two personal highlights with you to remind you of the simplicity and power of speaking from your heart.

The first: on Thursday I spent the day with 40 other volunteers from The Book Bank Foundation (http://www.thebbf.org/). We loaded a bus in Queens, NY at 10 a.m. and spent the next 12 hours at 4 homeless shelters throughout the city. At each shelter we brought the residents clothes, books, toys, toiletries and a short, inspirational program. Spending time with people who are in such difficult circumstances put things in perspective -- it is easy to complain or think that we don't have enough in our lives...but if you have a home, you really are blessed beyond measure.

We also brought Santa to the shelters. The children all got to take pictures with Santa. The smiles were big and it was great to see the kids excited to see this familiar face.

This year we were blessed to have all the volunteers travel together on a large bus. Throughout the day as we traveled between shelters, we took the time introducing ourselves and sharing our feelings about the experience. We created an environment where people could be vulnerable and share as freely as they wanted about their lives. There were people from all walks of life -- from refugees to former prison inmates to women from a local church.

It was interesting to observe the comfort level each person had with getting up in front of the group to tell about themselves. Some were very shy and hesitant. Yet, with a little coaxing, almost every person stood up to share.

I was reminded that the only thing you need to do when you speak in front of others is to share from your heart. When you do, no matter what words you come up with, people feel your authenticity and are deeply touched by your experience. I found myself moved by each volunteer's experience and personal story. I give each of them a big thanks for their willingness to share, even though many felt an initial hesitation.

The second highlight: Early in the week I had the privilege to spend time with Nicole Brewer, digital journalist for CBS3.com. Nicole did a piece on the daily Food For Thought list that I write. The interview was relaxed and spending time with Nicole was a blessing. I went into the interview excited and ready to share. It was fun to share the story of how Food For Thought came about since it has such a dear place in my heart.

When we simply tell our story with enthusiasm and love, people can sense our authenticity. If you haven't already, please check out the interview: http://cbs3.com/brewer/Patricia.Omoqui.inspirational.2.888924.html . I was reminded through this interview that the only thing I have to do is BE ME. All I need to ever do in life is to authentically share my experience.

Take every opportunity you can this week to speak from your heart. Get out of your comfort zone a bit as you interact with family and friends. Share your feelings. Give people a sense of where you are in your life experience and what you are learning. Being honest about our life experiences is a means of sharing our love.

Written from my heart,

Patricia Omoqui

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/

What Sets Your Heart On Fire?

One important aspect of Harnessing Your Personal Power is to know what you are passionate about. If someone were to ask you, “What sets your heart on fire? What gets you excited about life?” How would you answer that question?

It is so easy to get lost in the day-to-day routine of life and get bogged down with the drudgery of our daily schedules. Yet, when we begin to connect with our passions, it totally transforms our lives – not to mention the way it can transform the World!

Several years ago when I was in my deepest personal despair, I would not have been able to tell you what I was passionate about. I knew what had made me excited in the past – traveling the World, learning about new cultures, working with kids, coaching. . .But, for several years I got so caught up in my personal misery, my worry and my fear, that I lost sight of how to incorporate these passions into my life.

In the past few years I have reconnected to my passion again. I wake up every day flooded with ideas, creativity and joy for the work I’m doing and for the volunteer work I am involved in. Now I can’t imagine what my life would feel like without doing those things that make my heart beat faster, my blood flow more quickly and get me smiling non-stop throughout the day.
If you are stuck in a rut in life, the beginning of 2008 is a great time to ask some new questions – if you probe your heart deeply and look for the answers, they will emerge. Please consider the following this week (pull our your journal and spend some quiet time with yourself):

• What do I absolutely love to do (or what have I loved to do in the past)?


• Have I ever felt my heart start pounding when I was about to do something I loved? If so, what was it?


• As a teenager, what causes or issues was I passionate about?


• Have I ever done volunteer work that brought me joy and great satisfaction?


• Is there an activity that I do or have done in the past that helped me feel “in the flow?”

While I was still in corporate America I began my quest to find more meaning. I got trained by the Montgomery County Mediation Association in transformative mediation so that I could mediate neighborhood disputes and other conflict situations. After that, they trained me on how to mediate Victim Offender Conferences. Each time I had the opportunity to do a mediation, I felt excited, purposeful and full of delight. It was a way I could use my talents to touch lives. It was also an opportunity for me to find meaning when I felt bored with my corporate work.

I have the pleasure now of working with some passionate people at the Book Bank Foundation (www.thebbf.org). One night last week from 10 pm – midnight we were on the phone strategizing about how to raise funds, find donors and do an even better job in 2008 serving the homeless. Though I am typically not a late night person, I didn’t feel tired at all during the call because I love talking about the ideas of helping others and because I was surrounded by people who are on fire with love and desire to bring about change in our World!

We can never truly be stuck in life – we are always a question away from finding something that excites us. Take the time this week to consider these questions and ideas. Jump out of the routine. Instead of watching TV, call an organization that you might want to volunteer for in 2008. Or, find a book that excites you so you can expand your mind and heart. Shake up your life in 2008! Why not do things that are out of the ordinary? Why not spend time and energy bringing joy to your own life?

The more of us who have our hearts set on fire for life, the more beautiful our World will become – for we will bring smiles, new energy and fresh creativity to each day! You will Harness Your Personal Power in a way you can hardly imagine if you connect to your passion this year.
Let’s BE THE CHANGE that we want to see in the World.

If you are smiling more, happier, more peaceful and joyful, you are sure to create that in your World.

Please email me with your thoughts and ideas on this subject! patricia@patriciaomoqui.com
If you are interested in helping raise funds, or get donations for the homeless, please email me and I can give you some ideas on how to help the Book Bank Foundation. Check out their website at http://www.thebbf.org/.

• Do you knit blankets? Would you like to knit some for the homeless?


• Do you bake? Want to set up a bake sale to raise some funds?


• Do you have extra sweaters, pants, coats and long sleeved shirts hanging around your closet? If you want to donate, please let me know.


• Do you have friends who would donate all their change (pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters) towards helping the homeless?
  

If so, let me know!

My heart is on fire with love for you, for life and for bringing transformation to the World!

Trish

http://www.patriciaomoqui.com/