Harness Your Power: Live & Love for Today

In light of the recent occurences in Haiti, I have reminded that TODAY truly is the only day we have.  We never know how our lives might change in an instant.  In fact, a family friend died suddenly this week.  She had no idea her time to move on would arrive so quickly.  It did.

I was reminded of a video I created called Life Is a Dash .  It goes by so quickly.  Please watch this and make sure you live with purpose and passion. 

Live for today.  Love with all your heart.  Move beyond judgment and drama and enjoy the people in your life.  Find what you have in common rather than fighting over differences of opinion.  Follow your heart and your dreams.  Don't let fear or self-doubt keep you from doing what you love.  Take steps every day to create a joyful, happy, peaceful life experience.

Observe your thinking.  Choose to focus your thinking time on what you WANT to experience.  Let go of past guilt and shame.  Move into living today.  Let go of future worry.  Move into life today.

I am here to help and support you in living your best life.
I choose to live on purpose.
I choose to find the beauty in each moment.

Will you join me?

With my deepest love,
Patricia Omoqui, The Thought Dr.
http://www.patriciaomoqui.com/

Harness Your Power: Joy & Passion

Today I write in honor of my oldest daughter, Maggie.  This Tuesday Miss Maggie Moo will turn 7 years old.  I'm amazed at how quickly these years have gone by. 

For those of you who know me well, you are aware that I call Maggie my greatest teacher.  It was her arrival in my life that caused me to do some deep soul searching.  At three months of age we were told that Maggie was a floppy baby.  She underwent every test thinkable only for us to be told they didn't know why she had low muscle tone.  We were left in total uncertainty -- told that Maggie might not walk, talk or be "normal."

I celebrate my daughter today!  She can walk.  She struggles still getting up the stairs.  She can talk.  She still has speech therapy and is not as understandable as other kids her age.  She has developmental delays and yet is learning to read, write and do simple math problems.  She is tenacious.  She never gives up on learning.  Thankfully she is a born teacher.  Whatever she does in the classroom at school she carries home to instruct her baby dolls all evening long.

My daughter was officially diagnosed with Prader Willi Syndrome when she was 5 years old.  I'm learning that this syndrome has a wide range of possibilities for a person's life.  I'm coming to understand that we have no idea what her future will bring so we need not spend our time worrying about it or wondering.  Maggie has taught me to live in the present moment and embrace life wholeheartedly.  That is how she lives.  She doesn't even know that she has this syndrome.  She simply lives with zest and freedom.

I give thanks today for physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, doctors, nurses and supportive family and friends who have helped us make so much progress.  Maggie is resilient.  She is smart with a very sharp set of ears --she NEVER misses a word that is said and we are often shocked when she reminds us of what we said!

I look back now and see that if I had spent the last 7 years in worry, I would have been miserable.  Instead, I have focused on the beauty in Maggie.  I've accepted her journey as HER journey, not one to be measured against other children.  I have celebrate each step of progress and watched in wonder at how she always has kept a happy spirit and a brilliant smile.

Maggie follows her passion.  She loves to teach.  She told her pre-school teacher one day that she was going to take her job and that her teacher would have to go get a job at McDonalds!  That is how serious Maggie is about her teaching.  For her birthday she asked for a white board and markers.  Since opening her gift yesterday she has been using the white board to further instruct her babies.

I am in awe as I watch her.  She jumps for joy almost every day.  She loves life.  She loves others.  She is kind.  She is helpful and motherly.  She is all that I could ever have asked for in a daughter.

Here is what I want to say to her this week:  "Thank you Miss Maggie for stimulating me to be joyful and follow my passion.  It is because of you that I am an inspirational speaker, life coach and writer.  I love you.  I am in awe of you, Mom"

Please, in honor of Maggie and because life is so short, follow your passion.  Do what comes naturally.  Remember what makes you tick, what you can't get enough of and begin to incorporate it into your life.

And, this week, please find at least one opportunity to jump up and down and celebrate life like my dearest daughter.  Notice that as you do this you MUST smile.  Jumping for joy is fun.

Living with joy and passion,
Patricia Omoqui, The Thought Dr.
http://www.patriciaomoqui.com/

Harness Your Power: Thanks to Pioneers

Last night I watched the movie "The Secret Life of Bees." The movie was set in the 1960s in the South of America. What touched me most deeply was a scene where a teenage African American boy went to the movies with a white girl his age. The two were clearly falling for each other. When they arrived at the movie theater, the young man had to go through the "coloured" door and the girl went through the "whites only" entry of the theatre. Rather than sitting in separate areas like they were supposed to, they decided to sit next to each other and share the snacks they had purchased.

Angry white racist men stormed into the theatre and began to beat the young man. The girl screamed, begging them to stop their violence. They continued their violence anyway and took the boy away in a car. Nobody knew if the boy would ever be seen again. (You'll have to rent the movie to see what happens...)

As I sat with my husband watching the movie I began to think of how often I take for granted that I am in an inter-racial marriage and my children are of mixed race. Look how far the United States (and other parts of the World) has come in regards to race relations in the course of 50 years. Of course, there is still racism, but much has changed!

Today, I take time to celebrate pioneers--people who have stood up for their vision of what is right. When confronted with violence, anger and hatred from those who want things to stay the same, they don't back down. Pioneers see beyond where the culture is and know that we can evolve further. Martin Luther King Jr reminds us, "Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better." That is the type of minority I want to be counted in.

I thank the leaders of the women's rights movement and the civil rights movement for the progress they made and for the groundwork they laid to allow me and my family the lives we live today. I am truly grateful that they stayed focus and never gave up.

It also caused me to consider whether I have the type of courage to stand for my truth. I want to be so committed to progress and to helping others live their best lives that I never let up in my pursuit for what I believe in. I pray that in moments of trial I will be able to stay the course and be strong as those who have gone before me.

Don't give up on what you believe in. Follow your passion. Live your vision no matter what anyone around you tells you. There will be plenty of naysayers and many cowards. Martin Luther King Jr. also said, "A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus." Don't stick with the crowd. Stay true to your heart. Pave the way. Create the future.

Be the pioneer that opens the way for future generations to enjoy an even better, more peaceful and secure World than we have today.

with sincere desire to make our World a better place,

Patricia Omoqui

http://www.patriciaomoqui.com/

Harness Your Power: Move Beyond Labels

As I sit here writing this blog there is a heaviness I feel in my chest. Maybe you can relate to this feeling. Have you ever received news that made your heart sink? That’s what I experienced on Friday.

I received news on Friday – or should I say, I was given a label for the syndrome that is the root cause of the health issues that my oldest daughter Maggie has experienced since birth. It’s ironic to have received this label on Friday. On Thursday I was elated because Maggie was able to point out all the letters in a word. She did this as we were driving home from school. I honked the horn for her and cheered really loud in the car. She smiled and felt so proud of her accomplishment. I felt relief – maybe things are getting easier for her.

Fast forward 12 hours. The pediatrician calls with the results of some blood work. She proceeds to tell me that the blood work revealed an underlying genetic condition. We didn’t think the blood work would come back positive. But it did.

Over the course of the next 24 hours I grieved, processed, and began to wrap my arms around this label my daughter has been given. How could it be that hearing this label would change the way I see my daughter? How could I begin to worry about the future again just because we have a new word to describe Maggie’s experience?

I sit here not knowing what this label means. Of course, I read all there was to read on the Internet to get a base understanding of what it might mean. On Monday I will see a geneticist and get a better understanding of this label.

The most helpful thing my mom said to me was, “Trish, Maggie won’t be limited by a label. Maggie is here on her journey and the experience she has chosen is going to be beautiful. Remember the speech you delivered last year – you told the audience that Maggie is perfect just the way she is. That hasn’t changed. Nothing has changed. You must live in the present moment and open to the tremendous beauty that will come from this situation. You can do this. You did it once already when she was initially diagnosed. You can choose to see her beauty and see the magnificent possibilities in her life.”

I believe that the only limits we have are those we place upon ourselves. The only limits we experience are those we “buy into.” It’s clear to me today that the labels we use to describe ourselves and our roles in life can be highly limiting. What if instead of allowing ourselves to be defined by labels, we began to define the labels ourselves? Must we buy into what society tells us a label should mean?

I had initially written a blog for this week entitled, “Moment by Moment Choices.” I am writing the same blog but from a very different inner space. As I move through this situation and come to understand it more deeply, I see clearly that I have a moment by moment choice of what I focus my thoughts on. Will I focus on fear and limitation? Or, will I focus on joy and love?

In situations like this I return to the principles I teach my clients:

• Live in the moment.


• Open to the unlimited possibilities of what you can create with your life.


• Choose to release all fear and worry.


• Relax.


• Release the fear and the heaviness to the Universe.


• Lighten up.


• Soar through life.


• Enjoy each and every micro-second of life.

It’s so interesting how life circles around back to the same core issues and challenges. Five years ago I was faced with the same thoughts, feelings and fears. I celebrate the fact that I have grown tremendously the last few years.

I don’t believe in the word “disability.” What does that mean anyway? Just because there are people who are different than the “norm,” doesn’t mean that they are limited. We assume people who are different are limited. Those with different physical bodies and different mental capacities have the chance to create unique life journeys. Why do we choose to label these people and assume them to be something less or something strange? I believe that these Earth Angels are here to challenge us to open our eyes and interpret life in new ways.

Watch yourself this week. Notice how often you label yourself and limit yourself with labels. Notice how often you do this to other people. Watch how you react when you see someone with a physical challenge. Do you grimace? Do you feel uncomfortable? Choose to understand these feelings more deeply. Choose to open your mind and celebrate what is different and unique. Choose to celebrate the amazing life journey these individuals are on.

There is still a pressure in my chest and many tears that are ready to flow from my eyes. I choose to be authentic and real as I move through this situation with my daughter. Is this hard? Yes, it feels uncomfortable and tense. I have learned that when I embrace these challenges, I grow and expand in ways that I didn’t even know were possible. I welcome this pain. I invite it in. I feel it fully. I realize that the more human experiences I move through, the more people I am able to relate to.

Life’s difficulties are rich. Am I abundant? Yes. Am I blessed? Yes. Am I thankful for this experience with this new label? Yes.

May we move beyond our labels and define who we want to be.

With tears, pain, hope, joy, passion and deep care for anyone who is experiencing challenge in their life right now,

Your friend and coach,
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/

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!

"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