A Note of Encouragement for the Weary

Yes, I admit it.  I am exhausted.  My plate is rather full these days both personally and professionally.  I am making sure I getting enough sleep.  Yet, I just feel worn down. 

I have been observing myself, watching my thoughts very closely.  I have noticed that if I live one small moment at a time, I am fine.  I have discovered that if I begin to think a week, a month or a year into the future, I become tired.

The beauty of Life is that the only moment I need to live is RIGHT NOW. 

I live this moment, then the next, then the next. . . as I approach life this way, I am able to flow smoothly forward.  It becomes easier when I just take one step at a time rather than wondering and worrying over the next one hundred miles of the journey ahead.

I have been spending daily time at a nearby park.  Nature has a way of renewing me.  I have been sitting and walking amongst the grandest trees and dainty flowers.  Butterflies show up on my path as do birds of many shapes and sizes.  A brisk walk cleanses and uplifts my spirit.  I am in awe of the simple treasures and miracles life offers.

So today, I give thanks for where I am.  I am where I a meant to be.  I choose to relax into that knowing and rejoice at how far I have come and how much I have learned.

I say a prayer for each of us this week, that our minds will be calm and our spirits will be renewed.

Rest and meditate on these thought-provoking quotes as you begin a new week:

"The great opportunity is where you are. Do not despise your own place and hour. Every place is under the stars, every place is the center of the world." (John Burroughs)

"Don’t be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves." (Dale Carnegie)

"Inside myself is a place where I live all alone, and that's where you renew your springs that never dry up." (Pearl S. Buck)

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

Harness Your Power: Do Something New!

This week has been filled with fun experiences.  Today, for example, I went sledding with my girls.  The weather was perfect for it.  With 12 inches of snow on the ground and a cold (but not freezing) temperature, we visited Valley Forge National Park for an hour of sliding down the slope. 

Yes, I admit it, I LOVED every minute.  I felt like a little girl.  I wiped out in the snow.  I felt the rush as the sled sped down the hill (somewhat out of control).

Saturday night as the snow was just beginning to fall, my husband and I went to an amazing concert at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia.  The artist, Nneka, is a 1/2 German and 1/2 Nigerian woman.  She grew up in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.  This woman's music is REAL.

Nneka opened the concert saying, "I'm not here to entertain you.  I'm here to show you love.  Take it or leave it."  Her message is radical -- that we must learn to love not hate, that we must not overlook the obvious issues around the World.  We must wake up and do something about it.  (Check her videos out on YouTube...you'll get a feel for Nigeria if you watch the scenes...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXMTtOS-oKg  ).

I felt so alive after the concert. I was moved in my soul.  What a fantastic experience to re-fire my spirit and move me to do more with my talents and my love.

I share all this to say, DO SOMETHING NEW!  Get active and out of the routine.  It's just so easy to get comfortable in a daily existence and forget that there is new music to be heard, physical activity to be enjoyed and interesting people to meet. 

If life feels boring, shake up your energy and step out of your comfort zone.

Drive a new route to work.
Talk to people at the office you typically avoid and do so with an open mind.
Choose a new radio station to listen to.
Eat a type of food that would wake up your senses!
Those of you in PA, just fall on the ground in your neighborhood and make a snow angel.

We are here to L-I-V-E ON P-U-R-P-O-S-E. 

I visited my 85 year old grandmother for an hour this week.  There she sits in her chair all day long.  She is content to listen to books on tape.  She has lived her life.  We took time telling stories of the days when she chased us as little grandkids.  Then, when I was in college she would bake me and my Princeton bball teammates plenty of brownies, rice krispy treats and cupcakes (with hershey kisses hidden in the middle).  What a wonderful way she chose to share her love with so many people.

As I left her I realized again that NOW is my moment to live.  There is no reason to postpone happiness or enjoyment anymore. 

Loving life (yes, even these big challenges),
Patricia Omoqui, The Thought Dr.
http://www.patriciaomoqui.com/

Harness Your Power: Thinking Storms

Have you ever felt completely overwhelmed mentally, emotionally and physically when you begin to focus either on your fears or on intensely painful stories from your past?

I've decided to call these experiences "Thinking Storms."

I had a few today.  Some of my old financial fears were activated.  I sat and watched the mental patterns churn.  I noticed the sick feeling in my stomach and tension in my shoulders.  I could feel my breathing get faster.  The nervous inner energy translated into tapping my hand and wiggling my leg. 

A thinking storm was in full force.

What could I do?

I've learned the past few years that there are plenty of ways to move into the eye of the thinking storms.  Here's what I did today:  I moved into my Observer role and watched the thoughts, observing them in detail.  I observed the way it moved through the emotional and physical body.  I knew what was going on inside myself because this old pattern has repeated itself thousands and thousands of times.

I smiled as I saw it, even in the midst of the intensity.  Then, I began with affirmations: "I am safe.  I am supported.  I am guided in every moment.  I am blessed beyond measure.  (Then, I listed every blessing I could think of).  I am abundantly cared for by the Universe.  I am healthy, happy and whole.  Everything I need moves easily into my life. .." 

The old thoughts kept wanting to take over.  So, then, I moved into deep breathing.  I watched the mental patterns swirling.  I breathed and could sense an inner peace even as the thought storm seemed to intensify.

I just kept breathing and affirming what I WANTED rather than focusing on my fears.

My children entered the room.  I shifted my thoughts onto them, noticing every little detail of their lovely faces.  How beautiful they are.  How full of life.  I looked deeply into their eyes and saw the Spark of Life.  I felt a moment of incredible joy and fulfillment.

They left the room and those thinking storms wanted to restart.  I said a prayer and offered the mental burdens to the Divine. 

Before I knew it, the storm had passed and my energy felt refreshed.

I wanted to share this with you because I experience the challenge of old thought patterns.  I just deal with them in a much different way now.  The thought storms do not have the same power over me.  I can be calm as they happen.

Hope these ideas will be helpful to you!
They sure work for me and my clients.

Affirmations.  Breathing.  Gratitude.  Mindfulness.  Prayer.  Handing over the Burdens.

Excellent tools to help you feel safe in the midst of the storms.

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

Harness Your Power: Take Time for Refreshment

I spent time this week with my best friend, Carrie, who I met over 10 years ago. The Universe brought her and I together as friends through a friend I had at Princeton. His parents were missionaries on the island of Madeira (situated off the coast of Portugal). The three of us spent a summer together there helping his parents with camps and other work they were doing. It was a fun, intense learning experience. The most important thing I gained from the summer was a soul sister and life-long friend.

I had fun with her 2 year old daughter Keira. We went to the park together on a gorgeous, sunny day. When Carrie told Keira it was time to go home, Keira said, “No go home. Live in park.” She kept saying that over and over. It was so cute. It was so beautiful how Keira loved nature and felt connected to the animals, trees and sunshine.

Keira reminds me this week of getting back to the basics of enjoying the small wonders in nature. The night I arrived at their house Keira invited me outside to see a frog family that lived in the backyard. She was fascinated by the frogs. She also was excited by the beautiful fire her daddy built for Carrie and me to roast marshmallows and make S’mores. Keira was intrigued by the flames, amazed when the fire crackled. I regained a sense of wonder by observing her fascination with life.

Carrie and I sat in the dark after Keira was asleep. She lives in a small town in Connecticut full of apple orchards. It was wonderful to be under a starry sky listening to the noises of the night. I felt at peace in nature.

Earlier in the week I also had the privilege of visiting Rickets Glenn state park situated just outside of Scranton, PA. My mom was my guide as we hiked a trail to the most breathtaking waterfalls I’ve seen in years. She also introduced me to the Hemlock Temple, a virgin forest with trees hundreds of years old. We walked in total silence through this forest. I could feel my feet sink into the soft Earth beneath me. I felt so supported by the ground. We both felt intense energy, life pulsing in this forest.

Time in nature reinvigorates me. My energy tank had gotten really low the past few months with all the challenges I’ve been facing. I could sense myself close to empty so I finally listened to my body, mind and spirit beckoning me for a break.

I encourage each of you to take some sort of a break this week – even if that means ½ of a personal day to go to a local park or a few hours of “YOU” time where you can do something that boosts your energy. Why put this off? Why not purposefully schedule time for yourself ASAP. Your well-being is a priority!

After experiencing this week of refreshment I’m determined to schedule mini-breaks more often. I am a better mother and wife when I feel well. I’m more effective as a life coach, writer and speaker when my energy is high. It feels good to be in this space.

I beckon you to remember the importance of self-care. You won’t regret giving your body, mind and spirit what it needs.

With much love,
Patricia Omoqui
http://www.patriciaomoqui.com/

p.s. I think I may start living in the park like Keira suggested. It would be fun to make the slide my bed and use the water fountain to brush my teeth:)