Akosua Dardaine Edwards's Blog, page 129

Your Story has Power

In truth, there is a small one that suffers in each of us, an angel trying to grow wings in the dark,and as this angel learns how to sing, we lose the urge to hide Mark Nepo

I think it was Oprah Winfrey that I first heard with this theory - that secrets breed guilt, shame and fear. I heard it again from Ms Iyanla who talked about how secrets make us sick, unhealthy
she says that "you are as sick as your secrets" and the hard thing to accept that the secret was held to protect somebody, not to hurt anyone
It becomes an infection because there are lies and secrets associated with keeping the secret a secret
Iyanla says - love people and rspect them enough to tell them the truth.
The truth yes, the truth - will set you free

Hiding can take many forms
Lying
Procrastinating
Diminishing yourself
Pretending
Addictions (food, sex,drugs)
Overcompensating
Staying away from people

Stopping the pain and hiding starts by- stopping the story, change the story, your story has power in it, find it, use it,own it- the story that you tell yourself will shape your life

Tell the truth - to yourself first

Own it

Shine

You got this
Peace

Watch- there is Power in Your Story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH1K7...

My Daily Routine

Start Where It Feels Easy - Danielle La Porte

 I do the same thing every day. I get up. Drink a lot of water. Have a big chuck of watermelon, take a run.  Sometimes I meditate,Drink some green juice. Eat as healthy as I can. (bake  tho! And Anella’s bread!!)  Read something that moves me.
I’m not trying to win an award for being the best vegetarian, just want to be healthy. I’m blessed to do anything I want so I decide to take the best care of my body in the same way. Holistically. Vitally. Purposefully. And have some fun with it.What is your ritual?
Peace

Forgiveness Works

Romantic/familial/friendly relationships force you to look at your beliefs. They create the perfect environment to grow-up the wounded child within. While inviting you to release the stories that reinjury you time and time again.

But not all relationships foster growth. Sometimes relationships are replicas of unhealthy familiarity, which can be toxic. It's not unusual to attract someone who is complicit in co-creating dysfunction with you. Arguments, belittling, name-calling, and stagnancy. Fighting for nothing and/or everything. Or never disagreeing at all (which is often a red flag). Stacey Herrera
There I am minding my own business living my life, thinking that I am moving ahead, even slowly. I receive an email coming through my website- now ususally when the email comes through the website it is most times a request to speak or appear at an eventSo I start reading it, it starts off with " I read your book and it was such an authentic piece of sharing" so of course I continue with a smile on my face, then I see "remember me" now I am quite curious. She then starts to apologize, it starts with "I am sorry" now I am extra curious and goes on to a whole long story about how she is sorry about having an inappropriate relationship with my husband at the time and that she was young and naive and caught up in the intoxification blah blah blahWell well, where is this coming from?I started to tremble, I mean "what the whole hell?" just when I believed that I was over this! I decided to read the entire email - trust me it was an epistleShe apologized, she explained, she congratulated me and then held out an olive branch to make amendsWow!How much guts did that take?How much thought did that take?I sat down and had a good talk with myself- feel the feelings, do not run or hide from themI felt them allNow what?Forgive - that is what I heardForgive?Yup- forgive yourself for accepting less than the best and forgive them bothBe grateful - I also heard thatBe grateful?Yes - give thanks that you are no longer that personthat made me smileI am no longer the person that accepts less than in the name of keeping the peace, of being liked, of "how it will look" to rock the boatLet us start from thereAs soon as I did that I hit replyPeace

You Are Doing It Right

Of course you deserve to have the things you want in life. Of course you are worthy of having them. These are givens. The question is, are you willing to do the work required to get what you want? I am not talking about physical work. Oh no! Most of the time, we are all ready and willing to KILL OURSELVES WORKING to get the things we want. If that is all it takes, everyone's success would be assur ed. It is the mental, emotional and spiritual work that we usually overlook. When there is something that you really want, there is one thing you must really do - FOCUS! Focus your thoughts. Focus your energy...When you really want to focus on something, there is something you must develop and maintain -DISCIPLINE! You must be disciplined about what you think. You must do everything in a disciplined way . Iyanla Vanzant

I was chatting to one of my really great buddies who lives out in Johannesburg on Thursday, beautiful woman, beautiful kiddies, very kind and open, funny and smart and she said something to me that made me sit up, not only because of what it was but because it was the exact same thing I said to myself a few days before
She said " I wonder if I am doing this thing called life right" 
How about that?
Is there a right and wrong way to do life?

How did we get to a point where we even have to ask this question when the blessings are flowing?
How do we get to a point  where we can ask this, when the Universe loves us and keeps pointing out to us that what we are doing does not serve us yet still gives us free will to continue doing it, it never forces us to choose.
How do we get to the point where we ask this  question when we are healthy, when we have people that love us, that show up when we ask and sometimes when we don't even ask?
Because we are sitting in a space of lack and not enoughness, we are sitting in a space where we forget who we are and want to get something for nothing!
Newsflash - something for nothing does not exist!
Life is really about taking each day as it comes, being present, learning the lessons and making sure you pass them on, there are ebbs and flows, somedays we are laughing and smiling and other times we are crying. It is all part of the seasons, there is a season for everything under the sun
The trouble happens when we start comparing, when we start putting a formula to what we think success is instead of listening to our intuition and guides
When we feel we have less than we ought to
Reminder - you both ARE everything and HAVE everything

We must do the work- that means taking responsibility for our lives
We must get to a point of acceptance - of who we are and know that it is all good
and that life is a cycle, with seasons and divine timing
Peace

I declare

Declare: I no longer consent to thoughts, ideas, or beliefs entering my mind other than what comes from my soul, Spirit, Source, aspects of my higher dimensional self, or guides/teachers that are in service to my highest good. And so it is. Maryham Hassnaa

I declare an upcoming year of love and serve
I declare an upcoming year of authenticity
I declare an upcoming year of forgiveness
I declare an upcoming year of properity
I declare an upcoming year of blessings
I declare an upcoming year of service
I declare an upcoming year of fun
I declare an upcoming year of gratitude
I declare an upcoming year of content
I declare an upcoming year of progress
What do you declare?
Peace

Action and Self Belief

Trying to motivate yourself with fear is like screaming at a child, "Do something, dammit!" You'll either freeze up or act in counterproductive ways. Fear widens the knowing-doing gap. Don't use it.  Martha Beck'

How many times have you tried to scare yourself into doing something or maybe  into not doing something?

How many times did it work- in the long term?
I would safely bet to say not many times it works in the long term or work at all
Fear is usually not the best motivator to use
Nor is making yourself guilty
How many times you made your self guilty for having the nect donut, sending the text to the ex, spending too much time on social media instead of meeting your deadlines- that my friend does not work in the long term either

Action and Belief - there is it, simply that!
Take action - less talk- make the mistakes, learn as you go
Belief- believe that it can happen no matter what minus the expectations

Small steps daily - next time you open your mouth to say " I really should be " write it down then at the end of the day see how many times you "should" on yourself
The next time you feel guilty - take action, do something - not talk, something concrete.

Give it a go! Let's hear how it goes
Peace

Mentally Strong Involves acceting support too

Being mentally strong doesn't mean you have to be completely self-reliant.
Mental strength isn't about proclaiming that you don't ever need help from anyone, or from any type of higher power. Admitting you don't have all the answers, asking for help when you need it and acknowledging that you can gain strength from a higher power is a sign of a desire to grow stronger. Amy Morin

Asking for help is a challenge for me so when I read this, there was a combination of laughter and head shaking! oh and there was also a few OMG's thrown in there too! 
I have been getting better and better at it and by golly it feels like progress. Sometimes there is a relapse then the Universe reminds me and nudges me "hey, you live in the world....with other people" with situations and events which scream out for my connection with others, for my accepting support from others, for my communion with others from as simple as taking a run on a weekend right up to being accompanied to the police station after my car was broken into!So, gentle reminder to self that asking and accepting support and help is no way an indication that I am weak, a failure or doing something wrongIt is just a natural part of life
Peace

Body Shots

I believe we create every so-called "illness" in our body. The body like everything else in life, is a mirror of our inner thoughts and beliefs, the body is always talking to us, if we will take the time to listen Louise Hay

My shoulder has been injured for going onto 3 weeks, I have been walking around nursing it. I am a firm believer that what is happening on the inside or what is happening in one's life manifests itself in one's body
So it is with a mixture of frustration and curiosity that I find myself asking myself: "self, what is going on here?" I spoke to my shoulder too "Heal thyself!!" "Now!"
So this morning with that conversation in mind I started exercising, well well well
I had to run for the muscle relaxant almost immediately, it seems like the pep talk did not work
I have been contemplating what is happening that I am not facing, that I am blocking, that I am denying that I must pay attention to
Sometimes the healing starts within in fact, all the time the healing starts within
Starts with getting silent, getting still, getting honest, getting real!
It really is that simple
Peace

No One is Out Of Place

We are all different, which is great because we are all unique. Without diversity life would be very boring.” — Catherine Pulsifer
This morning I accompanied a friend of mine to her old secondary school, they invited her back to speak and take part in one of their events, recognizing her as one of the school's esteemed past pupils
As we stood there while they fussed over her, she asked to walk around the campus so we decided to take the walk. As we were walking she pointed out where her class room was, the labs and started giving stories about her time at the school
When we were finished she was quite pensive and quiet, then she said, I really did not have a good time or very fond memories of this place. In hindsight I know that many of the experiences shaped me into who I am today but it is clear now to me that I put them out of my head and as I return here today after over ten years I feel totally out of place, like I still don't belong

What happens when we treat people who are different to us, look different to us, speak differently, dress differently in a way that leaves them out? What happens when we ostrasize others because of the colour of their skin, their religion, their address? More importantly what happens to them when they do not have a strong sense of self nor a network of support?
Many times they feel ashamed and with that some of them act from that place of shame - thinking perhaps that something is wring with them
Other times they feel inadequate - they never feel good enough
Sometimes they become indifferent and not care about anything or anyone

Be mindful of how you treat people that seem different, that look different, that act different
Diversity is a beautiful thing, it allows for different views and opinions, for growth.
It provides avenues for changing the world....
Peace

Turning up on Purpose

" When I think of all the disappointments of the past I just laugh" - George Micheal


Turning up at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Trinidad and Tobago International Accounting and Finance Conference was a combination of nostalgia and fun. I saw quite a few old friends and faces. It certainly brought back some memories of my past life and also threw up some lessons that I still have to master - ego and external validation, proving myself to others that I made a the right choice in leaving the profession, I am still at the back of the class working my way forward
The great lesson is I no longer feel guilty about leaving the "steady job" I know I am in the place where I am supposed to be.

All in all a wonderful experience, the speech went well and I took some time to have a drink after with my good buddy Tash

Peace