Akosua Dardaine Edwards's Blog, page 133

Any Public Issue Will Eventually Get to Your Door

Any public issue will get to your private door eventually. If we are messing with the environment it will eventually affact you and so the list goes on . Marianne Willamson

There is so much going on in the world right now, from hurricanes wiping out islands, to leaders who respond like they aren't leading, to mass shootings, to killing black folks and the list goes on and on till the break of dawn
It is enough to get one disjointed, disappointed and anxious. Truth be told I am at that point. Wht next? I have decided that I must contribute to the solution, I have no clue what THE solution is but I know what my solution is- to be the best me, to make where I am better than when I found it, to stop being selfish, to live as though there are other people and living beings on the planet. Simple things I am starting with
recycling - there is no obvious and convenient ways to recyle where I live
using less plastic bags
giving to charity both financial and time
be my best - do my best - be kind- set boundaries- hae fun- pay my taxes
that's me
what about you?

Peace

Practice Setting Boundaries - FIrst with Yourself

If you have difficulty saying no, override your needs to please others, or are bothered by someone who is demanding, controlling, criticizing, pushy, abusive, invasive, pleading, or even smothering you with kindness, it’s your responsibility to speak up. Darlene Lancer


I think it still remains to this day, one of the toughest lessons on the journey! There are internal and external boundaries - who knew?? Internal boundaries relate to your relationship with yourself and external boundaries relate to your relationship with others, both are equaly important on the journey
So why might it be the challenges in setting boundaries:
You put others’ needs and feelings first;You don’t know yourself;You don’t feel you have rights;You believe setting boundaries jeopardizes the relationship; andYou never learned to have healthy boundaries.Boundaries protect us! They protect you and the people around you, think of it like a fence. There is a gate and sometimes the gate is locked and has to stay locked to protect what's inside the fence from any harm or danger. The gate in the fence represents flexibility, one cannot be so rigid as to leave everything and everyone outside without checking to see who they are and what they are bringing. into your spaceWould you leave your house open for anything and anyone to enter? I doubt itBoundaries are like thatCheck in at the gateDecideThen take actionthis helps in processing guilt and resentmentPractice.Setting. BoundariesFirst with yourselfPeace

Show Up Anyway

Naïve vulnerability thinks: If I try hard enough to be heard, I’ll get what I want.
Awake vulnerability thinks:  This is hard work. I have no idea what will come of this. I’m showing up anyway. Danielle La Porte

Not everyone is going to agree with you
Not everyone will like you
Not everyone will share in your enthusiasm
Not everyone will be ready for your idea
Show up Anyway!!

Not everyone will be on the A Team
Not everyone will be on any of your teams
Not everyone will be in the trenches with you
Show up Anyway!

Not everyone will share in your joy
Not everyone will share with you, period
Not everyone will share in your dream
Show up Anyway!

Not everyone will be at the party with you
Not everyone who started will remain with you
Not everyone will be celebrating with you 
Show up Anyway!

Know What You Know

A woman always knows what she needs to know. Unfortunately, her knowing is often buried beneath a thought, feeling, habit, perception, facade, situation, or the simple unwillingness to acknowledge herself, her power and, therein, her knowing. 
When a woman is not willing to admit that she knows what she knows, she will attract people who are willing to support her in remaining ignorant so, that she can be used, manipulated, betrayed, dishonored, and left bleeding at the side of the road. 
More important, when a woman doesn’t believe that she knows, she will create situations and circumstances to prove how dumb, helpless, dysfunctional, broken, battered, wounded, hopeless, and stupid she believes she is. Of course, this behavior is not a conscious activity. It is habitual. It is a conditioned response. It is the basis of the pain in nearly every woman’s heart. It is a function of refusing to know. Iyanla 
One of favourite things to do in this world is sit around my granma's kitchen table, I haven't been able to do it for much of this year, she has not been well and I have, honestly, not made the time to go visit her. I realised how much I loved doing that when I was not doing it any more- isn't that the story many times, we miss things when they are gone
This weekend I was particularly happy as I had the opportunity to sit with my grandma like old times, she was in particular fine form and the stories were flowing. To her mind, she has a responsibility to share these stories with me because according to her "I am a softie" and in her youthful days she was fire! In between the laughter and old time tales I recognise that she was the first story teller that I was exposed to, that she was the first real patriot that I knew, and to this day, with her health she is still literally running around assisting the communuity in her own way, contributing in groups. I understand my own journey more when she shares her story.Sharing your story, heals you and heals someone else, it gets it out of your head and place it firmly "on the alter to be altered" Peace

Always OK

Maybe you’re just kind of weird in a world that rewards “normal”. Too woo woo in a very linear, narrow-sighted culture. You’re doing all the good, metaphysical, motivational work but you feel like there’s a veil between you and what you really want to manifest, and if you get it, you don't get to keep it. Erase erase.

That’s the subtle but very toxic Lie of Inadequacy telling you that you’re here and what you want is way over there, on the “right” side of it all. DLP



Why are we afraid to speak our truth? to share the stories, the lessons on our journey's? I even ask myself the same question
What stops us from speaking up? From making a decision? From setting boundaries?
It all boils down to fear
Fear of losing
Losing the job, the friend, the relationship, the money, the respect
Funnily enough, it happens anyway, because one cannot pretend foreever, there will come a time with you have to tell the radical truth. There will come a time when the fear will not be enough to keep you from living your truth
And when that day comes know for sure that you will "always, always be very okay"
Peace

Day 1 - NiNa = Girls

Begin where you are, with what you have. 
When you start a workout, a trainer will tell you, "If you can't touch your toes, reach for your knees. If you can't reach your knees, go for your hips." Iyanla

Today the NiNa Programme launched at a secondary (high) school making this it's 6th year in existence! Who knew? I am pants at keeping count, I don't even keep track of my own age, today Avinash, the teacher attached to the programme mentioned it in his introduction and I just had to say wow!
This programme was one of my life saving tools, in the midst of a seeming life crisis. Fired, no cash, feeling totally alone (by choice, because I did not ask for help) I said, heck I have nothing to lose so why the hell not, I am starting this. It was a leap of faith, I called a few of my friends, I wanted an advisory panel, we met at an office in the South of the Island and talked about how it can be rolled out, Started with an idea and a will, nothing else, not even a dime, a place to host it, or participants.Six years after, the advisory panel is gone as it existed at that time, but in came Mr Ramsubhag and Ms Ready-Toby who are true soldier-angels! the definition of ride or die in my book, and right in front of my eyes the team is expanding- talk about organic growth!

I am excited to see how it unfolds and really grateful for the journey
Today's group was larger than usual, we do have causalties along the way and so I am also excited to see how many are at the finish line in June next year.

Give thanks



Would love your support on this programme that I am involved in
https://www.globalgiving.org/projects...

You Matter

Who you Are Matters
What You Do Matters
because you have a life in your hand
Even you mistakes matter -Iyanla


It is always good to remind ourselves that we are not as Marianne Willamson says "enlightened masters" we are on a journey and sometimes we may go off course due to a variety of reasons. That does not say that we are "bad people" or something is wrong with us, that we cannot make mistakes and recover from them
We matter!
We have a role in this world to be ourselves, to learn from our mistakes, to love and to love the lessons
What happens is we get stuck in a holding pattern
We make a mistake or a poor choice or something happens that throws us off the Course we thing we ought to be on and we freeze, we start having these negative self conversations which spirals into a feeling of not enoughness, and we all know that not enoughness will mash you up!
So remember in those moments that even though you walk down the path of poor choices, mistakes, and whatever you think makes you believe you didn't do and was supposed to do, you are loved, special and you matter
Catch that
Peace

Would love your support on this programme that I am involved in
https://www.globalgiving.org/projects...

The Truth is Waiting... Patiently

You do not recognize the enormous waste of energy you expend in denying truth ACIM
The truth needs no defence, it is undeniable, they say the truth hurts and perhaps it does. I want to say what hurts more is the denial of the truth and acting on illusions.The truth opens doors, it propels you forward. It is the great levellerThink of all the times you have been living a lie by denying yourself, by giving your friends stories, making them up, by not living your best life. When you finally face it the releif is so overwhelming, the relief so out does the fear!We all want to be liked, accepted and favoured, those are the reasons that we usually go through life denying our truth, denying the truth.but the old cliche applies - the truth will set you free.Whatever your truth is, live it, look at all the people who are peaceful and doing their lives in a positive way, they are living their truth, being themselves unapologetically. They are living out loud!Get over the fear, the truth is waiting and it cannot be deniedPeace 

You Are Divine

Accept the fact that you are Divine - Iyanla

The whole concept of "who are you?" is one that still fascinates me for many a reason includeing that we hardly ever contemplate it as a serious question and accept the definition of ourselves from our parents and sociaety, that knowing who we are is critical in making decisions that honor who we are and that knowing it provides a solid platform and foundation upon which to build.

My story of finding out is well documented and told- I was "forced" to contemplate it in a corner in a place in Northern Uganda on the spot, with many eyes upon me. I was told that nothing moves until I know and say out loud who I was with pride and confidence- a seminal moment in the shift of my own living

I sometimes forget who I am, because really remembering who I am holds me accountable and involves busting out comfort zones, unlearning patterns, questionuing norms and at times being darn uncomfortable. But all that never changees who I am and who I am in Divine! Who you are is Divine
What does that mean in simple terms?
It means that you are an extension of Divinity, it means that nothing you DO or nothing you say you are changes who you are at the core
You are Divine - you possess the attributes of the creator of the Universe
You are Divine - you are an extension of all that is abundant, good and loving
You are Divine - you are vastness
You are Divine - you are possess the wisdom and infinite inteeligence inside you
Nothing that you did, have done, will do can change that. That is just how it is
It is now up to you to accept, remember and act upon that. Who is ready for the challenge?

When I remember and act from who I trust the process knowing that once I act from this knowing that whatever the outcome is, is for the greatest good and I can handle anything that comes along with it
What an awesome feeling!
Peace

Make Another Choice

If you think you’re defective or in need of fixing (which is the biggest lie of all), you will most definitely attract lovers, teachers, preachers, and politicians who want to so-called “love” you, and “fix” you, and “lead” you Danielle La Porte
Have you ever asked yourself or maybe even asked others "What the hell is wrong with me? why do I continue to make the same mistakes?" We turn around and realise that we are doing the same things in the same place many times with the same people, then we get to the point where we are asking"what the hel is wrong with me?"Well my lovies, I have learnt that there is nothing wrong! Yes, catch that! there is nothing wrong, it is basically a combination of not willing to do the work and making the same choices over and over again, so here's the thing. Make another choice, get another idea and know this, when you do there is work to be done to put it in placeAre you willing to do the work?Make another choice about the food that you are eating that is making you ill.Make another choice about the people who are around you who are pulling you in the opposite direction that you know you want to go and are headingMake another choice about the reasons, justifications, excuses that you tell yourself and others about why you do what you do and is where you areMake another choice then when you doput the work in and be willing to do this without the same crew you rolled with beforeA new crew will emergePeacePlease support this project that I am involved in to assist in the training of 6 young women from South Africa 

https://www.globalgiving.org/projects...