Akosua Dardaine Edwards's Blog, page 16
May 24, 2024
Dear Self
Develop and Build Good Character –work on yourself, to put in yourself the character traits necessary for a goodsociety. - Mama Bello
Dear Self
I apologize to you for all the times that I did not give you grace.
I apologize for not listening to the still small voice that you use to guide me when I am unsure or when I am in danger.
I apologize to you for giving my all to others even when I have nothing to give and thinking it was love.
I apologize to you for not setting boundaries, for saying Yes when I wanted to, needed to say NO.
I apologize to you for doing more and more for others when they have shown me that they are giving less and less - or even when they have asked me to stop doing - thinking it was making sacrifices for the relationship to last and grow.
I apologize for blaming you when all you needed was for me to stop, accept and surrender.
I apologize to you for staying to long, for allowing you to be used.
I apologize for not living my truth for the fear of rejection.
I apologize to you for the choice I made to do anything to win.
I apologize to you for accepting crumbs and not speaking up
I apologize to you for not asking for what I want, for what I need.
I apologize to you for hiding my true feelings in order to keep the peace.
I apologize to you for not resting when you gave me all the signs that I must rest.
I apologize, dear Self
I am sorry, I love you, I believe you. Thank you for having patience and never giving up on me. It ends today, we are in this thing together from this day forward.
Peace and Blessings
Akosua's Books
Nyabo (Madam) Why Are You Here?
What Did I Learn Today? Lessons on the Journey to Unconditional Self Love
Website
You Tube
IG
Twitter (X)
May 21, 2024
Your Glorious Imperfection
When you start to recognize that the person you have been waiting for is actually present… in all her glorious imperfection, with all her beautiful broken parts… you can stop waiting. Start from exactly where you are -- and remember that you are worthy of all goodness, gentleness, and grace. Dr. Robin Smith
We need a community - that is a given. A community of individuals with a common purpose, a common goal, and of course most importantly love and a sense of resilience.
At the same time, to be a useful part of the community, we must ensure that we remember and know who we are. This may sound simple " remember and know who we are" however, I have learnt that simple is not always easy.
Remembering and knowing who you are involves:
1. Believing that the Divine lives in you - However you call it, the Higher power is a breath, a call, a request away.
2. Believing that you have what it takes in you to travel through this journey called life - The Divine lives in you.
3. Speaking the truth even when its difficult.
4. Living in your truth, even when its difficult.
5. Remembering that nature is not separate from you.
It is so easy to forget who we are when we live in this world that tells us that we must be a certain way, do a certain thing to be validated as part of the community. We have to make it a practice, a process of remembering who we are.
It starts within
Peace and Blessings
Akosua's Books
Nyabo (Madam) Why Are You Here?
What Did I Learn Today? Lessons on the Journey to Unconditional Self Love
Find Akosua on WebsiteYou Tube
May 18, 2024
"Evolving involves elimination
"Evolving involves elimination." Erykah Badu
If it is one thing I have learnt from observing nature is when the seasons change, some things are left behind. When the leaves fall off, when the waves crash to the shore - things change and so it is with our lives.
When the seasons change, when we evolve, there are things that we can no longer carry, tolerate, accept, fix, make better, rationalize. The challenge happens when it is time to change and evolve and there is resistance.
The resistance to evolution causes undue hurt, pain, suffering and stress. A shift in perspective for me has been just like nature, I am evolving, things will fall off, things will shift, things will change and guess what? I will be ok
There will be a new dawn, a new sun, a new moon, rain, sun, rainbows - Flow with it. Trust the process. Feel the feelings, be still and know.
Its been quite a journey because of course, I want what I want when I want it and fixing is what I have been told is part of "the super powers I possess" - the powers come in handy yes, when it is used for things that I cannot control they become out of balance.
The season changes remind us of the ever-changing nature of life and the importance of embracing it.
Peace and Blessings
Nyabo (Madam) Why Are You Here?
What Did I Learn Today? Lessons on the Journey to Unconditional Self Love
May 15, 2024
The Unknown Holds Possibilities
Trying to stay the same is painful and trying to mold everything the way you desire is impossible. Yung Pueblo
What is the difference between resisting change and keeping a routine?
That has been my question during meditation this week.
Confessions on the Journey - change scares the be Jesus out of me for so many reasons - many of which are stories that I have made up.
I feel safe when things remain the same, when I know what to expect, what is coming- this is the story that I tell myself. Knowing makes me feel safe.
For a long time I have been associating change with feeling abandoned, being abandoned and a lack of safety therein lies the challenge.
Routine I have learnt is the creation and maintenance of habits, those habits become how you live - I basically have the same morning routine . I wake up at 5am, meditate. Drink a lot of water. Have a big chuck of watermelon, take a run. Drink some green juice. Eat as healthy as I can. (bake tho! & Anella’s bread!!) Read something uplifting.
I’m not trying to win an award for being the best vegetarian, I just want to be healthy. body and soul. I’m blessed to do anything I want so I decide to take the best care of my body and soul in the same way. Holistically. Vitally. Purposefully. Lovingly. And have some fun with it. This is a routine, a habit that has become a lifestyle and I feel safe doing it.
Does this mean that if I have to pivot due to now being able to keep this routine it sends me reeling? No, I am able to change relatively easy because I know eventually I can come back to the routine I have designed or create a new routine.
The change that scares me includes changes in relationships, moving house, jobs - the big stuff! I feel unsafe when there is uncertainty, when I am unable to fix or control it, when I am not chosen.
I have learnt that affirmations, doing small changes in other areas of my life and changing the stories to remind myself that "I am safe, it is only change" have been helping me to navigate the change.
I am also learning that the unknown holds possibilities as much as it holds uncertainty. That there are lessons yet to be learnt from change and being chosen is a shaky ground to stand on as an indicator of my worth.
Peace and Blessings
Akosua's Books
Nyabo (Madam) Why Are You Here?
What Did I Learn Today? Lessons on the Journey to Unconditional Self Love
May 11, 2024
Change. Radical Acceptance. Choices
The blessing is that things change. The tragedy is that things change. As our pal, Pema, says: Things come together and things fall apart. Chela Davidson
Walking on the beach today - a Saturday ritual that started in 2023 as a way of healing and grounding myself during the last year - I was thinking about change.
One year ago I was literally scared to drive on the road that led to the beach. It is a narrow, long and windy road with cliffs on one side and dense forest on the other. The two lanes seem so close together and people are either in a hurry, impatient or know the roads so well that they overtake on the narrow road and even around corners.
For me to go to that particular beach, I would wait for someone who was going on the odd Sunday and tag along, the challenge with that approach was it would usually be a one off and I would miss the sunrise- which is spectacular to see on one of the cliffs leading towards the beach and on the beach itself.
In 2023, I was going through a very rough patch, I wanted to find a way to ground and heal myself, a place to think and see beauty to remind myself that there are other things in the world apart from the problems that I seemed to be wallowing in.. I decided that I would face the fear and drive to the beach. Now one year later, I have been going consistently every Saturday morning, catching the beautiful sunrise and even seeing the leather back turtles lay eggs, and so many other wonders of a morning at the beach.
Changes, some sucked - I resisted change so much so that I became physically ill. It is true- what you resist will persist. Some changes happened and I had zero control over it, This bothered me no end - taught me radical acceptance - kicking and screaming into that mindset. It does make a difference having a mindset that somethings are just to learn about surrendering, letting go and trusting the process..
And some changes were seamless, some were beautiful.
The changes that sucked I wanted to change those - ironically so
The changes I loved I did not want them to change.
Isn't that what life is about? Change? Radical Acceptance? Choices?
There is a duality in it all - everything is useful and served a purpose
Peace and Blessings
Akosua's Books
Nyabo (Madam) Why Are You Here?
What Did I Learn Today? Lessons on the Journey to Unconditional Self Love
May 7, 2024
Is it a Wrong Turn or a Misdirection?
Being lost feels scary sometimes, but only from unfamiliar places can we truly let ourselves step into new ways of being. Lost is a doorway, a portal. - Lisa Olivera
Is there ever a wrong turn? Or is it a re-route?
Is there ever a wrong route? Or it it a different path?
On a Sunday I would walk in the forest, there is a marked trail which leads to the river - it is a beautiful path. I know it like the back of my hand. One Sunday while not paying attention I made a "wrong" turn which led to the most beautiful path and river. Initially, I panicked because I was alone in the woods, I did not know where I was going, it was getting late and the list went on. After the initial panic I started paying attention to where I was and realized not only the beauty of the place but that I could navigate the surroundings enough to find my way back to the main trail.
Was it really a wrong turn?
Like life, we make decisions and mistakes which may seem wrong at the time, however when we take the time to regroup and be still we can see the beauty, the new paths, the letting go of control.
Now that path is a part of my Sunday routine.
Sometimes a wrong turn can be a redirection.
Peace and Blessings
Akosua
Akosua's Books
Nyabo (Madam) Why Are You Here?
What Did I Learn Today? Lessons on the Journey to Unconditional Self Love
May 4, 2024
Pain to Power
Transformation happens when you learn from your pain, and turn it into your power. Iyanla Vanzant
What I have learnt is that events that happen in life are not personal. They become intimate when we go through them ,however its not a case of if I do good, nothing bad will happen to me or life is out to keep me down.
Events in life happen, and we have what it takes within us to deal with them, we have the power to feel, deal and heal ourselves. It sounds simple enough - but simple is not always easy.
Who amongst us has escaped loss, betrayal, love, sadness, joy? Who has not had to deal with death, grief, happiness?
Life provides us with the tools, the examples, the inspiration in so many ways. Look around you?
Your own habits and patterns reflect back to you the life you live- sometimes they show you that you are on the path and sometimes it reflects that you are not- you need a shift.
Nature teaches us lessons about resilience, changing seasons, imperfections that work perfectly.
Other people are mirrors on what to do, and what not to do
This is the simple part
The hard part is getting still enough, courageous enough to know who we are and do what we need to do- Divine Guidance.
Taking the pain and using it- don't ever waste your pain, I call it the manure for your garden. Take the manure and plant flowers on the pile.
Peace and Blessings
Akosua's Books
Nyabo (Madam) Why Are You Here?
What Did I Learn Today? Lessons on the Journey to Unconditional Self Love
May 1, 2024
May we use our thoughts as tools
Transformation requires the courage to allow things to fall apart. The most difficult step in growth is often feeling like you’re taking a step backwards. Winning looks like learning to lose. Rainer Wilde
Every thought is a tool. Every thought is a prayer. The first time I heard this, I became curious.It resonated with me because it highlighted how important the thoughts we focus on are.
Tools and Prayers - both so important for transformation, building our dreams, resilience, life!Both tools and prayers start within - there is nothing external we need to go looking into.
There are so many definitions of prayer, I confess I see prayer as an earnest wish, a request for help, an expression of thanks, or all of the above.
As we enter the month of May let us use our thoughts to express thanks, as tools of creation and/or a call for support when we need it.I'm ready MayLet's do thisPeace and Blessings
Akosua's Books
Nyabo (Madam) Why Are You Here?
What Did I Learn Today? Lessons on the Journey to Unconditional Self Love
April 29, 2024
Reminder and Release
We won’t cling — not to things, not to people. We won’t chase time, or try to hoard it. We won’t try to reverse days or slow the turning of the earth. We won’t live in anxiety about aging, arguing against mortality, or trying to game it. We will take each moment as it comes, you and I, and when it is time to give the gift of life back to the universe, we will say thank you, and we will give it back. But never, ever, ever — not on this side of the divide or the next — will we stop loving. Elizabeth Gilbert
Who told you that where you are now is where you will always be?
Who gave you the idea that this feeling will remain as a companion for life?
Who told you that you failed?, that you were not chosen?
Who told you that you had no right to ask for what you wanted, that you had no business being there in the first place?
Who told you that you did it wrong?
Who told you that there was a formula for life especially when you did the mediating, the chanting, the praying, the paying your taxes?
Who?
You get to choose.
You get to decide.
You get to stay.
You get to go.
There is no "Who" to tell you - take your time sweet one and breathe that in.
You are the Who.
You are the power
You are the love
You are the chosen
You are the peace
You are the formula.
It's You!
So my love, Now what?
Walk good in this reminder.
Peace
Akosua's Books
Nyabo (Madam) Why Are You Here?
What Did I Learn Today? Lessons on the Journey to Unconditiona
April 22, 2024
Begin Within
Being game for your own challenges, realizing you’re equal to the tasks life sets before you, is enormously empowering. Carolyn Myss
Develop a relationship with yourself - you are always with you, might as well know who you are, your likes and dislikes, your joy's and triggers
Respect yourself to know who you are in my relationship with my self I want to honor myself, to identify and stop contributing to my suffering.
Are you aware of yourself?
Do you respect yourself?
Do you value yourself?
Do you honor yourself and your worth?
Do you love yourself?
Begin within
Akosua's Books
Nyabo (Madam) Why Are You Here?
What Did I Learn Today? Lessons on the Journey to Unconditiona
