Akosua Dardaine Edwards's Blog, page 177
April 12, 2016
Stay close to those who are not afraid to be vulnerable
Stay close to those who are not afraid to be vulnerable, because they have confidence in themselves and know that, at some point in our lives, we all stumble; they do not interpret this as a sign of weakness, but of humanity.
Avoid those who seek friends in order to maintain a certain social status or to open doors they would not otherwise be able to approach.
Paul Coehlo
In my house growing up we had to be "strong" crying was a sign of weakness, when I burst out in tears I would hear "Let me give you something to cry for" which may be followed with a pinch or maybe two "hard slap". Crying then would now be totally out of the question then for who wants another pinch or "hard slap"? Not me no sireeeeeAnd so showing any sign of so called weakness was never a feature in my make up. Crying? hell naw no chance, weakness? no I fix things and I am strong! That had its advantages in many occasions however when the proverbial shit hit the fan, all the proverbial shit stayed inside until it started overflowing and stinking up my life!Now I have learnt that vulnerability is a type of super power, it allows me to be wholly and fully me and feel comfortable that those around me who judge that and run - let them run and those who judge me and stick around with a willing mind and spirit we can work it through and those who accept me we are on the same pathVulnerability allows me to release the toxic feelings of what no longer serves me it allows me to know that feeling a feeling is ok, feelings are signals and signs pointing me in a direction, to welcome them, accept them, deal with them and heal. And so when I realized that, all hell broke loose, I am crying in the movies, in front my lap top reading something, when I meditate, running and seeing the sun rise, at the beach seeing the sun set- OMG I went overboard! but hey, I have some years to make up for don't I? Avoidance denial and repression cannot help youIt's the most life-strengthening gift you'll ever give yourself...to see what you've been refusing to see. To deal in order to heal. Every day you keep yourself from looking that shit square in the eyes is a day you keep yourself exactly where you are.
I have been learning compassion, self love, acceptance and non judgement- who knew???Peace
In my house growing up we had to be "strong" crying was a sign of weakness, when I burst out in tears I would hear "Let me give you something to cry for" which may be followed with a pinch or maybe two "hard slap". Crying then would now be totally out of the question then for who wants another pinch or "hard slap"? Not me no sireeeeeAnd so showing any sign of so called weakness was never a feature in my make up. Crying? hell naw no chance, weakness? no I fix things and I am strong! That had its advantages in many occasions however when the proverbial shit hit the fan, all the proverbial shit stayed inside until it started overflowing and stinking up my life!Now I have learnt that vulnerability is a type of super power, it allows me to be wholly and fully me and feel comfortable that those around me who judge that and run - let them run and those who judge me and stick around with a willing mind and spirit we can work it through and those who accept me we are on the same pathVulnerability allows me to release the toxic feelings of what no longer serves me it allows me to know that feeling a feeling is ok, feelings are signals and signs pointing me in a direction, to welcome them, accept them, deal with them and heal. And so when I realized that, all hell broke loose, I am crying in the movies, in front my lap top reading something, when I meditate, running and seeing the sun rise, at the beach seeing the sun set- OMG I went overboard! but hey, I have some years to make up for don't I? Avoidance denial and repression cannot help youIt's the most life-strengthening gift you'll ever give yourself...to see what you've been refusing to see. To deal in order to heal. Every day you keep yourself from looking that shit square in the eyes is a day you keep yourself exactly where you are.
I have been learning compassion, self love, acceptance and non judgement- who knew???Peace
April 11, 2016
Top seven things I would not change if I had to do it again
I let the pain soften me. I let the joy soften me. I let the desire soften me. Danielle La Porte
Top seven things I would not change if I had to do it again
1. Listen to my intuition and moved to East Africa and lived in Uganda - reintroduced myself to myself with love, honor and joy
2. Got divorced
3. Being fired from my so called dream job - it sucked me dry, doubted myself and gave away all my power - hello self love and self employment
4. Eating meat - never looked back - saw the light - light belly, light feeling
5. Told the guy I liked that I liked him - didn't end "happy" for me and we don't chat much or maybe not at all anymore but found my courage and learned that knowing the truth will not kill me just hurt a bit.
6. I asked for help, I accepted help and didn't dwell on asking for help or accepting meant that I am a loser - I learnt that I have a tribe of love.
7. Shared my story to the world - freedom reloaded!
Peace
April 9, 2016
Baby we can do it
You know you ought to slow down.
You been working too hard and that's a fact
Sit back and relax a while
Take some time to laugh and smile Lay your heavy load down
So we can stop and kick back
It seems we never take the time to do
All the things we want to, yeah Now, baby we can do it
Take the time, do it right
We can do it, baby (Take your time SOS Band)
My cousin and I loved this song! We would hear my aunt playing it when we were younger and she would be doing all the disco moves. We would peep into the room and see her boogie-ing away. After we would sing it with the brush as a microphone and try to do the disco moves, from back then I knew dancing and signing were two gifts that were not under my tree but I persevered!
As we got older the song took on a different meaning to us when we sang it, we can do it baby was our rallying cry to do what we needed to do, to be large and in charge, to do it right, to take our time and get it!
I heard the song last night and it brought back the memory of our eagerness to do it and do it right! No matter what happened we we would take our time and do it right.We would be at the top of our game, we would make our family proud.
I stopped when I heard it and started signing it like when I was a little girl back at my grandma's place with my cousin and it reminded me that I really ought to take the time to do all the things I want to, to laugh and smile because I took my time and did it right.
This one is for you Sana- we did it sis and we did it right!
Peace!
You been working too hard and that's a fact
Sit back and relax a while
Take some time to laugh and smile Lay your heavy load down
So we can stop and kick back
It seems we never take the time to do
All the things we want to, yeah Now, baby we can do it
Take the time, do it right
We can do it, baby (Take your time SOS Band)
My cousin and I loved this song! We would hear my aunt playing it when we were younger and she would be doing all the disco moves. We would peep into the room and see her boogie-ing away. After we would sing it with the brush as a microphone and try to do the disco moves, from back then I knew dancing and signing were two gifts that were not under my tree but I persevered!
As we got older the song took on a different meaning to us when we sang it, we can do it baby was our rallying cry to do what we needed to do, to be large and in charge, to do it right, to take our time and get it!
I heard the song last night and it brought back the memory of our eagerness to do it and do it right! No matter what happened we we would take our time and do it right.We would be at the top of our game, we would make our family proud.
I stopped when I heard it and started signing it like when I was a little girl back at my grandma's place with my cousin and it reminded me that I really ought to take the time to do all the things I want to, to laugh and smile because I took my time and did it right.
This one is for you Sana- we did it sis and we did it right!
Peace!
April 8, 2016
Make another choice
Try to realise and truly realise, that what stands between you and a different life are matters of responsible choice
Sabrina Reber
This truth thing, my word, the whole concept of the truth hurts - yea sometimes it really does when we are locked into a cage of denial and especially when our minds are closed ,we are unwilling and we take things personally. This has been my own experience.
Choices - oh choices! the best thing, we as humans have, is free will, the ability to chose, and with choice comes consequences. And even more awesome, we get to choose over and over again.
What we get upset about is when someone else makes us out and say to us - it's because of your choice that you are where you are - and let me give you an example
You have been eating poorly - consistently- and now you are unwell or probably even overweight - who made the choice to eat poorly? You!
You are stuck in a relationship that you do not want but made the choice to stay because of the children, the money, the story you have been given, the circumstances but you are unhappy - who made the choice to stay? You!
You have no savings - who made that choice that other things took priority over the savings? You!
Listen, I am not saying there is right or wrong, it is your choice - and with choices there are consequences so if you made the choice know what the consequences are and when you get called on it recognise it is not something personal it is just life sending you clues that you may need to make another choice in order to have the desired consequences.
We have the ability to chose again and many of us make the choice to not choose again. And you, you alone made this choice
I am so glad that I am human, that God gave us free will and that I can make another choice
Peace
This truth thing, my word, the whole concept of the truth hurts - yea sometimes it really does when we are locked into a cage of denial and especially when our minds are closed ,we are unwilling and we take things personally. This has been my own experience.
Choices - oh choices! the best thing, we as humans have, is free will, the ability to chose, and with choice comes consequences. And even more awesome, we get to choose over and over again.
What we get upset about is when someone else makes us out and say to us - it's because of your choice that you are where you are - and let me give you an example
You have been eating poorly - consistently- and now you are unwell or probably even overweight - who made the choice to eat poorly? You!
You are stuck in a relationship that you do not want but made the choice to stay because of the children, the money, the story you have been given, the circumstances but you are unhappy - who made the choice to stay? You!
You have no savings - who made that choice that other things took priority over the savings? You!
Listen, I am not saying there is right or wrong, it is your choice - and with choices there are consequences so if you made the choice know what the consequences are and when you get called on it recognise it is not something personal it is just life sending you clues that you may need to make another choice in order to have the desired consequences.
We have the ability to chose again and many of us make the choice to not choose again. And you, you alone made this choice
I am so glad that I am human, that God gave us free will and that I can make another choice
Peace
April 7, 2016
Greatness reloaded
The minute you learn to love yourself you wouldn’t want to be anyone else
Rihanna
Last Sunday I was invited to spend the day with the students of the University of The Southern Caribbean(USC) undergraduate students who had the opportunity to interact with different types of practitioners ranging from entrepreneurs and advocates for entrepreneurs. The students were able to ask us questions and break bread with us. And what was the theme running through? Live true, Be You!, Do what you do do best, trust yourself!
Greatness according to Micheal Beckwith is being the best YOU! SimpleAre you ready to be great?Are you willing?Peace
Last Sunday I was invited to spend the day with the students of the University of The Southern Caribbean(USC) undergraduate students who had the opportunity to interact with different types of practitioners ranging from entrepreneurs and advocates for entrepreneurs. The students were able to ask us questions and break bread with us. And what was the theme running through? Live true, Be You!, Do what you do do best, trust yourself!
Greatness according to Micheal Beckwith is being the best YOU! SimpleAre you ready to be great?Are you willing?Peace
April 6, 2016
I can't help you,not really...
I can’t help you. Not really. I can only show up with a bright heart and hope that I get you at the right micro-moment with the perfect dose of light that helps you see what you already know
. Danielle La Porte
You already know it, you do! Trust me, you do, you really really doYou know that the job is sucking you dry and that it is not on the road to you fulfilling your purposeYou know that you must not be sleeping with him or her, much less have a "relationship" with him or herYou know that that the extra chocolate bar you just ate was really extra extra extraYou know that you ought to be eating more balanced and exercising your buttYou know you must start saying no You know you must start saying yesYou know you must to have "that" conversationYou know you must to let go of the guy who you "like" but who clearly don't like you (check the actions not the words)You know you must be saving some doshYou know you must believe in yourselfYou know you must just be yourself.every.single.timeand yet you look for "help"Look in the mirror babee, start there and see how the support starts coming from everywhere. Take a chance and start therePeace!
You already know it, you do! Trust me, you do, you really really doYou know that the job is sucking you dry and that it is not on the road to you fulfilling your purposeYou know that you must not be sleeping with him or her, much less have a "relationship" with him or herYou know that that the extra chocolate bar you just ate was really extra extra extraYou know that you ought to be eating more balanced and exercising your buttYou know you must start saying no You know you must start saying yesYou know you must to have "that" conversationYou know you must to let go of the guy who you "like" but who clearly don't like you (check the actions not the words)You know you must be saving some doshYou know you must believe in yourselfYou know you must just be yourself.every.single.timeand yet you look for "help"Look in the mirror babee, start there and see how the support starts coming from everywhere. Take a chance and start therePeace!
April 5, 2016
Comes out on the other side with miracles
Time. People. Children. Family. Commitments. It's all excuses so you don't have to do it. So you don't have to get uncomfortable. So you don't have to deal. You can hold onto those excuses as long as you want, but magic is waiting for you when finally do choose to let go. Maxie McCoy
Getting uncomfortable is not something I go out seeking daily, like really, I do not wake up in the morning and say "Hey let's see how I can do something uncomfortable or get uncomfortable" Growing involves some discomfort, somewhere somehow. I was chatting with my hairdresser- who I met when she was 16 years old- and the first time I met her I said wow this youth is an old soul. The kind of wisdom she dropped on me, stopped me in my tracks, ten years later and her wisdom has gotten like fine wine, anyways youth wisdom dropped that discomfort precedes growth and pain many times precedes birthing of something new and talked about the greatest example of labour pains and bringing a baby into this world.
So as human beings we run from discomfort, avoid it like the plague, things must only be swimmingly good
newsflash- life don't work like that, there is s season for everything and opposites form part of the seasons!
And for me, I admit, I usually want to be in a state of comfortable-ness all the bloody time, that fight to avoid discomfort, leads to even more pain and discomfort, letting it go is magic and it leads to miracles.
The minute you find yourself trying to defend your choices, you start to attack and get riled up, check yourself! something is happening there that requires your attention.
So the discomfort passes, I go through it, come out on the other side with something new
Awesomeness
Peace!
Getting uncomfortable is not something I go out seeking daily, like really, I do not wake up in the morning and say "Hey let's see how I can do something uncomfortable or get uncomfortable" Growing involves some discomfort, somewhere somehow. I was chatting with my hairdresser- who I met when she was 16 years old- and the first time I met her I said wow this youth is an old soul. The kind of wisdom she dropped on me, stopped me in my tracks, ten years later and her wisdom has gotten like fine wine, anyways youth wisdom dropped that discomfort precedes growth and pain many times precedes birthing of something new and talked about the greatest example of labour pains and bringing a baby into this world.
So as human beings we run from discomfort, avoid it like the plague, things must only be swimmingly good
newsflash- life don't work like that, there is s season for everything and opposites form part of the seasons!
And for me, I admit, I usually want to be in a state of comfortable-ness all the bloody time, that fight to avoid discomfort, leads to even more pain and discomfort, letting it go is magic and it leads to miracles.
The minute you find yourself trying to defend your choices, you start to attack and get riled up, check yourself! something is happening there that requires your attention.
So the discomfort passes, I go through it, come out on the other side with something new
Awesomeness
Peace!
April 4, 2016
Why are you here?
Every time my path leads me to a stage upon which I am granted the opportunity to align with the energies called to gather and celebrate the blessing of being, my heart is filled with appreciation and gratitude. And when we gather the possibility is Church. And when we gather the possibility is healing. Natalie Stewart
Excerpt from Women of Influence Awards Speech- Akosua Dardaine Edwards
I have learnt that personal power is how I am willing to be, what I am willing to do to preserve and enhance my dignity self esteem and integrity
How many of us walk around not knowing our own worth and our own personal power and look for it outside of ourselves in material things, in positions, in jobs maybe in the church.Things are nice but they are temporary and fleeting and like me some of us will work and work and work and work dishonouring ourselves to hold on to them as justification of our self worth and reason for being hereWhen they fall away you are lost, empty, scrambling, sick, giving away your power for a thing. When its all said and done things can be replacedWas it May Angelou who said what you learn you teach?
Why are you here?Peace
Excerpt from Women of Influence Awards Speech- Akosua Dardaine Edwards
I have learnt that personal power is how I am willing to be, what I am willing to do to preserve and enhance my dignity self esteem and integrity
How many of us walk around not knowing our own worth and our own personal power and look for it outside of ourselves in material things, in positions, in jobs maybe in the church.Things are nice but they are temporary and fleeting and like me some of us will work and work and work and work dishonouring ourselves to hold on to them as justification of our self worth and reason for being hereWhen they fall away you are lost, empty, scrambling, sick, giving away your power for a thing. When its all said and done things can be replacedWas it May Angelou who said what you learn you teach?
Why are you here?Peace
April 2, 2016
Power
The statement "I have no choice" is a lie. You can choose.
You simply do not prefer the alternatives
available to you, for whatever reason. So you
select the outcome that you most prefer. Isn't that power? Neale Donald Walsh
Power - the word has been getting a bad rap lately, being associated with domination, with having total dominion over someone, more material things, jobs, status and positionPower I have learnt is the ability and capacity to do, the capacity to bring things to be. The Universe has given all of us a spirit of power, a spirit of courageI keep reminding myself of this, I keep reminding myself that the capacity and ability to DO lies in me, in my heart and it is up to me to activate this power that I have. And when I am tired, I take a rest and return knowing that I do have the powerNewsflash - you cannot lose your powerThe thing is what are you using it for?No one can take your power and no one can use your power for youPeace
select the outcome that you most prefer. Isn't that power? Neale Donald Walsh
Power - the word has been getting a bad rap lately, being associated with domination, with having total dominion over someone, more material things, jobs, status and positionPower I have learnt is the ability and capacity to do, the capacity to bring things to be. The Universe has given all of us a spirit of power, a spirit of courageI keep reminding myself of this, I keep reminding myself that the capacity and ability to DO lies in me, in my heart and it is up to me to activate this power that I have. And when I am tired, I take a rest and return knowing that I do have the powerNewsflash - you cannot lose your powerThe thing is what are you using it for?No one can take your power and no one can use your power for youPeace
April 1, 2016
No one is in your way
You must change your mind, not your behaviour, and this is a matter of willingness....Change does not mean anything at the symptom level, where it cannot work"
ACIM
Brutally honest, listenNo one isin your wayNobody is in your way…..Nobody canbe in your wayWhat’s mine to do, is mine to doWhat is divinely mine is mineWhat’s for you cyar be not for youWhat’s for Akosua is for AkosuaIf you get what is supposed to be mine, it will burn your hand, you will lose it, it’s going to turn, and it will not work.Catch thatSo I don’t have to spend nights up in worry that somebody is taking what I have, that somebody got what I wanted.Remember there is a presence acting in your life, the Omni PresenceWhenever that feeling enters me, I don’t go and fight the other person, and I know how to fight I have been training as a boxer, I bring myself back, and me and myself have a conversationWhat is yours is always unfolding perfectly and completely right where I am and my good is not somewhere else, my good is right where I amBecome available…nowYour thoughts that is what is in the wayBe ye transformed by the renewing of your mind Ask yourself, how can you make yourself available to what is yours in your own lifePeace
Brutally honest, listenNo one isin your wayNobody is in your way…..Nobody canbe in your wayWhat’s mine to do, is mine to doWhat is divinely mine is mineWhat’s for you cyar be not for youWhat’s for Akosua is for AkosuaIf you get what is supposed to be mine, it will burn your hand, you will lose it, it’s going to turn, and it will not work.Catch thatSo I don’t have to spend nights up in worry that somebody is taking what I have, that somebody got what I wanted.Remember there is a presence acting in your life, the Omni PresenceWhenever that feeling enters me, I don’t go and fight the other person, and I know how to fight I have been training as a boxer, I bring myself back, and me and myself have a conversationWhat is yours is always unfolding perfectly and completely right where I am and my good is not somewhere else, my good is right where I amBecome available…nowYour thoughts that is what is in the wayBe ye transformed by the renewing of your mind Ask yourself, how can you make yourself available to what is yours in your own lifePeace
