Akosua Dardaine Edwards's Blog, page 188

Self Love Safari

A safari I have deduced is a type of journey, where the aim is to see, spot, take in the animals and the spoils of nature.  A self love safari for me, is a type of journey to see, spot, and take in the experiences which lead me to live my best life. I am getting ready to leave Kenya, next stop London UK for a book signing event and to catch up with some great friends and of course watch some football!
This self love safari has been one where I have met some awesome people and grown in so many ways, I am so grateful to all of them who made me fall in love with Kenya
My top lessons on this month's trip

1. Nature does not hoard, it teaches, it provides and guides me. The rising of the sun is silent yet one of the most powerful and beautiful things I have witnessed. We are so powerful when grounded in silence and respect nature

2. We are all connected - The ladies that I met, spent time with this month and have gotten to know, it seemed as if we knew each other forever, we share so much of the same stories

3. I absolutely must do something bigger than me, bigger than looking for a job, finding the right house and car and handbag. Those things will come, the world needs our gifts and talents.

4. I love what I do, it brings me so much joy.

5. Abundance comes in so so so many different, surprising and unexpected ways.

6. Share my lessons dripping with gratitude and humility and that is enough.

Peace!

Climate Innovation Center Kenya - Breakfast Session

Rise high enough above a thing to see it from a new perspective.

Until you get to the core of a thing or see it from a new place, you will not be able to determine how or if the experiences of your life serve your highest and greatest good . Iyanla Vanzant
This morning the Climate Innovation Centre (CIC) at the Strathmore Business School, Nairobi Kenya hosts a Breakfast meeting at which I will be the feature speaker.This is not my first at this building and each time I visit I am even more inspired by it. Walking the talk, the building is completely green, run by solar and natural light permeates all through. I walk in and I feel light, I feel inspired I feel connected to something bigger than I am, a place of learning in Africa with such a big vision that has indeed been realized, minus the fan fare and the ego tripping "look at me" type of vibe!
Something that I strive to do for my own self, to just get on with it, walk the talk and demonstrate that life is about doing exactly that, walking the talk!
So here I go.....
Inspired and rearing to go
Peace

And return full

I go with all nothings. All the flawings. And return full - Nayyira Waheed

I always think about "the other side of the story" As the Course in Miracles says, the illusions and perceptions. We take them and make them our reality and turn it into our world and go on to live by these illusions and perceptions. Illusions are not real. Travelling has helped me to see not just the world but my life in a whole new way, it has made me tolerant, patient and loving.
This weekend in Nairobi, I was open to seeing the other side of the story. No judgments,
I saw lions, cheetahs, zebras, tall buildings, art, dancing, technology at it's best and now know for sure that I am responsible for shaping my own mind, not just the television and other people's opinion
I am truly grateful for the opportunity and vow to remember that every thing before I came, every struggle, every action, is responsible for the ground upon which I now stand.


Peace

Abundance

Abundance is feeling good about who you are,where you are and what you have because you realize you don't have to stay there. To understand abundance is to create what you want without fear . Iyanla Vanzant (the absolute boss!)


Do you only feel abundant when there are notes in your wallet or purse or when you view your bank balance/investments online? When exactly do you feel abundant? Or do you ever feel abundant at all?

That thought crossed my mind this week, what makes me feel abundant and just like clockwork, I am reading in my daily ritual of reading something positive to start the day and boom! Iyanla's comment just came and smack me in the face. To understand abundance is to create without fear, to use the ideas that come into my mind to create, to see the love around me in the little things, to recognize the number of awesome friends and colleagues around me, supporting me and checking up on me. I truly feel abundant!!

So Nairobi, I love the place! Did the National Museum yesterday and was fascinated by the history and culture. Bumped into a Somalian celebration and they asked me where I was from - they don't have a clue but was intrigued that I was so far from home and we chatted, I ate their food (minus all the meat of course) drank the best tasting coffee and communicated minus words.

Confirmation to me that we are all connected

Have an abundant day
I'm off to the Masai Market
Peace

If you just let it

What you want might make you cry
What you need might pass you by
If you don't catch it
And what you need ironically
Will turn out what you want to be
If you just let it
Lauren Hill


Stop searching, start finding. 
What is it that you believe is "out there" that you must have, must find, must do, must eat, must drink, must wear, must must must to arrive, to do the right thing?
Believe it or not that was my self talk yesterday. Then I had to stop and ask myself" How are you feeling? (twice) Give thanks and breathe it in because you are blessed was the eventual response.
In Nairobi and was tripping out because I could not access the cash from my bank account.  I stood at the machine and looked at it with my sad eyes, as if the damm thing could have seen me! Then I decided to go into "fix it" mode, spent the entire day doing that, calling home to chat with the bank, sending whatsapp to one of my friends, going online to transfer the cash - nothing materialized and by 11pm I realised that I have been focused on that all day, an entire day passed that I was supposed to be doing something to make the most of my time in the country and I was stressing on this. I own it, I assumed that this was the best way to access my funds, I did not ask the bank, this was my first time using this system and also the biggest thing is my feelings associated with asking, with admitting my way is not "THE WAY" and releasing of the ego which looks and searches for perfection and attempt to make illusions real.
According to Sabrine Reur,the human ego loves degeneration. It helps us make choices that are not for our highest and best good. It keeps us in chaos, duality, victim consciousness, addictions, attachments and illusions. The ego is filled with fear, and it is especially fearful of the light from our higher selves.
I slipped into that ego based thinking and it was quick
Today is a new day, new thoughts, new vibes
I'm in Kenya!!! A dream turned to the real! Make it count, stop the searching, start the finding!
It's all good.
Peace

You are the common thread

 Your relationships and experiences are merely a reflection of you. Your worth cannot be measured monetarily. It cannot be quantified by other people. The only accurate calculation of your own value, comes from you. It is always about you. You are the common thread that runs through every interaction and exchange. You are your own connection to the world, tethering every piece together.What you see and experience outside of yourself is mirror of what you feel inside. If you want to change your outer world, you must begin within. Stacy Hereera

The ability to have difficult or awkward conversations is an essential element in being authentic. It aids in avoiding people pleasing which many times leads to resentment. Failure and the lessons from it is what I would consider an awkward conversation and kudos to Nailab for taking the initiative in having these conversations on a monthly basis in a way which promotes authenticity and sharing.

The conversation we had yesterday was a real one, at the end, the Q&A session was useful and I was able to learn quite a bit from the participants

So, what are my top four lessons from Failure

1. Failure is feedback - information to make a decision, usually another decision, one that would lead to a result that produces an outcome that is favourable in body and soul

2. Pay attention to the signs - pay attention, be aware, listen and look around to see what is happening and how you are feeling about what is happening around you

3. Own it- take responsibility, you cannot outsource your happiness, your decisions, your choices, your life. It is your responsibility and yours alone.

4. Keep moving - create opportunities, you cannot wait for things to fall into your lap and when they don't you get upset. Keep learning, keep growing, keep positive

Thank you Nailab and Nairobi for the opportunity to share lessons on the Journey
Peace
Akosua

After, this, Pardee time

"True failure expresses itself constantly as an excuse, a reason to stop, an obstacle you have never seen, a barrier bigger than ever existed. Failure is constantly there, presenting itself as a comfortable option, an excuse, a good excuse, the best excuse you could state: “I have never done that before.” Even better than that: “no one has done that before.”
I spent all day yesterday at a coffee shop preparing for the FailUp talk today hosted by Nailab and TechSahara, who are an innervation hub doing some awesome things out here in Nairobi..
I am pulling out out the lessons on positive self talk, being authentic, showing up as myself and doing my absolute best in the moment.

Somehow the nerves still get me especially when today when the talk is about me being not just the first Non Kenyan speaker but also the first woman to be featured!

Exciting times
I am ready
I am rearing to go
I am humbled, grateful and excited

After this, pardee time!
Peace!

I like meeting nice people

Let's all lighten up about our self improvement journeys.  There's no joy in these self-imposed denials and everyone walking around Edgar Allen Poe-faced in their suffering instead of high kicking Gene Kelly style "gotta dance!" positivity. Carole Ann Rice




Yesterday I met with the Climate Innovation Center in Nairobi. I was completely blown away by the building and their mission. Firstly it is in a green building, solar powers everything, natural lighting, open spaces, green spaces. They are walking the talk it's not only about preaching about what "we need" or what "we cannot do" yada yada yada. They are demonstrating by their actions that we can start where we are with what we have.
Then, for me, most importantly, the people. What a lovely group! Wanting to make a difference and just genuinely nice. I really like meeting nice people, makes all my trips worth while
The more I meet people I realize that we are really all connected and  want the same things, to be seen, to be heard, to be valued and to be loved. I strongly believe that.
So, on next week Tuesday I will have the distinct privilege to be hosted at a breakfast meeting to share lessons on the journey with their entrepreneurs- pretty excited about that!

Will let you know how it goes!
Peace

Your obsessive control will eventually control you.

It's an intense urge. The one to control. You hold tight. Want. Want hard. Lock in. Obsess over the details. Think, rethink, and over think. Ultimately, you try to get what you want by attempting to control the process for the outcome. Your obsessive control will eventually control you. Maxie McCoy

Being in Nairobi has brought the controlling and overthinking urge back to the front of my mind and that being said, it has also proven to me that I control none of the things that I believe I do. It really is such a freeing feeling when I just do the work and surrender to the outcome. And by surrender I don't mean give up. 

Control can be like a drug and with a drug when the high is gone, the lows are major! When you have done all the at you can and it is not the outcome you want it really is the Universe trying to get your attention and when you ignore, shit blows up! Yes, the Universe loves you that much.

One of my favourite teachers says "Chose, expectations or expectancy" and I wanted an explanation for this and so she said
"expectation is when you focus on a specific outcome, no flexibility, this way or bust. Expectancy is being open, knowing that it will work out and it may not be how you exactly thought it would"
I am living in high expectancy that what I desire to achieve while I am here will unfold as it should
Peace

Saturday's Let Women Build Conference was off da chain! so so inspiring and those Kenyan ladies can dance, I tell you, they were throwing out some dance moves after the Conference I just stood up in awe! Super grateful to be a part of this and congratulations to the wonderful Akira Chix Team for changing the game!

Let us Build

You can't always know where the road ends up but with some luck I know we can go - whereever we imagine. Jamea Ingram

Today is the African Women in Technology Conference - Let Women Build. It has been an absolute pleasure being a part of seeing this dream unfold. So what I have learnt is a vision, self-belief, a super team and action makes things happen and there is no perfect way for it to unfold as we learn as we go. The best laid plans can go differently but out of it comes the best and perfect outcome.
So the place for the Conference is right at the edge of a national park. We were sitting chillaxin with a mohito overlooking this vast expanse of land and the talk was how over the years there are less animals like lions being killed by coming on people's property. Huh? Ok then.
And when you spot an elephant or lion who wonders off call the rangers.
Different to what I am used to the occasional wondering dog or cat.
The laws have changed over the years to protect the animals. That's great. Seems a shame for us humans to just move in like a train and the animals suffer
Anyways I digress.
Conference vibes are nice as we say "de vibes cyar done!"
An absolute joy it has been hanging out with the Akira Chix ladies. Giving thanks for the opportunity.
Peace