Akosua Dardaine Edwards's Blog, page 214

Thank you Penal

Responsibility. What does responsibility mean? Responsibility means not blaming anyone or anything for your situation, including yourself. Having accepted this circumstance, this event, this problem, responsibility then means the ability to have a creative response to the situation as it is now. All problems contain the seeds of opportunity, and this awareness allows you to take the moment and transform it to a better situation or thing.  Deepak Chopra
The NiNa Programme in Penal is really dear to my heart, all the areas are, but with Penal, it gives me even more of a lift. Despite all the odds and limited resources they make a huge effort
I want to salute them today
Yesterday there were road blocks and protests, yet they were there! There have been thefts and break ins yet they are there! I really learn about persistence and using what I have to get what I want when I am with this team! So so blessed and grateful!

Thank you Penal!
Peace

Keep Doing..

Arrogance left and wisdom and humility came in - LAW Watkins


Yesterday at the NiNa Programme I was happy and humbled! The room had sayings and words and phrases I told them and even forgot that I did, stuck up as posters on the wall! I was just smiling all the time, like wow! that is so cool! I saw it when I walked in and I thought hmm these guys pay attention! Which is a good thing because for me, I get to teach what I need to learn and I know one of the things that I have challenges with is paying attention to the signs and then acting - like not being in denial in a sense!

So on to the Southland today for another school!

I give thanks for the ability to be of service and to do what I like in the world!

Personal Power is...

Personal power is        the presence of your divinity and nobility within you that allows you to stand as who you are without defense, judgement excuses or question who you are- Iyanla Vanzant (love this!!)

Today I resume my NiNa Programme, two schools are involved, one in the south of the island and one in the east! I was thinking about it today, while boxing, of all places, maybe that is why the coach was screaming at me saying "you dropped your guard, the fight is over, you lose! knockout!" anyway I digress, I was thinking that the main reason I wanted to do this was for the ladies to know that they possess an innate personal power and sometimes when I am there at the program I get to be reminded that I have it too, because trust me I need to be reminded at times when the humanness gets to me!
Power meaning that they have within them the ability and knowledge to dream big, to do anything they want to do, to persist, to get back up and to forge ahead without waiting for validation from anyone!
And this power can never be lost or taken away, we can give it away or not use it, but we always have it! We get to choose what to do with it, many of choose to ignore it and look outside of ourselvs for something that we already possess
So, looking forward to my reminder's this week and giving thanks for teaching what I need to learn!
Remind yourself today about that power that lives inside of you!
Peace!!

Feel it and get the prize

"I gave myself permission to feel and experience all of my emotions. In order to do that, I had to stop being afraid to feel. In order to do that, I taught myself to believe that no matter what I felt or what happened when I felt it, I would be okay."
- Iyanla Vanzant 

Do you run from your feelings? Like for example you feel so happy and light and free and awesome and you pull pack and say oh oh this is just too much it's not real and you suppress it? Or you feel like people around you will get a little ticked off at your happiness and joy? 
Hey, guess what! Feel the feelings! Feelings are there for a reason and no one has to give you permission to feel them! And if they are ticked off you are happy then they need to come off your bus! 
And the opposite also works, if you feel sad and crappy sit in it for a bit, it will pass and its a sign, pay attention to the sign!
Feel the feelings, feel the joy, feel the pain, feel the awesomeness, feel the hurt they are all part of this wonderful thing called lifeI have learnt when I feel the feelings I get the prize!Peace!!

Look out soon for my new book "Nyabo (Madam) Why are you here?" Coming soon...

Simple... eliminate the stress

In order to realize and utilize your personal power, you must be willing to eliminate all habits that do not move you closer to your desires and to consistently engage in behaviors that move you forward Iyanla

The way to eliminate stress and pain is to stop doing the things that contribute to it! Simple right? Yea most things are and we make them complicated!
What are some of the things that help contribute to stress and pain that I can identify with, take your pick and if you can identify holla!1. the need to always be right2.how we think others see us3. trying to fix the world4. dishonesty with self and others5. accepting someone else's truth6. doing it alone7.my way is the right way8. fear of the future9.trying to prove yourself to others9.anger over the past
Stop it!Peace!

Thanks to ma peeps...

When you're laying on your back watching the stars some very rare night, you won't be thinking about the car you worked to buy or the blog post you stayed home from the party to write. You're going to recall the people who got woven into your heart and helped you paint your apartment. You're going to long for the magic of knowing so much without saying a word. You're going to wish you had taken more holiday time to hang with them. You're going to wish you'd stayed up later and extended your stay to ask them more questions about anything at all. You'll wish you'd gone out dancing . Danielle La Porte

I have some really great people in my life, my circle of friends, its a small circle but none the less, I really do appreciate each and every one of them for their honesty, their support and acceptance of me and my "ways" as my grandma says!

I sat thinking about this today and thinking about them and I felt really happy! Having that support is really important!

Steve Harvey was saying, I went to one of his talks the last time I was in the US, and I saw him say it on tv as well, look around and see who you are hanging with, what do they stand for, their values and conviction, every one of the people around you reflects something about you in your life!

So thanks to all my peeps! Love y'all!

Peace!

Sugar is back!

I move beyond “playing nice” into getting real



So I decided to go to the boxing gym last night after not going for ages!!! I get there and my old coach is no where in sight! There's a new kid on the block! We spoke and somehow I am now training to get back in the ring starting on Monday! An actual fight OMG! When the yes flew out of my mouth I saw it past by and said oops! I did start with yes didn't I!
Me! In a ring! Boxing!
I looked at the other ladies there and thought  did I just say yes?? Yes I did!!

Coach went on about how we have to train 5 days a week and it is going to be tough! That yes was long gone and not returning any time soon! I messaged my friend "Guess what I just did?"

So a new journey starts on Monday! (They call me Sugar!)

I will let you know how it goes

Peace!!

Draft One Completed - why are you here?

I'm done with draft one of the book! Look, truth be told I am excited and scared all in one! This book is different from the first one. It's about me learning about following my purpose, setting a vision for myself and what it means to serve! Not subservient serve I mean, but I mean doing what you do for the sake of loving it. This is the highest work you can do in the world. The principle of of service is to give of self(time, knowledge, resources) without an attachment to the expectation of reward and recognition. Working with a consciousness of love (unselfish giving) these women showed me all of that and I will always cherish the moments.

So yea, a new type of experience that I felt a responsibility to share!



This is my story. This is a story of returning to me. This is my story of travelling to Uganda – Africa. This is my story of how I left my island of Trinidad and Tobago to go to Manchester United Kingdom to complete a PhD programme and ended up working with women in Uganda and other parts of Eastern Africa.Nyabo (Madam) why are you here? To write this I had to live it, this story gives me an opportunity to share from the teachers I have met throughout my time on the  Continent. Writing this has given me the opportunity to pick out the nuggets of wisdom of love, life, joy, spirituality, sharing, authenticity and peace.
I wanted to share these lessons with the hope that someone, anyone, will take it and make their life a celebration of what’s possible. To use it as a guide to live their life in authenticity, freedom, passion, joy and service.

Look out for it! Nyabo(Madam) - Why are you here? 
Peace!

What's inside manifests outside.

" Thought is the real causative force in life, and there is no other. You cannot have one kind of
mind and another kind of environment" Emmet Fox

What were you thinking?? Have you heard that before? Especially when you do something not so smart? What on earth were you thinking? 
This now means a whole other thing to me, it is no longer a "buff" as we call it where I'm from or a scolding!
One of the best thing a woman told me on my travels is "stand guard at the door of your mind"
She explained to me that my mind is one of the most powerful tools that I have and its not a free for all where anything and everything can enter and take up residence because what is in my mind will manifest in my life! For me it was like a kind of aha moment and an indication that I was thinking thoughts that need to be reigned in and redirected! 

I tested it out and it works! Listen, I focused on a few things and thought with action behind it and it manifested itself in my life! And when I get slack and lapse and open it up to any and everything my life reflected to me "hey hey hey, what are you thinking??" so , some thoughts that come into my mind, particularly the negative ones, I let them pass, they come I watch them and I let them go, the judgmental ones same thing! passing through, not sticking around for lunch and dinner the ones that are positive and forward moving I ask them in for a chat! 

Thinking positive does not mean failing to plan for things that can go wrong and take necessary action to mitigate it. It also does not mean being blind to what is not working It means that you know that you are ok and will be ok, its lessons or blessings!Positive thinking is a way of sending direct messages to the Universe saying what you want is important and sacred to you.
So what you feed your body, that goes inside your body, manifests itself in how you look on the outsideSo what you feed your mind will manifests itself in how your life looks! It really is just that simple! You look haggard and tired and crappy, what's in your mind?  What are you thinking!Catch that!Peace! 

Jump into the center and get comfy

Jump into the center of YOUR own life and get comfortable being there.



I was doing my early morning reading and I came across something by Danielle LaPorte (note to self, these things are really messages so maybe you didn't just come across it?) anyways, this reading was sent to me directly because it was exactly what was required this morning.

It talked about  "swallowing your words, paying rent in hell and maintaining appearances. Why we make (unhealthy) compromises"

So there are two types of compromises, one that expands you, make you feel joyous, growth and not yucky!! Comes from a place of love and grace

Then there is the type that dries you up, makes you feel like crap because it is driven by fear and people pleasing!

So why do we do it?
We do it because of fear that we will not get what we want! Yea, that's it in a nutshell right there fear! whatever excuses you make for bruising your soul in the name of compromise is just plain ole fear!

We fear rejection, criticism!
So here's the thing 


"We stay in ridiculously dramatic relationships for fear of loneliness or despair -- which would keep us from the connection and joy we really want. We keep up with social situations even though they make us feel flat, fake, or alien, because we don't want to be cast off entirely -- because that might keep us from the nourishment and affinity that we really want.   In review:   We compromise -- we swallow our words, keep paying rent in hell, and maintaining appearances, because we're afraid that we won't get what we really want if we... really tell the truth, choose joy over pain, and show up as ourselves. But if we don't really tell the  truth, choose joy over pain, and show up as ourselves... we'll never get what we really want."
You may really do experience some loneliness, rejection, and pain but its on the path to getting what you really really want and that's worth it!
Are you worth it?
Peace!!