Akosua Dardaine Edwards's Blog, page 29
February 27, 2023
Ten Lessons from Being in the Forest
Over the last ten days, I had the opportunity and privilege to spend time in the Forest with the Maroon people of Suriname. The Maroons are descendants of Africans who fled the colonial Dutch forced labour plantations in Suriname and established independent communities in the interior rainforests. They live in the Forest, with the river within walking distance. There are no cars, everything is done with their boats. Rivers, rapids, creeks and streams play a huge part in their living.
The traditions are respected and kept.
The Saramaccan tribe hosted me with so much love and joy.
What Did I Learn?
1. Simple is not always easy - the simple life, the traditions, the choices we make takes self -discipline and self-awareness. Self-discipline is based on self-acceptance .It is very easy and tempting to follow the crowd, follow what is convenient, what is easy. Life is simple, we choose to make it complicated.
2. Moving slowly allows me to be in the moment - rushing around, getting the result, getting to the solution. Rushing is a reflection of what is going on inside - anxiety, judging self etc
3. I can do anything for a little while, I can do hard things - I had to paddle the boat, bathe in cold water, let go of control on a small manmade boat on a daily basis- scared as I was , I did it.
4. Mother Nature has EVERYTHING that we need. Every.Single.Thing!
5. My ancestors are badass warriors - this is in my DNA. I can tap into this at anytime. They live in me, thank you for the reminder.
6. Some things are for my eyes and my consciousness to share only through how I live, what energy I give. Not being able to take pictures was hard at first- the women did not want pictures of their ceremonies, of their daily living. I immersed myself in it. Not being "connected" to the outside world was a cleansing.
7. When you don't know who you are, chances are you don't know what you want. When you don't know what you want, anything that looks good can pull you in. Know who you are!
8. Keep some traditions, they ground you. Let go of those that grind you.
9. Everything requires balance - even on the boat.
10. It does not have to be perfect to be impactful, to be useful, to be progressive. Start it with love, purpose, focus and no self-judgement. Lessons on the Journey.
Peace
February 17, 2023
Keep on walking
Always waiting for something good to find you. But if it don't come what are you gone do
And that's why I'm walking, walking, Gotta keep on walking, walking Mali Music
I walked away today
I walked away from the needing to know, to understand other people’s choices.
I walked away from unfulfilled dreams and promises
I walked into healing
I walked into acceptance
I walked into surrender
I walked into dreams for the future
I walked into remembering who I am
I walked into remembering to never bargain your value
I walked into courage
I walked into keeping commitments to myself
I keep walking, one step at a time, towards a Love Supreme - starting with Self
Peace
Akosua's Books
Nyabo (Madam) Why Are You Here?
What Did I Learn Today? Lessons on the Journey to Unconditional Self Love
February 15, 2023
Today I Learned
How are you going to stand in the sacred place called your life - Iyanla
Today I learned that surrender takes courage. Surrender is the acceptance that my role in the particular situation is finished and must be passed on to the Most High.
Today I learned that when I surrender the situation to the Most High- have faith, keep your human hands out of it. If you have given it to the Most High, are you more equipped to handle it?
Today I learned that humanness does not demand that I have it all together all the time, that mistakes and missteps are part of the journey. Failing will happen to course correct and reroute, rather than to make me stop or give up.
Today I learned how to perfect the portions for one green smoothie. I learned to wake up and say Self I love you and smile.
Today, I learned that I cannot fix everything or everyone, nor am I supposed to.
Today I learned to sit in the discomfort and feel the feelings. I do not have to act on them because this too shall pass.
Today I learned that I do not have to beat up myself for putting my heart into the world.
Today I learned that every single fear is a tool, use it to build something beautiful.
Today I learned that consistency and discipline is a foolproof formula - for everything.
Today I learned that living my life to the fullest could also be building a simple life that I am proud of.
Today I learned what I feed my mind, body and souls shows up in how I live my life.
Today I learned if I do not know myself, my relationships will naturally be shallow.
Today I learned that I can do this, I can make and keep commitments to myself.
I can reset
PeaceAkosua's Books
Nyabo (Madam) Why Are You Here?
What Did I Learn Today? Lessons on the Journey to Unconditional Self Love
February 13, 2023
Forward Movements
Every day, do one thing that moves you forward - Iyanla Vanzant
When we are caught up in our daily lives , or when we are in survival mode, the last thing on our minds would be doing something that moves us forward, or is fun, or self honoring. We get so focused on getting by, getting ahead, keeping our heads above water, of making it that we neglect or forget that without us being healthy, focused and present all of that becomes harder.
At times, our default actions lead to unhealthy or disruptive actions for a temporary reprieve- smoking, drinking, shopping, eating, and so we go.
My temporary reprieve, habit used to be eating excessive amounts of chocolate and hiding myself away inside the house - I have gotten over the chocolate eating - give thanks. I still "hide away" myself at the house and come out only when necessary and needed - I am making a commitment to myself that moving forward starting March 2023, I will not hide inside of the house to avoid places, situations and people.
What are some of the small actions we can take to move us forward? - sometimes it is the little things
1. Drink water - simple, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
2. Laugh- call a friend that will make you laugh, find something that will make you laugh - the deep belly, laugh until you cry type
3. Exercise, move your body - nuff said
4. Take a walk preferably somewhere with some trees
5. Speak kindly to yourself.
Peace
Akosua's Books
Nyabo (Madam) Why Are You Here?
What Did I Learn Today? Lessons on the Journey to Unconditional Self Love
February 11, 2023
What Runs Through Your Mind on Automatic Loop?
Your best measurement of your relationship with yourself is what runs through your mind on an automatic loop. Are you nice to yourself? Do you say kind things or does your inner critic take up the most room in your head? If it does, it’s not paying rent and it needs to go because it’s messing up the place and reducing your self-worth. You need to grow your relationship with your Self with a capital S. You higher self. Your know-better self. Your Self that loves you with no conditions, traps or pre-requisites. Change that voice. THAT is THE WORK. Laura Bergman Fortgang
This is what I have learned. Thoughts play an important part in our lives, it all starts with a thought. And by this I mean the ones that we hold on to and "mind" in our mind.
The ones we replay, we take in as gospel and defend.
When we "mind" the thoughts, what is going to happen is something around those thoughts will come manifesting into our reality or we have fights with ourselves in our heads.
Life has a way of reflecting back to us when we need to grow, evolve, shift and move. I for one, find change and discomfort challenging so there are times I will resist. I will fight to stay in a familiar place, doing a familiar thing. Life is so loving, it will continue to mirror back to me through situations and people, what is on loop in my head. Trust me, life does not want you to take this personal.
What do I do to pay attention to my thoughts?
1. I ask myself- what are you thinking? and get still for the answer- this puts me on pause and allows me to get back into the present moment.
2. I meditate - when I do I let the thoughts float by and remain an observer, sometimes I say wow how interesting, other times I find myself saying OMG!
3. I write them down in my journal.
4. I say to myself- what you think about you bring about - so what do you want to bring about?
And with all of this, the words I speak to myself are kind, compassionate and loving. This works for me.
What do you think will work for you?
Peace
Akosua's Books
Nyabo (Madam) Why Are You Here?
What Did I Learn Today? Lessons on the Journey to Unconditional Self Love
February 9, 2023
Words have the power to create
Words incant, invoke, destroy, and create. When we speak with high intention, we live in Higher Love. Danielle La Porte
What are you telling yourself?
What are you telling yourself consistently?
What are you telling yourself that is kind?
What are you telling yourself that is unkind?
What are you telling yourself that is loving?
What are you telling yourself that is unloving?
What are you telling yourself that is habitual - mindless- without thought?
The words you speak have power. I did a very simple experiment while running. I took a run for a longer distance than I would usually run for. The first time I did the distance I decided to urge myself on with kindness, enthusiasm, passion and positivity. I made it, it was tough however, every time I pumped up myself with those words I felt a sense of comradery, energy and wanted to show myself that I appreciated the way the cheering on happened.
The next time I ran, I berated myself, I shouted, I scolded. I kid you not, I stopped running. I was not in any way motivated to continue running.
How we speak to ourselves matter, it shows up in how we show up, in how we communicate with others, in how we live.
Take the time to pay attention to how you speak to yourself, about yourself -internally and externally.
Give yourself a task - do a tiny experiment on self talk, see what comes up!
Peace
Akosua's Books
Nyabo (Madam) Why Are You Here?
What Did I Learn Today? Lessons on the Journey to Unconditional Self Love
February 6, 2023
We have the power
When we understand that we are God' eyes, ears, hands and feet we can have a little more confidence in ourselves. From on high, God is depending on us to demonstrate his/her power, utilize compassion, be forgiving , show mercy and live in grace. Iyanla Vanzant
Imagine, we are God's eyes, ears, hands and feet. This is how magnificent we are.
Confessions on the Journey - the statement sat with me all day. It resonated on a level that blew my mind. How powerful to know that we have all this power and responsibility? It reminded me that we have a role to play not just in our lives but in the world; that we have what it takes to carry out the role bestowed upon us by the Most High. Imagine if we showed up daily with the intent, the memory, the comfort that we have been given this important task?
Knowing now that I have the responsibility to shift my own life and the lives of others - if only by demonstration, I am asking myself, how am I carrying out these responsibilities? How am I being, on a consistent basis? Am I forgiving, am I living in grace, am I showing mercy, am I being my best self? Its starts with me.
I am also comforted by the fact that there is an innate power and connection within me that I can tap into when I encounter challenges. There is a code of conduct which guides my steps. On this journey, there will be times when I doubted myself, when I have made choices forgetting this innate power that I have been gracefully given, when I want things my own way, rather than trust in God's timing and will. Today I am reminded that my steps are ordered by the power within me.
I continue to be in awe of how much our own choices and thinking play a part in our response to the events that happen in our lives.
With this reminder, I can now regroup, resent and rethink how I make any steps 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
February 3, 2023
Messages and Lessons come from Everywhere
We all have a strong drive within us to speak our secrets. If we can’t tell our secret, we’re almost compulsively driven to act it out. Martha Beck
I have learnt that messages come to us when we need it and can come through and from anything and anyone. I believe that God is in everything so with that, if God needs to send us a message it can come from anyone and anything. The choice is really up to us to
Last month I was doing a dance class and the instructor said "do not add shame to your dancing, when you add shame to anything you will not learn or be comfortable learning" That statement remained with me all day. It resonated in a different type of way
How many times have I added shame to a process because I was afraid to fail, afraid to "look bad", afraid of what others would say. Knowing fully well that in doing something for the first time I will not get it perfectly right? Leave the shame out of executing something new, whatever it is, let yourself off the hook. Do what you do with intention, purpose and to the best of your ability. The intention will show up in the result.
I declare today that learning and unlearning from this day forward will be filled with intention, purpose, fun and doing my best - no more shame.
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
February 1, 2023
February is the Journey to Surrender
Dear February
I Surrender:
- Limited beliefs that no longer serve me - what are you still believing in that keeps you stuck, unhappy, doubting yourself, focusing on others? Ask yourself the tough questions and then surrender it all.
- People pleasing - surrender the need, the craving for everyone to like you. Focus on liking yourself and creating healthy boundaries
- Shame & Guilt for resting & self-care - how many of us want to finish the tasks, do the work in front of us at the expense of our health, well being and peace of mind?
- Blaming others & not taking responsibility for my choices - sometimes, we mess up! own it. Helps in making decisions and forgiving ourselves.
- Outdated status quo beliefs - the status quo sometimes keeps us from moving forward and doing something new and different.
- Self-doubt - Don't let the doubt fool you.
- Judging others, Judging self - February is a call to release the judgement of self
- Expired relationships - the ones you know are done however you keep rehashing them in your mind or even in person.
- Tolerating nonsense & bad behaviour of self & others - what are you tolerating in your life that you know must be surrendered?
- The illusion that I can control that every outcome - do everything that you can, then surrender the rest, God's will be done.
- Fixing others, fixing "it", Fixing the "situation"
- Acceptance of what is
What are you surrendering to this on your Journey?
Peace
Akosua's Books
Nyabo (Madam) Why Are You Here?
What Did I Learn Today? Lessons on the Journey to Unconditional Self Love
January 30, 2023
Surrender is Always an Option
surrender is always an option in every moment of our lives. Daily OM
Confessions on the journey - Surrendering and letting go of my way is a tough one for me. Surrender requires trust, faith, patience and courage. It requires an inner knowing that whatever happens I will be well equipped with the tools to handle it.
When I am uncertain, or cannot understand what is in presented to me, I look to find certainty, assert control and find understanding. This process looks sometimes like me stating my point numerous times, I push the limits - I press all buttons. It also looks like overthinking - I make stories up to help me understand. And the stories are usually of little or no help. After all, they are not real!
I have been journaling, meditating and using affirmations.
My favorite affirmation and prayer has been "I surrender all"
Sums it up nicely - all of it! every single thought, story, message, and action - I surrender it all.
I give up the need to control when I have done all that is humanly possible, when I recognize that I really do have no control over the outcome and I trust in the higher power to guide me. I accept what is, because as Byron Katie says when you argue with reality, you suffer.
Peace and Blessings
I DeClare - Download your free guide
Akosua's Books
Nyabo (Madam) Why Are You Here?
What Did I Learn Today? Lessons on the Journey to Unconditional Self Love
