Akosua Dardaine Edwards's Blog, page 46

Trust Yourself

 Trust Yourself enough to trust your Source/Creator/God, that no matte what happens that you will be ok- Iyanla Vanzant

Continuing on the Journey to Surrender.

We love to fix a problem by doing. There is always in our mind something to do, to fix, to get. 

When we are in a state of surrender we must give up the need to do, fix, get. Surrender requires complete trust. 

If you have trust issues, you will never be able to surrender.

Peace

Journey to Surrender

 

November, pour warmth into spaces within me that feel unworthy. fill the room vacated by what isn’t for me with something that deserves to stay. let everything that reaches its expiration date be a reminder of how love for myself should always remain priority. quench my spirit. Billy Chapata

November is the Journey to Surrender. What does surrender mean to you?

In the past, surrender meant giving up, and felt weak. As I journeyed spiritually, I have learnt that surrender is so far from giving up, it is the relinquishing of control, of fear, of matters that I have no business in. Surrender takes courage as it calls you to have faith, patience and fortitude.

Surrendering to the Most High, the Universe has proven to be a form of strength, a miracle of sorts. It says that I have done my part, I have followed the guidance and now I must get out of the way, trusting that all will be well. Rather than interfere, worry, stress and control, I can surrender to the process knowing that I have done all that I can, all that I have been guided to and all that is required, everything else is a complete waste of time.

I surrender all is a mantra that I will definitely be using during this month.

I surrender all fear

I surrender all judgement

I surrender all doubt

I surrender all control

I surrender all untruths

I surrender all stories

Peace

What Thoughts Keep You Company?

 Have you ever considered what thoughts camp out in your mind for longer times? What thoughts keep you company? Well, let's truly see. Here's an exercise that may sound like work, but could prove worthwhile. Write down whatever thoughts come to mind. Then start adding points every time you think about them. Tally for a week and see which thought has the highest points.  Mariel Busque

What are you thinking? It is a mantra that I use as a reminder. What I have learnt is, my thoughts can create my feelings then feed into the decisions that I make, the mood that I am in and how I show up in the day.

It starts with my thoughts, so when I catch myself in a funk, a bad mood, even when I am ill, I go back to the mantra "what am I thinking"

I pay attention to the thoughts that are floating around in my mind and those that I am giving attention.

Over the past few days my thoughts have been full of fear about how I am feeling in my body, I have been thinking only of the worst, rather than thinking about solutions, stopping the runaway fear and remember that my feelings and thoughts are guide.

When I stopped these fear based thoughts I went back to the mantra "What am I thinking?"

It allows me to stop, pay attention and regroup. To be mindful and focus on what is a story I made up as opposed to the truth.

What are you thinking?

Be mindful to the thoughts that you are having and how they impact your life.

Peace

Let this not be another illusion that separates us

life is so much easier when you stop trying to convince folks to live in the same realm as you. just let them be and you continue to be yourself. Tonye

The country has been opening up  slowly, restaurants, coffee shops, entertainment spots, schools. The biggest conversation has been who is vaccinated and who is not, what is a safe zone or not. What is safe, what is fair.

 The requirements to go to any of the safe zones as declared by the Government is a valid vaccination certificate and a valid ID. 

Many people have opted to not take the vaccine for many different reasons, as it stands now they are not able to visit the safe zones, except schools. Schools remain open for the unvaccinated who are at secondary school level. 

The attention and emotion attached to this conversation woke me up, I wanted to see what I could have learnt from it.

I have listened to both sides, I have attempted to suspend my judgement about it all and observe.

The observation has yielded some lessons that I would like to share

1. There is some fear - some people are afraid of taking the vaccine because of the unknowns, because they are afraid to die, because the vaccine took a short time to come to the public.

2. There is some resentment - many people feel resentful that the Government in mandating the population to take the vaccine, they feel forced and want to make a statement and so they are refusing to take the vaccine.

3. There is some confusion - is the vaccine better than boosting up your immunity through natural methods?

4. There is some anger - according to some, why are  some people refusing to take the vaccine and putting other lives in danger?.

5. There are religious reasons - many people are standing by their religious beliefs which suggest that the vaccine is the "mark of the beast" or does not fit in to their faith.

Listening to all of this I have realized that  there is another form and method of separation is among us.

We have chosen another way to separate ourselves from one another - Vaccine Apartheid. 

No matter what we believe, we are all connected, what you do impacts everyone and everything around us and what I do impacts everything around you.

If we move around with that belief, whatever choice we make will be made in love and service to self and others.

Letting others make a choice when it is different to what we believe and want without reacting with anger, fear and judgement supports connection.  Remember that you are connected to each and everyone of your brothers and sisters. Understanding their point of view helps  in making choices that impacts us positively.

Living our lives in harmony is the goal.

Let this not be another illusion that separates us.

Peace

Are You Present in the Moment?

 

Live fully now. The soul reveals all information on a need-to-know basis. Danielle La Porte

Lately I have found myself looking for the next thing, the next event, the next task, the next project, the next day. I realized that I was doing this when someone asked me a question about what was happening  now , in a present situation and I honestly could not answer because I was not present, I was already thinking about the future. I heard absolutely nothing that was said and could not report on it.

I also noticed that when I was at an event or a place, I automatically moved my thoughts to what time I ought to leave to head home to do something else, acting as if where I was at the present moment was a bother, a means to an end, something to pass the time.  Pulling myself from the future into the present time proved to be a shift in how I started perceiving everything.

Being present in the moment, I was able to immerse myself into the moment in front of me, receiving the blessings, the lessons and the opportunities.

Being present in the moment, stress left me, I was so focused on what was in front of me and how I felt about it, I had no stress about what happens later or tomorrow.

Being present in the moment, I noticed everything and everyone around me, I saw everyone and even felt seen.

Being present in the moment I let go of wanting to control everything and what I needed to know came to me quite easily

Being present in the moment takes courage.

Being present in the moment takes discipline

Being present in the moment allows for clarity. 

Are you present in the moment?

Peace

Do You stay in your lane?

 I hope you have the courage and support to:

Lay Down Say No Set Boundaries Walk Away Prioritize Your Health - Dr Thema

A friend of mine asked me today, how do we know when to intervene in someone's life, when we see that they are heading for a fall, a crash, a crisis?

I thought about it for a while and answered  when they are ready, when we are ready, the pull will be inevitable. Keep minding our own business until then, she said that is one approach.

I was a little thrown by that response - confessions on the Journey. There is always more than one way, I must admit. I never thought of another one. I still have not thought of another one. What I can say based on my own lessons is helping others or intervening in their lives, if they did not ask or are not ready, it is recipe for resentment - on both sides.

We are concerned for our loved ones, we want them to thrive and do well.  We want them to be happy. When we see them suffering we want to help, to make them happy. Is that our job, or is happiness an inside job? 

On our own journey we will encounter others, we will encounter situations that we believe we ought to fix because, to us, "it just ain't right" 

Sometimes, this is where we come off our own path because it seems the right thing to do, or it seems easier to focus on helping others.

 Everything starts with us, yes we have a collective responsibility- which starts with us, how we treat ourselves, how we live our lives - then it filters out,

Starting inside we move outside - if we are unhealthy, stressed, broke and weary- this is what we demonstrate to others - we teach by what we demonstrate. Focusing on our lives demonstrates how important it is to take care of ourselves. 

When the call is made to support others, it is undeniable, there is no ego, no judgement, no expectations, no demands. There is only the answering of the call as part of our path. Despite the challenges.

Next time you want to get in someone else's business, ask yourself why.

Peace

Now What? A Four Week Self Reflective Journey

Join the Journey - a Self Reflective Journey to Self

Your Mind Will Determine How You See It

 No matter what happens, or where you think an obstacle comes from, your mind will determine what you see and how you see it. If you call it a block, it’ll be a block. If you call it a challenge, you’ll see it as a challenge. If you call it a problem, you’ll have a problem on your hands. Iyanla Vanzant 

What are you thinking? This must be one of the most impactful questions I have used on my Journey to Clarity. When I ask myself this in the midst of a funk and even a crisis, it stops me from making another poor move. I  am now able to take on the role of observer in the situation rather than taking mindless or harmful.

Our thinking leads to our decisions. What I have learnt is, if its unconscious habitual thinking, we may dig into the past or we focus on protecting ourselves based on a memory. None of which has anything to do with the moment that we now find ourselves.

When we pay attention to our thoughts, we also pay attention to our words and our actions. Our mind can race away on its own beat, make up stories and act on those stories, many times none of them are true.

What I have also learned is when our thoughts, actions and words line up, our manifestations are clear. When we are thinking one thing, saying another and acting in contradiction of both or all, the Universe does not have clear guidance or instructions to follow. What shows up in our lives, as a result, is confusion.

When your mind is racing, when you are feeling out of sorts, when you are acting like a nutter, simply ask yourself in a kind and non judgmental manner - what are you thinking!

Peace

Create Space for It

We find the sacred by intentionally creating space for it.  The way to invoke the sacred in our lives is to make an intentional space where we can be present, without rushing to fill that space with anything other than perhaps an offering from nature or a small vase of flowers. Lynne Twist

 The ego teaches us that things like credentials, prestige, money and worldly power are more important than love. It counsels that we are separate from others, that we have to compete to get ahead, and that we're not quite good enough the way we are. And by our thinking such things, we perpetuate a world in which they seem true.

Such things such as credentials, prestige, money and worldly power refer to our external selves, and our external selves are not who we are. Once we know this, we escape that world and begin to realize that we are here to love, forgive, serve and heal. "all those fancy titles and things you own says something about you, but they can never be who you are, once you know who you are,you will always always be very fine"

A Different Meaning of Declutter

 

Also worth noting: “In case I need it,” is a racket. If you haven't used it in over a year… considering move it on. Other people probably need it now. Just give it away. Danielle La Porte

Is there anything present in your life that you believe that you absolutely need- cannot do without? 

What is in your house, your closet, your life you believe is a must keep? and more importantly is why?

Decluttering, I have learnt, has more benefits than just making space in your home, your closet, your basement. Decluttering has become more than a physical clearing out, it is a spiritual process of  making room for new in my life.

Decluttering is declaring to the Universe that I am ready for new. There is a readiness to move away from the comfort zone I created, an act of faith, the letting go of the familiar and control.

I looked at my closet to start the process. Confessions on the Journey - I felt overwhelmed. As with life, when we view a challenge, a change as a one shot, one time event rather than taking it in stages the feelings of overwhelm can come rushing through. How we view the change is paramount. 

I decided to declutter with a measure of anticipation, a tinge of excitement. Sharing what is in this closet will bless me and bless others, rather than attaching the memories to it believing that I must recreate them, that I may need it "one day".

Life I have learnt is about change, clearing out, making room for new. What happens is that we want to keep the "good" experiences and events and throw out the bad. And who can blame us? Who likes bad experiences? Who likes to feel discomfort? When we look at life as good and bad, it makes it extremely difficult for us to declutter and let go.

Making room for new takes time, courage, an open mind, faith and trust - starting with decluttering your home can set you up for the bigger things in life. 

Peace

What was may never be again

 Collectively, we are still attached to what was even though it will never be again.

Today I want to share a blog post from Alicia Rodriguez, someone I met in Ecuador a few years back. Her wisdom is on point

We are all experiencing "existential angst" if you will. Our lives and everything we have ever believed is called into question every day. The ground on which we have stood is now moving and even has disappeared. This goes beyond resilience, much deeper. There is a deep and subtle loneliness within that comes from how disconnected we have become; disconnected from others, from the way our lives were and from ourselves.

Collectively, we are still attached to what was even though it will never be again.  People who are in power are taking such desperate measures to retain that power so they can continue to thrive personally at the expense of the earth, future generations, and their fellow human beings. Organizations still do not empower women and diverse populations to act with authority and agency despite having data that organizations with women and true diversity is good for the bottom line. Individuals hold fast to their beliefs and drama even in the face of evidence to the contrary.

There is no discourse only dissonance.

Many are grieving the past without any real awareness that this grief is lodged in our minds, bodies and hearts. We truly have been traumatized but don’t recognize how that trauma is playing out. We just know that we feel uneasy, uncertain, and adrift in a world that we no longer understand or even feel connected to.

Some people took time over the last two years to change their habits and living conditions, voluntarily and involuntarily. They noticed what life could be like when they paused long enough to experience their lives differently. They are stuck in the in-between place between what was and what could be. They know they don’t want to return to what was but the vision of what will be is still elusive. Staring into a void, they are afraid but still, they inch forward through the uncertainty because going backwards is not an option.

CREATING YOUR FUTURE

In my work, I tell clients not to focus on what they want...but instead on what they want to create. I am challenging them to be bold and move toward creating their lives instead of reacting to them. This has created shifts for them to feel more confident as they focus on what they control or influence. They stop attending to the noise.

Acting from the inside out, and taking a stand for what you believe, will propel you into the future that you can create. This is a conscious choice to evolve.

The only way to feel fully alive is to surrender to life just as it is. Trust that if you do your own internal work, if you can ground yourself in what truly matters (spirituality, family, justice, environment, simplicity, etc.), then you will find your solid ground. There is no grounding out there only in here. Redefining the act of surrendering from defeat to surrendering to your truth is the only way to thrive in a world that has lost its bearings and is desperately in need of those who have found theirs.

Peace

Alicia's Blog