Akosua Dardaine Edwards's Blog, page 53
May 10, 2021
Love Yourself Through It
This is all temporary, love yourself through it - Lalah Delia
Life is such a blessing, a teacher and a guide, all rolled up into one. I marvel at how much we have the answers we seek within if we would only be still enough to hear and then courageous enough to believe.
Life guides us through the ups and the down's once we are present and paying attention.
Many of us run from discomfort, we hide from it through distractions and making up stories. In my case I believed that pain was some type of punishment. What I have learnt is that pain is the flipside of joy. There are lessons and blessings on that journey as well. The lesson is to stay present, to be focused , to stop making up stories or punishing oneself. Once I accepted that I am being guided, I was able to make better decisions. Acceptance does mean liking it, it simply meant acknowledging that the situation showed up shown up in my life. Starting there gives me a grounding, then remembering that it is all temporary and to love myself through it.
Life presents us with the guidance we need once we are open and willing and still.
As Lalah Delia says, which is so beautiful.....Journey In Grace.
Peace
Akosua's Latest Book is Available - Now What? The Flipside
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May 8, 2021
What's Working for You?
Iyanla Vanzant talks about asking yourself what is working and what is not working in your life and keep it simple. Rather than going through the drama, the confusion, overthinking, making up stories and resentment. This works particularly well when dealing with other people and what is happening in our lives. Simply get still and ask what is working and what is not working. From that space when we detach and put our responses down on paper get clearer on how we move forward.So I asked myself today:
What's Working for me?Here are the top ten:
1. What is working for me is living in the moment, rather than making up stories about the future.
2. What's working for me is being open and true to how I feel.
3. What is working for me is eating more fruits and vegetables daily and slowly making better choices about what I put into my body.
4. What is working for me is minding my business and sating in my lane.
5. What's working for me is making time to meditate and exercise consistently.
6. What's working for me is speaking up rather than complaining and being passive aggressive.
7. What's working for me is being myself in every situation.
8. What's working for me is going to therapy.
9. What's working for me is purposefully letting go of judgement.
10. What's working for me is intentionally saying yes to activities that push me out of my comfort zone.
Peace
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May 7, 2021
Life is in Session
My friends
Hope that all is well, its been a hot minute!
This may have been the longest that I have even gone without checking in.
Life has been happening, Death has been happening.
And I have been there for all of it.
The feelings associated with these past few days have been varied and intense
Grief. Joy. Love. Compassion. Anxiety
Reminding me that life includes them all, there is always a flipside.
We have joy and sorrow, fun and seriousness
Our challenge is to feel them all and know they are temporary guides.
Somehow we look to run from the flipside, we think if we do all the right things that we can escape these so called uncomfortable feelings and pain. Newsflash - not very likely.
Life is in session. Feelings and all
It feels good to be back chatting with you, sharing lessons on the Journey
Peace
April 28, 2021
You are a Manifestation of God's Greatest Idea
If you are who you really are there’s no need to constantly prove yourself to the masses. Euphemia
Someone send me a message yesterday "you have no idea what's its like when you're never not enough" Listening to her I was taken aback because on the surface, she seemed to have everything together. A thriving career, a beautiful house, an active social life and all the material possessions, she also mentioned that she had to keep proving and proving and proving.
That conversation peaked my interest because there was a time when proving was a part of my life. It also peaked my interest because I wondered if and how I am still in the proving mode. Upon reflection, I have learnt two main lessons:
1. There is nothing to prove. When you know who you are there is never a need to prove, grasp or justify anything. You show up do your best and leave the rest.
2. We are enough just be being born. You are enough, a manifestation of God's greatest idea.
3. We have to constantly remind ourselves that we are enough and that we have nothing to prove.
Peace
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April 24, 2021
I’m gathering up all my little C-words
Whether it’s a Crisis, Cleansing, Clarifying, or Claiming, I’m gathering up all my little C-words as I steep in what feel like big and ruthless decisions. Chela Davidson
My grandmother transitioned from this life last week, at eighty eight years old, she was able to see many generations grow in front of her eyes - what a blessing!
I would consider her to be the glue that held us all together, now that the glue is now unstuck, there seems to be a gap left to be filled.
Lessons on the Journey during the process of putting my beloved Sheils to rest:
1. Everyone handles grief differently. Respect everyone's process.
2. Someone will emerge as the glue to hold the family together if you let them. Keep an open mind to embrace a different type of glue.
3. Grief is all the love you have inside that has no where to go but ends up in your chest and explodes as tears or lump in your throat.
4. Go through and grow through the feelings, rather than hide, avoid, dismiss, deny them.
5. Celebrate the life and legacy of your loved one as they transition.
Thank you Sheils, Love never dies, it just changes form
Peace
April 14, 2021
When we go back to what?
No matter how we engage the future it will never be the same again. You will never be the same. Alica M. Rodriguez
2021 picked up where 2020 left off, still quite a bit of uncertainty and many many changes due to the pandemic, exposure of systematic racism and natural disasters such as the Soufriere volcano in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
I have heard many times, and even said it myself sentences and statements that begin with or include- "when we go back" or "when the pandemic ends"
When we go back to what?
What if the pandemic continues for a long time?
What if this is our life for a little bit.
I asked myself these questions and vowed to be more present in the moment rather than think about "going bac" and "waiting"
I made a vow to be use what is in front of me rather than complaining about what is gone and cannot come to me
I promised myself to feel all the feelings but not take up residence in them. They will be used as guides
I will be a demonstration.
I am ready
Peace
Akosua's Latest Book is Available
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April 12, 2021
Self Reflection
Self-reflection is the habit of deliberately paying attention to your own thoughts, emotions, decisions, and behaviors. Nick Wignall
Deliberately paying attention - I am learning how to deliberately pay attention to how and what I am doing or not doing in the present moment. It is almost like stepping outside of myself to see how I am responding in every situation I face.
Creating new habits take time and discipline. It is very easy to stay where we are because of uncertainty, comfort and fear. Doing the same thing over and over is more times easier than doing a new thing. What if I fail, what if it does not work comes to my mind until I become self aware, until I self reflect that doing something new takes time and consistency to get to a point of comfort.
Self Reflection is holding a mirror up to ourselves, there are times we may love what we see and there are times when we see something that requires some work, some changes, some refinement. Can we move to new mirror, break the mirror or ignore? Yes we can, those actions will not make the thing disappear. What may happen is someone comes along and points it out to us. If we are not ready, we react in unhealthy ways, we deny, resist, fight and ignore. This type of behavior will not always turn out well for you.
Self reflection gets easier with practice, we learn to accept, feel and work with ourselves minus the judgement.
The process requires, openness, willingness, courage and time and an authentic tribe.
Peace
April 7, 2021
Let go of all illusions of a split identity
To affirm, “I am spirit” is to let go of all illusions of a split identity, of a good and bad self, and of all attempts we might make to somehow reconcile the ego self that is bound to a body with the spiritual self that is unlimited by a body. ACIM
Growing up, I was given a list of things at Sunday School then at Confirmation class, then at home which were on the "bad list". That meant, if I did any of those things I would immediately and automatically turn into a bad person and go straight to hell. Now there were some items on that list I wanted to question - how can wearing micro shorts send me to hell, or partying at a club? Doesn't God want us to have fun? As I grew older, I would see my friends and neighbors doing things on the list and they did not go to hell, in fact, they seemed to be quite happy going about their business. I decided to bring up the topic with my grandmother - naturally!
"Who told you that rubbish?" she went on a tirade about brainwash and think for yourself child, think think!
She would go on to add her own items to the list, which I thought was so ironic, leaving me with "don't let people fool you, make your own enquiries then choose"
I forgot about this conversation, today reading ACIM, I am reminded that I am spirit, not good, not bad. I am part of the Universe. I am reminded to not judge others as I have no idea of their own story. I am reminded of my sacred responsibility of being a spirit.
Peace
Akosua's Latest Book is Available
April 5, 2021
Ten Things My Grandmother Taught Me
Good Grandmothers live forever
For the first 13 years of my life I lived with my grandmother. To me she was a mystery. She would be cool one day, I go to stay up late to watch a show called Prisoners with her- the show depicted life in a women's prison in Australia, after the show which was during the week, she would say come and sleep with me in my bed, because trust me, the show would freak me to hell out.
Then there were times, she would be mad and tell everyone off and disappear and return as if nothing happened. She forgives easily, she gives giving second chances a new name- give hundreds of chances.
Other times she would be entertaining people at the house from all walks of life and teach me how to talk to adults, to eat with a knife and fork and drink juice "properly" aka not chewing up the ice left in the glass.
As I look back, I reflect on the top ten lessons I got from my grandmother:
1. It is okay to be considered "quiet and shy" - I was her sunshine, sunshine shines quietly, provides light and can heat up the place. "Just shine Yak"
2. Do it with class - whatever you do have some class Yaki, money cannot buy class, you can have little or no money but have some class.
3. Read Books - read everything that you can put your hands on, read about the things you don't understand, read about your history, read about other people's history. Keep reading.
4. Travel - see the world!
5. Think for yourself - do not ever follow blindly - investigate, probe, ask questions especially religion.
6. Be ok with others underestimating you - just don't underestimate yourself.
7. There are some times you have to fight, don't be afraid to get down and dirty.
8. Rituals and Stories from the Elders are an important part of the process of growth and development
9. Have fun.
10. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, you are not perfect, don't hide it, be fake and not take accountability
Peace
April 3, 2021
Journey to Balance
You don’t need to try every type of meditation, or read every spiritual book -Mind will lure you into “spiritual shopping” to keep you entrapped. Truth is always accessible Here Now - Lesson to Self
Searching for the answers outside of ourselves is an unsustainable strategy for a peaceful life. Searching for perfection is also an unsustainable strategy for peaceful living. Searching for both perfection and outside answers can be a form of fear.
What we must remember is, your inner guidance will lead you to what you need. If your inner guidance points you towards mediation, courses, books, and other type of information, that is usually the way to go, not the other way around.
Many times we place our intellect before our intuition. There has to be a balance. Many times we live only from our head, and leave the heart out and vice versa. There must be a balance.
In order to listen and trust our intuition stillness must be part of our daily lives, whether it is 5 minutes or 50 minutes, once we make the time to get still, the intuition comes out to play. In the busyness we will miss it.
Awareness without action is useless.
Peace
Akosua's Latest Book is Available
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