Akosua Dardaine Edwards's Blog, page 87

Fly High Toni

1. Whatever the work is, do it well—not for the boss but for yourself 2. You make the job; it doesn’t make you 3. Your real life is with us, your family 4. You are not the work you do; you are the person you are Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison made me want to read more. In fact, she made me want to read period. When I first picked up the book The Bluest Eye, I was captivated by it, I did not understand it at first, and so wanted to. I sat with it for a long time and concluded that I must read more. I just read more and more books, which I think literally saved me.

Toni Morrison made me want to be brave, the things she said were so bold and audacious. I thought that this is a woman who I can pattern after if only, if only, I was brave enough. When I read her story I realised, I could be brave enough to, I would just have to believe in myself.

Toni Morrison made me write, indirectly. I think the influence of reading her books, seeing some of myself in the stories and feeling pride in it sparked something in me about self love, self belief and courage.

Toni Morrison has left us gifts, she has left the world all these gifts
I want to honour her by also leaving gifts for those who are coming behind me. By being courageous, believing in myself and showing up real.
Thank you Toni
May you R.I.P

Peace

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Have you read any of Akosua's work?What Did I Learn Today? Lessons on the Journey to Unconditional Self Love
Nyabo (Madam) - Why Are You Here?Daily Lessons on the Journey - A Journal
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No Prediction or Preparation can prepare you for some things

There's no amount of prediction or preparation that will help you know exactly what will happen in what order.  Mastin Kipp



Someone asked me today if I had all my jobs lined up and planned before moving on from my current job.
I said no
She was gobsmacked as to how I did it.
All I could say that it was a combination of faith and choice.
There were times that I left a place by choice because it was just not where and what I wanted to do and how I wanted to feel
There was a time when I was fired
There was a time when my contract was not renewed
There were times I just walked out
And in hindsight all of those times I was somewhat scared that I would not be able to pay my bills or live comfortably and not once, not even down to my last dollar did I starve or had no where to live. I always had food and shelter, I may not have been able to go to the hairdresser and do pedicures monthly but maybe that is not what I needed at that time.
When we are at the crossroads, there must be something inside us that knows, that knows, that knows you will be ok.
On the really hard days remind yourself that this too shall pass and to get to the mountain top there will be times where rest and being out of breath is a must!
Just part of the journey!

Know who you are
Know your why and remember
the challenges are part of the Journey
Find a way to self talk, to practice and to celebrate the small wins
Peace


https://welead.21qcaribbean.com/
Have you read any of Akosua's work?What Did I Learn Today? Lessons on the Journey to Unconditional Self Love
Nyabo (Madam) - Why Are You Here?Daily Lessons on the Journey - A Journal
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What do You Tell Yourself?

What do you say to yourself on the really really hard days?
How do you speak to the magnificence inside of you when you do not see evidence of it?
How do you show up to yourself when you need you most?
What are the things you do for you and with you when you must?
Share some of your techniques/talks/tips
Let's share lessons on the Journey
Peace
Check out the We Lead PowHerful Conference - I will be there
https://welead.21qcaribbean.com/
Have you read any of Akosua's work?What Did I Learn Today? Lessons on the Journey to Unconditional Self Love
Nyabo (Madam) - Why Are You Here?Daily Lessons on the Journey - A Journal
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You Decide for Yourself What You Want to Become

Crazy what we settle for until we know we deserve better. Hopefully any hurt you’ve been through turns into stories of your resilience, courage, faith, strength of spirit, humor and not resentment. But ultimately that's your decision. You decide for yourself who you want to become Maryaam Hasnaa


The residential of the NiNa Young Leadership Programme comes to a close on Sunday with a graduation. This is always an event I look forward to just because the ladies have so much fun. It is in a new space which provides a new set of logistics and dynamics. It laready seems ore restricted but I refuse to put any limitations and stories on it before.
Pat, as usual, outdid herself in the planning of everything and for that I am so grateful, I know that it could not have happened without her assistance, dedication and patience!

Cheers to the young ladies who showed up!

What Did I Learn Today?


"When you are growing & living beyond the places that are familiar, you gotta be willing to do things that scares you. 
You gotta be willing to ask for help.
You gotta be willing to trust what you know.
You gotta be willing to believe"
Peace


Check out the We Lead PowHerful Conference - I will be there
https://welead.21qcaribbean.com/
Have you read any of Akosua's work?What Did I Learn Today? Lessons on the Journey to Unconditional Self Love
Nyabo (Madam) - Why Are You Here?Daily Lessons on the Journey - A Journal
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Happy Emancipation Day TnT!

 “The secret of life is to have no fear; it’s the only way to function.” Kwame Ture


Today is Emancipation Day in Trinidad and Tobago, a celebration of when the slaves were freed, the capital city of Port of Spain comes together in a celebration of colour and sound through a procession from the point at where the freedom proclamation was read to Freedom Village. This was the first year that I experienced it. The sun as blazing hot, the people were dancing and signing, the children were smiling, the music and drums were undeniable and the faship - so much bold colours and statements of royalty
I felt privileged to be a part of this where I could honour my ancestors in such a way!



May I always remember the ground upon which I stand.
May I always remember I walk with thousands
May I always remember because of you. I can
May I always honour myself by honouring what you have done
May I always remember & know that nothing and no-thing can stop me.
May I always remember that it is never our circumstances but rather our thoughts about our circumstances that determine our power to transform them.
We have the power either way
The power to use against ourselves.or the power to free ourselves.
May I always remember that wildest dreams come true
I.as I live now. Was your wildest dream come true.
I honour that. Always
Peace

Perfection is a Trap

If you feel like you don’t have it all together, trying living that instead making your life about the ever constant fixing of that. Maxie McCoy

Who said that we had to have all together- all the time?
Well who told me that anyway?
Has anyone told you that?
Especially as an adult. The expectation is as an adult, we need to have our shit sorted, to have it all together. And if we don't somehow we are relegated to the pile of immature, acting like a child and some may go as far as  to call us crazy!

I have learnt that this constant push towards fixing and perfection is a trap.
It messes with our heads, especially if it involves peddling products to "fix" us! make us more pretty, more handsome, more curvy, more shapely, more educated, more smart and on and on and on...
I have learnt that life will do whatever is required to heal you. life you, save you or get your attention. Many times that involves doing things that may be uncomfortable. Acceptance and knowing makes the process of adulting easier! 
Knowing meaning having that belief that whatever happens we will be OK,  and we will deal with it accordingly. THis may not ever look like how we planned it to be.
We simply cannot predict every step of the way or know everything!
Many times, we come from a place of the past, and how we reacted in that moment. In a new moment we go back to that place to deal, some times the new moment requires a new response, this scares us. This is where the knowing comes in.If we don't believe in the knowing we react in the same old way and guess what? We get the same old result.
We have feelings as a guide, use the guide to lead you to a new place. When we ignore or give the guide too much juice we will get lost and take a longer time to learn the lessons along the way.
Live in the flow
Live in the now
Love the life you are in
Know that whatever happens you will be guided and will be ok
Feel all the feelings
and have some fun along the Journey
Peace


Check out the We Lead PowHerful Conference - I will be there
https://welead.21qcaribbean.com/
Have you read any of Akosua's work?What Did I Learn Today? Lessons on the Journey to Unconditional Self Love
Nyabo (Madam) - Why Are You Here?Daily Lessons on the Journey - A Journal
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A Time For Everything

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, NIV)”I love this quote.It always reminds me that there are seasons, that nothing stays the same. Nature also reminds me of this. There are seasons. There is a time for planing and for reapingThere is a time for rain and for sunWhen I get frustrated by a process and the time it is taking to achieve or manifest something I am reminded that there is a time. If we use our rest time to work, there will be consequences and vice versaThe lessons that come with the timing of events include having faith, having patience,and trusting the processI know that rain cannot fall everydayI know that the sun will not shine everydayI know that there will be a time for both and with that I can rest assured that what shows up in my life is diving timing and adjust accordingly!
Peace
Check out the We Lead PowHerful Conference - I will be there
https://welead.21qcaribbean.com/
Have you read any of Akosua's work?What Did I Learn Today? Lessons on the Journey to Unconditional Self Love
Nyabo (Madam) - Why Are You Here?Daily Lessons on the Journey - A Journal
Follow Akosua onTwitterInstagram

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Love Everything

At every chapter, a soul appears on my path and becomes my best teacher for what's next. We are always guided and it's almost magical to see how life constantly sends someone to take us by the hand and walk with us through what we fear the most.I'm immensely grateful. - Valencia

Being around the young ladies in the NiNa Young Women's Leadership Programme has taught me that people are in our lives to teach us or for us to teach them. We may not know it at the onset but I truly believe that ultimately we are all students and teachers sometimes all at once.
A beautiful thing happens when we have determined from early in the interaction what our role is. We can respond accordingly.

Sometimes our lessons are easy and other times our lessons are challenging.
Sometimes our lessons are fun and sometimes they require some slogging or tears.

This past week reconfirmed to me that what makes all of this even more worthwhile is love. Love everything! Love is different to like, you can love it and not like it. The love gets you through. it, the agape love. The love of your brothers and sisters as fellow human beings
Without that, the journey is much harder!
Peace


Check out the We Lead PowHerful Conference - I will be there
https://welead.21qcaribbean.com/
Have you read any of Akosua's work?What Did I Learn Today? Lessons on the Journey to Unconditional Self Love
Nyabo (Madam) - Why Are You Here?Daily Lessons on the Journey - A Journal
Follow Akosua onTwitterInstagram

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People who Listen to themselves feel good

When you start to care about yourself on a soul level, you start listening to what you have to say to yourself. You listen to your emotions. You learn from them and they offer you a perspective that your mind cannot even fathom. People who listen to themselves, feel good. Thandiwe


Day 5 - NiNa Young Women's Leadership Programme

Today the young ladies were to do a business pitch before a panel of judges. They had 3 minutes to present their idea and 2 minutes for questions.
They arrived early, looking very professional, dressed up and immediately started practising their pitches. Tempers started flaring up, they started arguing, asking to leave, feeling sick.
I had a word with a couple of them, it did not seem to be helping
We lost 2, they bowed under the pressure!
The others, after their heated exchange decided to patch things up and do their pitches
They were brilliant, it was an absolute joy to watch. The work they put in was evident in their presentations
I could not be more pleased

What Did I Learn?
1. Sometimes you have to let people work it out for themselves
2. Sometimes you only have to keep a safe space for others
3. Sometimes friends show up and they jump in with you on that day's journey
4. The Universe always has your back

Peace

Decisions

Nothing from Nothing leaves you with nothing but trust - 3 Canal
Day 4 of the NiNa ProgrammeDecisions...Do you plan your work, or do you work your plan?Are you waiting for another man’s plan to work? To hold out your hand?Do you pray when you are broke or do you build with the Gods?Are you fly by night or are you a fair-weather friend? Or are you the type a friend can depend on until the end?Have you ever sat back and thought about how your life can change overnight?Do you waste your time, or do you spend it wise?Do you dream for steam or only when you close your eyes?16 young ladies5 mentors (past participants)3 Angels( Patricia & Avinash & Erica)1 powerhouse friend who went to the Olympics - 4 timesbecausebuild something from no-thing
Check out the We Lead PowHerful Conference - I will be there
https://welead.21qcaribbean.com/
Have you read any of Akosua's work?What Did I Learn Today? Lessons on the Journey to Unconditional Self Love
Nyabo (Madam) - Why Are You Here?Daily Lessons on the Journey - A Journal
Follow Akosua onTwitterInstagram

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