What did I learn today? Lessons on the Journey to Unconditional Self Love

You cannot learn about yourself if you are always staying within the safe confines and borders of the familiar I got a late call to speak at an event today, this morning I was at our National Library in Port of Spain, There was a book club event where all the book clubs from all over the country gather at an annual event to celebrate the year. They asked me to come and be the feature speaker at this event! I couldn't refuse I thought wow, how humbling! The word is spreading! I got there early and sat down, watched the scenes and took it all in! People kept asking me what book club was I from, I said none! They looked confused! The book club from my hometown was well represented, when the hostess finally arrived she introduced me and asked me what part of the country was I from, when I said San Fernando, the hooping and the hollering broke me into a huge grin! South South South, they kept shouting! I felt really good! There is no substitute for action, none at all, we ca...

The body does not exist except as a learning device for the mind. ACIM Peace is better than anything you can tempt me with!   Truth is, I'll take my excitement in peace packaging...thanks!   Indeed, in fact I'll experience my ups and downs via peace perspectives, if you don't mind...thanks!   That's right...Peace.   Oh...and lets not forget the calm   Yes   Calm   I deeply believe that the best way to face chaos is with calm   In fact, allow me to update that   I know that the only way to greet chaos is with calm   And I'm at peace with that fact.   Fact! Thank you Flo for this message! Peace!

We are creatures of comfort, and we also don’t like to go against the belief systems of the tribe. Complacency, placing blame on others so we don’t have to accept responsibility for our own life, believing in a savior outside of ourselves because we do not see our selves as worthy or powerful, “blindly” choosing to accept the ideas of others without seeing how we feel in our own heart, the inability to speak up and tell others how we truly feel out of fear of confrontation, and the fear of being alone all contribute to the “following of the heard” mentality. Sa brina Reber Healing takes time Healing takes support Healing takes acceptance Healing takes forgiveness Healing takes surrender Healing takes release of ego Healing takes pain and discomfort Healing takes movement Healing takes truth Learnt all of that yesterday at the Brasso Seco meeting held with the villagers! I went there with no expectations and boy was I in a space of healing! It was super emotional, crying...

Only the mind can create, and that correction belongs at the thought level. ACIM Today I am on the radio at 11am EST talking about the journey! Pretty excited about the invitation and looking forward to being on one of the top radio stations in the country! Its gonna be a whole load of awesomeness and fun! Here is what I have learnt, and it's an old African proverb "To stumble is not to fall but to move forward faster, every problem brings with it a gift" I sat and said myself today "Who knew? Who the heck knew that my experiences of the job going, the man going, the house going, the money going, me going, would turn into this absolutely simple yet magnificent experience? I said, when I accepted and took responsibility for everything that was happening in my life, that I wanted to be a demonstration of what was possible when the ego leaves and forgiveness comes and letting go takes place! I had no clue what I meant at the time but the Universe said "Reall...

FORGIVENESS MEANS . . . accepting what is or what has been and becoming willing to see it differently. You cannot un-hear what you have heard or un-see what you have seen. What you can do is stop believing that what occurred has somehow left you broken, damaged and wounded. Forgiveness results in a shift in your perception and yourself and . . .everyone else. For this reason, forgiveness is an absolutely essential step toward your personal growth, healing and evolution. YOU MUST DO THE WORK ! Iyanla  I've learnt that we are all connected, one of my best and favorite teachers always says " the only thing that needs to be healed is our sense of separation" and I never really understood that until she broke it down very simply to say , you are connected to each and every person and living creature on the planet whether you want to admit it or accept it. And therein lies the laws of karma, an eye for an eye, the collective responsibility and pain etc. Do not for on...

Don't fight the ego...just watch it - Deepak Chopra This was my huge lesson this weekend! people construct their lives around two responses: thinking and doing. They think about things, and they do things; think about things and do things; think about things and do things. And what they do depends on what they think . It’s what people believe that creates their behavior. It is at the level of belief, not at the level of behavior, where humanity’s experience will be most profoundly modified.  Many people would rather die for their beliefs—or kill others—than change them. It doesn’t matter whether the beliefs themselves are functional. It doesn’t matter whether they are making people happy and producing a better life. Some people would rather be unhappy doing what they believe, than happy doing something else. And sometimes I fall into this category  I've learned to start at my initial position, and say that to the other pa...

“ Change doesn’t happen from someone announcing the plan. Change begins from deep inside a system, when a few people notice something they will no longer tolerate, or when they respond to someone’s dream of what’s possible.”Mrs Wheatley This weekend I was invited to participate in a workshop/retreat. When I got the call and they told me that I would have to give up my weekend I was like ugggg, Man United v Arsenal today how can I miss that game? But then they explained what they were trying to do for my country I said hey, this is history right here I can watch a rerun! (I know I love me some Arsenal)  Do you know everyday you can create history? Yea, just like that! What you choose to do to make a difference to our life, your family's life, your country's, your people it creates history, just like that! What type of history do you want to make? You get to choose! So I'm locked away at a hotel for a couple of days except to go and run on Sunday morning, cr...

When you show up fully everything around you has more meaning . Bring your A Game to everything! Everything!   Rev Deborah l Johnson I have been looking around at how we have been interacting with people over the last week, even how I myself have been interacting. I have been paying attention to how I have been showing up! I am almost embarrassed to say that I myself have been showing up halfway! What do I mean by that. I have been focused on my phone. I'm at the bank, I'm on the phone, I'm even driving and I am on the phone, I am having conversation and I am on the phone I wake up in the middle of the night I check my phone! What is that about?? What is so interesting on the phone? I am seeing it in my friend as well, the phone is a part of my friend's body!  So what is it about me and this phone? What is it that has me disconnected to the world? or maybe disconnected from my life?  Missing the moments in reality to catch the moments virtually! Is t...

When you awoke this morning, what was the first thing on your mind? On your list of Things To Do, what is #1? As you contemplate your current priorities, is there a person at the top, or is it some kind of doingness ...? Only you can know what is catching your attention, what is calling to you for your energy. Yet you can ask yourself a key question... Where is love in all of this? Neale Donald Walsh Did my first Google hangout yesterday for Women's Entrepreneurship Day after hosting an event in Trinidad with some awesome vibes! Love hearing and sharing stories! Google Hangout included women from Africa, USA, Tortola, Anguilla, Antigua and me from Trinidad and Tobago, it was a lot of fun! The breakfast meeting showed me love and support, my friends who inspire me no end shared their stories, made some new friends as well and always always learnt something new! What are you doing with this one awesome life that you have? I'm showing up! Every single day! As me! And m...

Notice when your dream has come true. If you're addicted to accomplishing things, you might miss the fact that you've actually accomplished something pretty awesome I'm all in! I am fully in this and I am learning lessons along the way! Today Wednesday 19th November 2014 is World Entrepreneurship Day, the world celebrates women entrepreneurs at events in 140 countries and I am making history by hosting the first event in Trinidad and Tobago with the support of so many awesome people that really rally behind me and I love them so much for it and grateful too So here are the events tomorrow for me, holla when you have a chance On a side note, congratulations to my buddy Maxine Attong on the launch of her second book yesterday Lead your team to win! Proud proud proud of her! Peace!!

Before you start the Next Big Creative Outpouring...  crush your gimmicks, throw out your trophies, clean your desk, set the people free who should be working elsewhere, clear your calendar with a big declaration of  No Thank You . White gesso the canvas. Delete the files that bring up shitty memories. Why not? This is your script to writ e. Take a sneak peek of my new website soon to be officially launched! As part of my extended family you get to sneak peek it and send me comments! I'm pretty excited about it! Just spent the day picking cocoa off the tree in Brasso Seco! Ain't life spectacularly awesome? It sure is! Peace!! http://www.akosuadardaineedwards.com/

Focus -It hurts so good.  Danielle La Porte Last night I delivered the feature address at the National Cycling Federation Annual Sports Awards at the National Stadium! It is so inspiring to me to be among people going after their dreams and goals against the odds, people who are phenomenal by showing up! There were youths there from the age of 9 "blowing up shop" showing up, and shining! I think I was more inspired by them than they by me making a speech! I am so grateful for the opportunity to be around dreamers and doers! What have you told yourself that you couldn't do?  Push yourself,  question what you know. It doesn't take any effort to be a loser, to be at a low level! Mediocrity is easy Harness your will, say I'm going to challenge myself to have a vision and let the vision pull me ,  WHAT YOU DO TODAY WILL CEMENT WHO YOU ARE THIS IS YOUR JOURNEY,YOUR PATH Peace!

Today I am devoted to being obediently disciplined about the things I am focused on being and doing Iyanla Vanzant Today I was asked to give a feature address at a national function! Pretty humbling request to be talking right after the President of the Country! And  I say that to make this point, letting go and being willing opens so many doors and opportunities. I thought that letting go was losing but trust me its not! It is trusting! Letting go is having faith and trust in the Universe and yourself! I won't lie to say I am not nervous as hell but I am willing, I am showing up like I own the place and speaking from the heart! Oh let me digress a bit, I asked a lady friend of mine to do my make up, she said she can only do it but I have to meet her at St Anns ( St Anns is the local asylum) so this adds some flavour to the pot! Wish me luck! Peace!!!

The fire of truth can be massively destructive. And then… then comes the solution, the healing, the building,  the flight Danielle La Porte Today my computer crashed .....and burned! I sat there looking at it! So forgive me for missing the blog post! Life goes on, its all good! I'm back online and lessons learnt! There are things that you think you will never need to know, that you may only need to know one time in your life but can save your life because you have that knowledge Unless you attempt to do something beyond that what you have already mastered you will never grow We don't know everything and we haven't mastered everything and that is not a bad thing, it is just a fact that reminds me, reminds us to remain open and flexible and stop playing a big know it all! Things like my crash and burn reminded me I give thanks for all the reminders Peace!

Gratitude means giving thanks from your heart. When you do this, energy flows from your heart and activates certain responses from other people as well as the Universe. If you pay lip-service to gratitude or feel you ought to be thankful, you words and thoughts do not draw the same response . Diana Cooper Had a really productive meeting with the members of the village yesterday! It felt really good to be there contributing to their vision! Also I went to the beach in the morning, black sand!! Never saw a beach with black sand and black stones, pretty new experience! So what's next, I am wrapping up and leaving them to put the plan into action, I would love to be a part of the action plan but let's see what happens! I will definitely be back here! Had an awesome time! Give thanks!

What our judgment does, then, is to make things into what we want them to be, rather than what they really are ACIM This place is beautiful! In one day I've seen rivers, waterfalls, black sand beaches, a holy ground called thirteen stones all part of my job this week! How awesome is the Universe? I get to work and play at the same time! I met with the association after and we did our thing! Giving thanks for the blessings and opportunities and my buddy Keisha who makes it all happen! Ok I digress a bit, there was no water in sight at the house! I came back from running all stinky and boom! Nothing! I searched the house for a bucket, there was no one around to ask a question and then I thought ok, my first day meeting the people how would it be if I turn up stinky, thinking time!!!!!, I had 3 bottles of drinking water and that was it, my aim at being respectable and less stinky! So when I got to the meeting I asked them about water, they told me choose a river and have a b...

Give yourself some adventure, some achievement, some fellowship, learning, exhilaration, and other great moments of experience . Ralph Marston St Vincent, an island of approximately 110000 people in the Caribbean. I was asked to go to conduct a meeting/training session for a rural community group in a place called Chatubelauir. There are no hotels in the village and so I was booked at a guesthouse called Beach house Bar, this ought to be interesting! I arrive and met the driver, Mr Greaves at the airport and I asked him about dinner, he said ahhh there is nowhere on the island open now except KFC! Really? Yes Ok, so what’s the alternative as I am a vegetarian? Chips or fries? I laugh, we drive around the capital for about 2omins and just as he said the only sign of life I saw were some young guys playing football in a car park! As we were about to exit Kingstown a Subway was open, I stop in and grab a salad! The drive to the village was just over an hour, mostly u...

I 'm clear, I'm loveable and worthy and a good person even when I have asshole thoughts. I know my gifts. I'm offering them. I care deeply. It shows. The things I suck at or fumble with don't bother me. When I'm moody or weepy or resistant or in a moment of 'developmental regression', I'm nice to myself about it. No biggie, just bein' a human being, you know?    Chela Davidson Nigel R Khan book event done and dusted! My crew are the best! I love them to the highest high! I now include Nigel R Khan in the crew, they were awesome! I had a load of fun in San Fernando yesterday despite all the challenges!I am humbled and grateful by it all and give thanks to the Universe and the most high knowing that everything, every experience is part of this wonderful journey that I was gifted to take! What did I learn today? You don't have to know how to do things perfectly the 1st time. All you need to know is that your intent and your actions are honor...

You can't always know where the road ends up but with some luck I know we can go,wherever we imagine! James Ingram Went to the mall today, I'm walking past the bookstore and I see my book in the window, I scream! I go inside and there it is, a featured book, I scream again! The customer representative comes up " "Hello, can I help you?" No thanks! Big big smile. I walk around the store with a huge grin on my face giving thanks for this moment! This was after having a really rough day! The Universe is so awesome! Whatever your dream is, just do it! Start it and do it! You will either learn something or be blessed! Book signing time today, looking forward to it! Suit up. Own it. Be Gracious! Peace

“Don’t pay any attention to the critics – don’t even ignore them.” - Samuel Goldwyn My biggest challenge is setting boundaries! Yea, I struggle with it! I'm learning every day how to set boundaries and what are the importance of having them! It's because I'm a recovering people pleaser! Wanting people to like you at all costs is a recipe for disaster- catch that! (that's a whole other blog topic for a nect day!) It's difficult to have a relationship with anyone, friends, family, workers, if there are no boundaries, if people have no boundaries you will not respect them as much or maybe not at all! I'm pretty harsh on myself with it as well so that's another lesson, learning how to be gentle with myself when I do not live up to my own standards Letting people know that this is the line, and these are the consequences for crossing the line and then sticking to it! That is my task today, setting a boundary and following through! Peace!!

Don't worry about losing. If it is right, it happens - the main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away."    - John Steinbeck , author Did my first book fair at a bazaar yesterday. I was pretty grateful for the opportunity to showcase the book, I asked a good buddy of mine to also give me some of her books to add to the stall ("Lead your Team to Win" check it out), and another friend of mine asked me if I could showcase some of his work, not books, but organic jewelry! I set up my little corner in the tea room and started out the day! The traffic for books was a little slow but interest was building! I was having a good time being there and soaking in the atmosphere! After the event I could not find the box with ALL the jewelry! We searched the entire compound and even the garbage! The search took about two hours! By now I'm really feeling like super bad for being so careless and irresponsible! I'm sitting in the car asking myself ok what is the...

1.     Say to yourself:      I will not feel sorry for myself – self pity is self sabotage 2.     I will not stare at the closed door – keep moving 3.     I will dig deep to unearth all the courage that I need – being resilient takes courage, make a decision to be courageous 4.     I will direct my thoughts, my thoughts will not direct me 5.     I will choose to believe that all things work together for good - Valorie Burton      The simple truth is this, it is very important who you CHOOSE to surround yourself with! And there is always a choice! Look around you, who are you choosing to surround yourself with and why?       Are you choosing to surround yourself with people because of fear, ego, people pleasing, to use them for what they have? or is it to be your highest self, to serve, to be inspired, to achieve your goals? What's the intention? ...