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

A bad time is the seed of a good time: this is the eternal way of nature. When one identifies with external changes, one is always lost in troubles. Is it not better to adjust one's inner virtue in order to cope with the outside? Tao Te Ching I went to the movies to see Hidden Figures, haven't been to the movies in ages but something about this movie pulled me in and it was well worth it Not too give away the plot too much but my lessons were many. Courage, determination, perseverance, taking action rather than complaining, being willing to take risks knowing your worth and doing all of that with kindness, respect and self love Also in there was me following my intuition and going to see the movie late on a Monday night and spending time with me! If you have the opportunity to see this movie take it in It's well worth the lessons Peace

When we are fully present to our experience of the moment free from the mind’s evaluation of good or bad, without imposing our ego into the way we think things ought to be, it is easier to let go, to laugh at the false illusion of control.  Then we find that in our prayer work what we are affirming for ourselves is an awakened state of consciousness that looks directly at reality, which includes all needs met.  Praying for that which is merely material and therefore temporary—name, fame, credentials, status—becomes the stuff of spiritual childhood. ACIM Have you ever been so immersed in something that you love to do that time makes no difference? Have you ever been involved in an activity that it matters not what time it starts, what time it ends and how it turns out because you just feel such a strong sense of love and peace? I think that is the thing which determines what your calling, your purpose, your desire is. It is a complete being in the moment, a total surrende...

You don't plant a garden and just let the elements tend to it. You fertilize it and do everything you can to prevent weeds from choking it. You can’t just hand your desires over to Life or your God and say, “You got this, right?” and then expect that Life or He/She will also dissolve your doubts while answering your prayers. Yes, release your desires into the care of Universal Intelligence. Yes, yes! But you have to be responsible for your own doubts —because they originated from you. Cleaning up your doubt is part of your Co-Creator's job description. Danielle La Porte The doubt creeps in, you hear the voice, it becomes louder when you ignore it, when you fuel it by speaking to the dream killers and the energy vampires, when you don't do the work, when you leave the Universe out of the decision. Then you pause, sometimes regret that you let the doubt fool you. What do you do when the doubt creeps in? Do you pause? Do you pray? Do you move? Do you sta...

Not taking responsibility for your life means blaming, finding causes, excuses and reasons for what is going on in your life as if they had nothing to do with you. Not taking responsibility means crying or complaining about the good that is not happening, while making very few efforts to determine that IT WILL happen. Not taking responsibility means asking someone to do for you the things you must do for yourself and being angry when they don't do it. It cannot be said loud enough or enough times, your life is your responsibility! Think of it this way if you cannot be responsible for your life, how can you expect to be responsible for the good things you want to receive? Iyanla Vazant Your life is your responsibility, that is one of my best lessons yet We outsource our happiness and then when we are not happy we blame and project You name it, food is supposed to make you happy, having a relationship will make you happy, the right type of job and car and house and handbag and ...

Achievement doesn't come from what we do, but from who we are - Marianne Williamson Yesterday I was filming a segment for a programme, I was being interviewed with the aim of using the clips of promoting a Conference to be held for the International Women's Day 2017. The first question was tell us who you are. Who are you? I started calling my name and ended that I am love and I am here in service. There were all perplexed faces in the room. "But what do you do?" "I show up and serve with love wherever I am asked or required" The confusion increased They did not have the background of how I got there, of how much defining myself without things and titles are now not important to me because they are fleeting and focuses on me rather than how I can serve to make where I am better than how I met it. So this mindset allows me to make decisions with less ego, when I am about to decide what to do, where to go, how to respond, I tap into who I am, becaus...

You must change your mind, not your behavior, and this is a matter of willingness. You do not need guidance except at the mind level. Correction belongs only at the level where change is possible. Change does not mean anything at the symptom level, where it cannot work ACIM Mindset makes a hell of a  difference, it is the key that unlocks the doors through which you must go through to come out on the other side of the fear, lack and limitation. To achieve your dreams and vision, to live from a place of peace. Yesterday, randomly (yes I know there are no random events, but I like the word a whole lot and haven't found a replacement yet) I ended up being at an A A (Alcoholic Anonymous)  meeting. I was at another workshop which ran late and the A A people were supposed to be in the same room that we were occupying. So we had to wrap up, but me being so fascinated at the fact that there was an A A  meeting in the most unlikely community I wanted to take in the mome...

Where you are born is not up to you, but where you stay is totally up to you - Lisa Nicols I'm done explaining the vibe I'm done I'm done explaining to people who tell me that I am unrealistic and  just too positive and laid back I'm done Listen, I have chosen to be this way, it works for me, it feels good, it contributes to my health, to my sleep, to my joy, to my lifestyle. Similing feels better than frowning. Laughing feels better than complaining I don't know about you but worrying, stressing, wanting to control things that are out of my control, and sourness gets me back pain, sore throat, sniffles and belly pain. It gets me wrinkles and side eye twiches and things just take longer to happen. This  choice is how I show that patience, trust, faith and surrender are real This choice is how I know that life happens for me not to me Thinking positive does not mean failing to plan for things that can go wrong and take necessary action to mitig...

It's high time to consider the infinite possibilities for any outcome. Please ditch that template someone else gave you—it only represents minute possibilities. Deborah L Johnson I was telling a friend yesterday that my prayer is that I my prayer is for me to me non judgmental and to not ever act superior at all. It was totally bothering me, I could not understand why, no matter what, I felt no affinity to someone that I spend a lot of time with on a daily basis. I kept my self talk up to look at the positives, find the love, look for the lessons.   A Course in Miracles says "It is very easy to get ourselves all tied up in knots when we become concerned about our behavior, and what is right and what is wrong. The focus on behavior, or form, is one of the ego’s clever tricks for keeping us in conflict, pondering what seem to be reasonable questions. And so it is helpful to understand that the Course is never really concerned with modifying or directing our behav...

Love makes you more attractive. That means you attract, like a magnet. You don't attract just people: you attract various circumstances that reflect back t you the power of your devotion. Marianne Williamson It is a conscious choice everyday to show up with love and in love. It a choice everyday to be kind, to be positive, to drop the self doubts and judgement. It is a daily choice, an like with all rituals and habits it gets strengthened and improved over time and effort. How we show up in the room of life is really a choice How do you want to show up today? Ready? Loving? Non Judgmental? Pissed off? Complaining? Kind? Powerful? Marianne Williamson also says " your power is a result of your decision to reveal it. You are powerful in whichever moment you choose to be" Here we see again, choice and decision. It realy is that simple Choose Peace

Always searchin' for the real thing Livin' like it's far away Just leave all the madness in yesterday You're holdin' the key When you believe it Michael McDonald Searching and needing. Looking and pleading. Hoping and Running. Controlling and Doubting All signs of fear and lack Seek not outside of yourself or it will fail.  Every thing I have learnt is mindset and today I declare a mindset shift from fear and lack to love and belief Watch how this shift manifests itself into something magical How many times have you started something, you name it- a diet, a relationship, a project, a job all "hot and sweaty" and with the first obstacle or maybe temptation you find an excuse, a justification, a rationale, a reason for why it cannot be done, will not be done, ought not be done, shall not be done All the "nots" Deep down you know, it is fear in the form of lack of discipline or some other manifestation of it. So my challenge for y...

The Universe is a big copy machine reproducing your thoughts in physical form that is your experience.        Neale Donald Walsh At the beginning of every year I choose five words, these words represent how I want to feel for the year, I reckon that it is  from how I want to feel comes the things that I do and the actions that I take My words for 2017 are Love, Joy, Abundance, Service, Connection and Relevance I leave it open as to how the things that show up in my life look but what I notice is  when making a decision I ask myself, will I feel any of those feelings? Anything else that I feel is welcomed and a bonus or sometimes a lesson  Connection - it happened so beautifully - already 18 days into the year I have been blessed with a group of women who have offered themselves to assist me in achieving  one of my dreams. I was in fear mainly about how it would unfold, if it would unfold and in a way that was authentic, and re...

The strength to DO comes from your undivided decision  - ACIM Thus is another impactful lesson to me, so impactful that it has changed my life and the way I live Decision is power, to decide is to make up your mind without waver and then to DO No in between, no compromise, it really is quite simple Decision means you are willing Decision means you are open to get there not really the how Decision means committment, focus Decision means you change the way you talk, the way you talk to yourself, the way you show up, the way you approach Decide Just decide Peace

“If you’re not being you, there is no you . . . there’s an imposter pretending to be you. That imposter is a painful existence, and it’s that painful existence that’s subsidized by all of this world’s frantic chase to purchase pleasure. This is what humanity is constantly slaving for. But when you let that inner master to be masterful, you’re a witness to the most outstanding performance ever" Gurusingh Yogi Someone told me yesterday that I was being inauthentic in my approach. Well I must admit I was shocked,  truly shocked and horrified!  Me? I have been called Miss authentic? You have got to be kidding me? After I calmed down I thought about what she said for a bit "You are being inauthentic in your approach" - I really was not showing up in the situation wholly, holy and true. She was right. I was afraid to say my truth. Why? I did not want to offend anyone and people pleasing peeped it's head out of the window and said, be nice, you are a nice person and ...

La la, la la, la la, It takes more than diamonds to move me La la la la It takes more than money to groove me It takes more than material things It takes more than cars to get me where I need to go Don't stop the flow - Jill Scott I was listening to a talk by Tony Robbins and he said something that really resonated with me. He mentioned that when it's all about you and not serving some bigger purpose the road is harder. We live in a connected world and when you serve something and make the world a better place than you found it. If it only about take take take then you are leaving a hole in the Universe. What moves you? What does it take to groove you? Find that thing and see how the magic shows up. Peace Ted X Talk  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH1K7nRGrYc New Journal Daily Lessons on the ourney: http://www.lulu.com/shop/akosua-dardaine-edwards/lessons-on-the-journey-a-daily-journal/paperback/product-23005476.html

I’ve got a question for you? How can you evaluate the process when you don’t really know what the process is or how it works? Many of us believe that we are not doing life right, or that things are going wrong in our lives, when we have absolutely no idea what the process is or how it really works. Yes, we all have some basic idea of what to do and what not to do. Many of us know what we want. Some of us believe that we know how we can get what we want What few of us know with an absolute certainty is whether or not what we believe about the process is the truth about the process Iyanla Each of us have our own journey, we have our own path. The problem starts when we want to compare our path to others, yes there may be similarities, we may meet up along the way and walk together that is not to say we have the same journey.  The challenge comes in when we, with our unique gifts and talents, try to fit in to a box. The status quo perhaps? Maybe we want to make our parents ...

We all need to challenge things we've previously accepted. It's not always about jumping in, leaning in, doing more, hustling harder. But instead, retreating, stepping back, taking a break can give us the most clarity. Maxie Clarity is essential, it is the start of miracles Clarity can seem like confusion - because clarity can come through as an intuitive voice which is not always logical. Have you ever felt so sure about something that felt so sure and everyone else around you believes that you are crazy? Or you just hear a voice telling you to do something  that you swear is just so out of character or the ordinary Clarity is the road map What is it that you want? What is it that you really really want? What is it that you really really want? Write it down Commit to it Take the time to make it something that you know off the top of your head, that you can say with certainty, be flexible on the how, yet rooted in the why Peace

Creation is an extension of thought.  Iyanla Vanzant Your tribe is important. The people who you surround yourself with. The use of your  free will comes in here. We get to choose who is in the tribe. We get to decide who are the ones that stay on the bus, the ones we ride with. This is not by default, because you grew up with them or the history of them being around you or the family for decades. That may be part of the reason however if they are not FOR you,, your growth, your truth then hey, what are they doing in the tribe? The tribe may not be huge - sometimes quality over quantity - the key thing is you believe that you can show up as you, live your truth and know that if you are going down a slippery slope the tribe will pull you back and let you know with compassion, love and non judgement to change the road. Your tribe may change over time - because you are ever evolving and that is Okay. Sometimes we feel guilty when people are evolving in a different way on ...

switching stances. Changing one's mind based on lack of self belief. No knowing better but doing it anyway...because you have to...because you feel vulnerable...because you were told to...no more blame. There is no healing without responsibility. There is no power without responsibility. There is no growth without responsibility. There is no graduation without responsibility.   The Floacist We have been given free will, to make the choices that we believe are best for us in the moment. Free will allows us to change our minds, to choose. I think it is a super power, the ability to make another choice especially when there is better information.  I had to remind myself of that yesterday. I can choose something else at anytime, sometimes it may just be as simple enough as choosing another thought. Then from the thought the effect comes out in my world.  One of the best lessons to me is "all things are mind". I interpreted that to mean that it starts with my t...

There are only two alternatives, everything and nothing there is no compromise, no in between.  ACIM A Course in Miracles talk about  compromise . Following on from yesterday's non negotiable theme. I thought it was fitting that I read about "no compromise" so soon after. Compromise by the human definition is " the expedient acceptance of standards that are lower than is desirable". The Course mentions that love, peace, joy, there is no in between, no compromise. I love that, Love is all in, peace is all in and so is joy. It just is! No acceptance of standards which are lower than is desirable. There is no half love or bargaining of it, then that is not love is it? Half peace, half joy. Its all or nothing. This is the state I want to move to, even in things such as discipline, health, exercise, eating habits. Its all in, everything, no compromise, part of the non negotiables No pre-requisites, all in and now. There is no passive acceptance of a lower ...

Hold out, love. Be alone. Keep doing the work. Go without. Let the space you want to be filled stay open and clear. It requires more strength but as it turns out, holding out is seriously efficient. You won’t have to untangle as much, or backtrack, or extricate yourself from all the things that you could have compromised on. Danielle La Porte I may have asked this question before - what are your non negotiable's? Do you even have any? I first heard this term from motivational speaker Lisa Nichols, she talked about what her non negotiable list included. Areas where  some matters are  just not up for discussion or the ability for another option to be put on the table is zero. She mentioned about giving yourself notice about it and once you do the world is then put on alert. Are there things you know you must become non negotiable about? Your dreams? Your vision? Your goals? Your best life? According to Lisa Nichols “when things are not up for ne...

Newness. Freshness. Continuation. Clarity. The shift of perspective that activates the wisdom download and triggers the hindsight upload. For wisdom is the weapon that assists many warriors to return home. And hindsight is the compass that guides so many lost souls home. Floacist I sat down this morning to write what my vision for 2017 is, how do I want my life to look. I looked at the blank page and thought about how writing this down would give it life, I thought about if and how willing I was to do what it takes to live the life that I want in 2017. And it hit me, why not think and dream big? Why keep it small. Why not envision what you really really want to do. That comes with clarity. You must know what it is you really really want to do, that clarity takes courage. Most of us are afraid to think big just in case it never happens and we disappoint ourselves. Especially if we write it down and tell it to someone else, that makes us even more accountable. Sharing it says t...

It’s never fun accepting that someone doesn’t like you, but a lot of times that discomfort comes from trying to figure out what you did wrong or how you can fix it. Authentic people don’t have that anxiety because they would never try to change themselves to influence someone else’s opinion. They accept that other people have a right to be authentic about their own feelings, even if those feelings are negative toward them. Dr Travis Bradberry Over the past few weeks I have been struggling with a situation where someone shows me openly that they are not one of my biggest fans. I was confused, I wanted to know why didn't this person like me? Why was this person's behavior so antagonizing towards me when I am just being myself, I started shrinking, I found myself doing things that was out of character, and then I got a wake up call. Wait, wait just a hot minute, just be! Just be you, just be kind, you have nothing to prove to anyone! It took me a while! People act from the c...

Discipline comes from doing Iyanla Talking alone will not bring it about Wanting alone will not bring it about Thinking alone will not bring it about Do it Do it now Learn as you go Learn as you grow There is nothing left to discuss Peace

The unacceptable behavior of people in your life has nothing to do with you. The people you pick to remain in your life however, has everything to do with you . Yogi Baggan The gift of free will! More than likely you may have heard that we have full responsibility for our lives. Which simply means that we have the ability to respond.There are some things that we cannot control but betcha we have the ability to respond in any situation. And herein lies our power How do you respond to people who treat you in a way which does not honor the divinity in you? How do you respond to a crisis? How do you respond when he or she decides to leave and you do not understand why? To bankruptcy To job loss? or whatever it is We have the ability to choose but we are either not taught that, forgot it or choose to play victim. Someone must save us or must act right or whatever it is you have decided.  I learnt that taking responsibility for my life can be eye opening because it rea...

Simply by never using weakness to direct your actions, you have given it no power ACIM One of the best things I ever heard about "showing up" was from the great Dr Maya Angelo. She talked about how we can never be alone when we step into any room, any situation, any circumstances simply by calling on not just our ancestors but every single person who we knew ever loved us. She said when she was about to enter the room, she would say "come on, let's go, we have something to do and somewhere to be" then she showed up and people would say "oh my, such charisma you have" she said, it was all the love in the room. I loved that so much. From the day I heard that I knew for sure that I could never be "alone and lonely" in doing anything. I even have to learn to balance it because I really spend quite a bit of time in my own company When I step in a meeting room, on a stage, wherever I have an army of love with me and that feels super duper ...

You cannot fail. You can resist, procrastinate, delay, deny, worry, avoid, but you cannot fail, do you hear me? When you step out to do the thing you have come here to do and you are on purpose and following your passion, you cannot fail. You can create drama, you can bring along people who you know are not supposed to be on the bus with you, you can sabotage yourself, you can doubt yourself, you can undermine yourself, you can be disobedient, but you cannot fail. When you step out to do what to do what you are supposed to do you cannot fail. When you pursue your desire, your dream, your passion, when you do the thing that makes you tremble with joy and excitement, when you undertake it with a pure intention of bringing yourself joy you cannot fail! You cannot fail!  - Iyanla Happy 2017 to all of you!  For as long as I can remember on the 1st day of the year wherever I am I sit down with my favourite breakfast and look ahead at to what is to come, I write down my desires...