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

“ None is more impoverished than the one who has no gratitude. Gratitude is a currency that we can mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy.” — Fred De Witt Van Amburgh The young ladies were excited to have a graduation off site, they planned the programe, they wanted to decorate the place, to shop for the decorations, to have music, and to dress nicely with makeup. The buzz was contagious. On the day they all looked so beautiful, they showed up all dressed up with a level of excitement that hung in the air. They really stepped up, they sang, they said poems, they danced, as they said "nervous and frightened" but they did it despite the fear! I looked on in admiration at their courage  A few of the supporters showed up and got an opportunity to see how their dollars were spent, I appreciated the support The mentors were wonderful! The two angels who showed up to give this thing wings, were as susual, present, supportive and accepting- I appreciate t

“ Make a pact with yourself today to not be defined by your past. Sometimes the greatest thing to come out of all your hard work isn't what you get for it, but what you become for it. Shake things up today! Be You...Be Free...Share.”   Steve Maraboli Today the young ladies were scheduled to do their pitches for the judges- they were supposed to pitch their idea and receive feedback from the judges They were all nervous They were on edge Then an argument broke out They decided that they were not going to do the pitch flow Anger flared up OMG I thought, this is a test! I sat down and spoke to them and asked them do the pitch as a favour to me because I trust them and know that they can do it They did it and they were absolutely fabulous I am so grateful for the opportunity to be around them. They are so real, so unfiltered, so genuine it reminds me that one of the qualities that aid in living a life on purpose is authenticity and I thank them for that Peace

“ Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses.” – Ann Landers I have heard it before, you may have also heard it before as well - Love is the answer. Total cliche - this was my perception when I heard people say it. Now I can tell you with absolute certaintly that I believe it, I believe that love is indeed the answer. Love - wanting nothing from another person, wanting only the best for them, holding no ill will or malice Spending the week with these young ladies whose stories vary from not knowing their parents, from knowing their parents but not living with them for a variety of reasons, from the "bad girls" and the list goes on and on to the break of dawn. Spending this week with them made me know for sure that in our actions  which show them that we want only the best for them and

Learn to ask for what you really want - Iyanla Vanzant These young ladies are bold, they are unfiltered, they ask for what they want regardless of how it sounds, how it comes across and how anyone feels about it They just ask and ask and ask until someone says stop! I love how they just ask! A reminder to self, that if I don't ask for what I really want chances are I would only get what others think I want and what others want to give Today the girls cooked my favourite food for breakfast! Love over Love times Love Peace

When emotions are suppressed they become frozen in your body and start eating cellular structure. This is responsible for all emotional pain – including guilt, shame, anger,  seeing how unharmful emotion is. You resist in the moment the emotions appear they have  no power. Thus is the importance of feeling feeling when coming aware of them, not suppressing. Suppression is doing anything other than feeling. When suppressing you blind yourself from seeing ACIM Two of the young ladies did not return for the second day. One of them told me that she would not be coming back after the first day, that she was bored. The other one did not say anything. There is usually a story behind us all, and I truly believe that there is power in our story depending on how we choose to tell it. I wanted her to return after getting the story however, if we are not ready, there is no one who can make us or take us to the point of readiness. She had never been to school. She did not know how to

What Did I Learn Today? You want to serve? Forget your regimens & lists . Be very still and lean in to listen. & then it will be very clear what to do when you know the Truth. You will let your heart blaze. & your solutions will be fierce with Love, fast with delivery, & sustaining. You will walk into any room & you will bring joy to bear on the situation. & it will sound like this: I am listening. I know who I am. I honour you I do my best there is nothing to prove & I am here to serve 10 young ladies 6 mentors (past participants) 2 Angels(  Patricia  &  Avinash ) 1 true blue supporter from day 1 ( Karel Mc ) because... respect for those who came before me & paid for my ticket to roam free Day 2

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.  Maya Angelou It's about that time again! The annual NiNa Vacation Camp has rolled around again. This week 10 young ladies from the St Jude's Home for Girls come together with the aim of taking a business idea and pitching it to a panel of judges, in between there are some motivational speeches and a field trip or two. This would not be possible without a couple of angels Ms Patricia Ready Toby and Mr Avinash Ramsubhag and all the other speakers who come and volunteer their time freely. I am always eager to be here because I do learn so much from being around these young ladies, it is indeed a pleasure to be a part of this movement Looking forward to all the lessons on this Journey Peace

Live your life in simple sentences of what is now. Identify where you are going now! If you continue to talk about what no longer is, you allow it to continue. Focus on what you desire. Clarify what you need to do to make it happen. Look forward rather than backward. Describe your past in simple sentences. Look for the clear and simple lessons. Be open and receptive to the pure and simple blessings. Iyanla Vanzant This morning as I was writing in my journal - a morning ritual, I had one of those moments!  The penny dropping ones, the type that happens where in my mind the heavens open up and says "Yes!!! this is what I have been telling you all along"   As a speaker, there are times when I am called upon to speak impromtu, no advance notice or preparation. Confessions on the Journey - this scares the holy shite out of me! I get quite nervous, to the point of blank! nothing, nada! Yesterday I was at a workshop and this happened, I had to get it together! Then someone I

So if you're at a cross roads, if you're doubting your choices, if you're confused about what's next...close your eyes or open a journal and ask her...that future self one year, five years, twenty years or beyond...ask for the help, the wisdom and the encouragement to take the step. Maxie McCoy Have you ever been thrown in on the deep end of something, either because you wanted to solve a problem or someone decided that the reward for your good work is more work? And here is the clincher, you probably have never done any of the tasks that you have been asked or have little skills in the area. What do you do? How do you feel? Confessions on the Journey- I feel scared, just a tad bit! So what do you do?  I feel all the feelings I get prepared, I do the work and I go brave- full on work What would you do? Peace Have you read any of Akosua's work? What Did I Learn Today? Lessons on the Journey to Unconditional Self Love Nyabo (Madam) - Why A

I will gain more understanding when I realize...as long as I have an emotional attachment to a goal, I am attached to the fear of not achieving the goal. Iyanla Vanzant My disappointment always comes with having a particular attachment to how something must look. I want it a certain way at a certain time Or sometimes I want it to look like it did in the past Or sometimes I want certain people to be involved or notice Or sometimes I want the thing to end sooner than it has to Attachment to the way things look and how it is supposed to be is different that setting a goal/having a vision and working it Once the work has been done, the faith has been activiated, the self belief has been tapped into, you are on the right path. Things may show up in  ways you would never ever ever imagine. Do not block the flow by wanting it to be one way, remain open and willing to have things on the road to where you are going look different, feel different, be different! These past few weeks

"When people show you who they are believe them the first time" Maya Angelo Do we really lose friends? I have been pondering this question for a few days Or do we just wait until things are so obvious that the union cannot move forward in the way that we want? Do we really know that some people's differences are not meshing with ours in a way that would prevent a mutual union in the future? Do we play a role in how the relationship unfolds? I go back to Maya Angelo's quote "when people show you who they are believe them the first time" and adjust accordingly. Adjust accordingly can mean, set some boundaries, it can mean having a frank and open conversation, it can mean loving them from afar. In the last few weeks, a couple of relationships have shifted in the way that had me asking these questions The hardest thing was me acceoting the role in which I played in this unfolding In one case, the person just disappeared and when I reached out, t

  In life, you're given the responsibility for yourself, and the opportunity to serve everyone else. True fulfillment and success arrives when you’ve achieved a balance between these two worlds . . .Guru Singh I had the pleasure of having an absolutely wonderful conversation with Stacey on her podcast, we talk, stories, purpose, sharing lessons on the Journey, why are you here and who are you without the things Take a listen, share your own lessons Peace Akosua Dardaine Edwards on the Stacy A Cross Show

Those who plant blessings shall also harvest blessings - Gratitude Habitat Blessings are everywhere.   I could embrace the deep truth that, “I have everything I need.” I may not have all that I want but how much do I want? And why do I want   all "those" things? I’m not sure I’ve reflected upon that question long and hard. I wonder what I would discover about myself. I could wander into the rare air of truth – that life is but a very brief journey. Do I invest this precious gift of my life chasing after fleeting things   or by treating each day   and each experience as a new surprise? Anything can happen. I could dwell in faith: I am blessed. Many times, I am not sure what that means but how much do I need to have to realize my blessings? One whole day...... 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 F

When you’re no longer needing a witness; when you are no longer wanting to be 'OK' . . . this is when you’re open to the surprise of being phenomenal in ways that you’ve never imagined. you must release ‘wanting’ in order to embrace ‘having’ . . . awakening . . . it comes with confidence; it comes with simplicity, and it comes with trust and joy. In today’s world there’s an obsession with witness, and to be witnessed; there’s also a need to justify and explain each experience. This is not living . . . this is witnessing an explanation of living.  Guru Singh I signed up to do a PhD. I believed at that time that it would elevate me into another stratosphere and people would see that I am doing relevant work. I t would make me credible because in my mind, nothing else could have come close to this credential, who would question it? I signed up after selling my car and whatever else I could have sold, I left a bit of a mess at home and made the journey to Manchester w

Look out and see what is, maybe understand why it is that way but do not feel trapped by it, do not feel that it is bigger than you, we created all this drama but what you create you can uncreate Rev Deborah L Johnson Take an honest look at your life, no judgement. What are some conditions in your life that you contributed to? I've learnt that when we start defending and justifying our decisions, there may be some drama or some guilt involved It is almost like someone touched an open would, you cringe, or you may react, you scream, you attack, you defend. It may seem like a simple question or remark from some one and it is either a case of all hell breaking loose or a passive aggressive stance. Taking an honest look at my life I have realised that I contribute to some of my drama and as much as it is hard to admit, I have come to realise that when I acknowledge and accept it the power to change it lies with me When I ignore it, or deny it, or justify it then the drama

Self-Esteem – how you see and hold yourself in the face of others. Do you compare? Do you belittle? Iyanla Vanzant Girls First Festival was lit! The festival travelled throughout Trinidad and Tobago  over the last year, providing a safe space for young ladies between the ages of 12 and 18 to express themselves, to be empowered, to have fun! I was extremely pleased to be a part of the line up and would love to endorse this programme wholehartedly! To see the joy on the young ladies' faces was pure awesomeness To see them meeting new friends To see them being able to have fun in an environment of caring To see the older women passing on the baton Really wonderful Thank you for the opportunity to share lessons on the Journey and long may this initiative continue Peace 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 F

We were all born with a certain degree of power. The key to success is discovering this innate power and using it daily to deal with whatever challenges come our way. Les Brown What would you say if I told you that you have an inherent ability in you to achieve anything that you set out to? Will you believe it? Will you go out and test this theory? Or will you think I am talking rubbish or stark crazy? The trick is, the only way to access this ability, or this power is to have unwavering self belief, it is to know that whatever happens you will be okay, to do everything from a place of enoughness, of authenticity. That is the only way that we can tap into this power. We seem to have either forgetten about this power or was never told  about it. It could be that we do not believe that we can achieve what we set out to. What trips us up is lack of discipline, lack of focus and lack of belief. Without discipline, focus, belief and doing the work, the powers can never be fully a

“ Reality is a projection of your thoughts or the things you habitually think about.”  ―  Stephen Richards Manifestation is always a lesson that I was fascinated with Manifestation is this case is about seeing something in my mind's eye, doing the work and then letting it go, surrendering to the process in faith, trust and patience! The surrendering part is always the most challenging As I practice it more I get better at it and less fussed about what and when things will happen I had a conversation with my business manager a few months ago, I wanted to talk at an annual conference which I believed fit in to my vision. I asked her if she knew anyone that we could have approached. Left it there Come Sunday 8th July I will be speaking at this conference, it landed in my lap! They called me yesterday and asked if I would be interested in speaking at the event I literally screamed! Manifestation at it utmost best! I have learnt when we are impatient, and doubtful we stump th

Energy never dies, it just transforms - Deborah L Johnson We call it vibes! we feel the vibes when we walk into a room, we feel the vibes when we meet people. We feel the vibes in a building And we always know when it is good vibes! Good energy Many times we ignore it, when we ignore the bad vibes there is no opportunity to transform those vibes, many times we add to the bad vibes. I have learnt to 1. Feel the Vibes 2. Identify it - don not over think this process 3. Transform it Energy/Vibes are guides, they work hand in hand with intuition. Intuition always leads us in the direction that we ought to be heading it. 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 on Twitter Instagram Facebook

“For after all, the best thing one can do when it is raining is let it rain.”  ―  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow I am fascinated by football - the beautiful game as Pele calls it! I can sit and watch football for hours. Me and the telly! nothing else, time will pass I will not even remember to eat until the rumblings of my stomach reminds mw that it was not fed. Every four years 32 countries from around the world come together to play the World Cup, which determines the best footballing nation on the planet. During this time, I am front middle and center in the thick of this celebration I have never in my adult life missed this, even when I am travelling I rememeber in 2010 I was in New Orleans, not a football city to say the least, and the time difference for when the games were being aired was mad! I eventually had to change hotels with one with football showing on the television. So this season, it is quite strange that I have to miss games, it is quite an adjustment.I thought th

“Shine with all you have. When someone tries to blow you out, just take their oxygen and burn brighter.”  ―  Katelyn S. Bolds My light bursts through right where I am. Often when you think of this journey, this change of life, you have some idea of what you want to get from it. There is a light calling you and you are moving into it. This is fine if it assists you in moving along your path. However the light I speak of now is not outside of you pulling you: it is at the core of your being, bursting through right where you are. There is no  place to go. There is no extra journey you need to take. The power of this magnificence is right where you are. You seem to be looking for something outside of yourself to motivate you, to give you incentive, to give you permission, to give you validation. You sense the anxiousness within yourself and you want to do something, anything, just something. Way to often you mischaracterize the unrest within you as negativity, the worry, the a

It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped . Tony Robbins  Decisions have power, let me explain If you decide that this is what I am going to do, you mind set changes, you commit to it, you find a way to take action and do what it takes If you don't decide, it is just a "wait and see how it goes" action, things will come up and you will waver. If you say "I will wait to see" that is not a firm committment Not making  a decision is also deciding. The action that follows will show that you have not made a firm choice, that can be a positive or a negative. If the decision is - I am not decising yet, the action will prove that! If there is no decision, then by default you have not decided! So, this is what I have learnt, decisions activate power, committment and action no matter what the decision is So decide Peace Have you read any of Akosua's work? What Did I Learn Today? Lessons on the Journey to Unconditional Self Love