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

That’s the thing about when you push – yourself, your chances, your hopes, your abilities – there’s always the chance that you’re pushing too hard and too fast to notice what’s really going on. You’re gunning for the outcome and you miss the information presenting itself in the process . Maxi Mc Coy I am sharing today a message from Maxi McCy which resonated with me in a huge way "When something happens  to  us. That intuition was normally there, in a way. But we ignore. We temper. We quiet it down. We want to move quickly, relentlessly, to what we want anyways. When I look back on being screwed over, I had signals. I had signals when the woman representing me in business was a total fraud, and I’m lucky that I got every dime back from her because many didn’t. Or the time that I had indicators from the get-go when everything that date was telling me just did. not. add. up. In the end, it required me to call and act like I was someone I wasn’t to verify his education a...

Your thoughts are powerful. Your stories are powerful. Tell a story about power and agency, see yourself and the people in your world as powerful, able to participate in miracles that transform themselves and their world, and you lend them your power . Hiro Boga I wanted to test this theory of powerful thoughts and telling myself powerful stories. I decided to do it with during a long run. Running is an activity that has now become a part of my life, I can safely say it was never something that I was interested in or loved, only because I felt that I would not be able to do it. On the 10K route yesterday I decided to think and tell myself only powerful thoughts. There is a particular part of the hill that I walk because I believed it was hard, I would burn out and plainly that I would not be able to make it And so began by power thought test - you can do it was the mantra. I also invited the negative thought in then replaced it with the mantra as soon as it surfaced. At the end o...

We all have excuses for why we don’t shine. For why we don’t show up fully as our beautiful, magical, glorious, radiant, divine Selves. There is too much talent going to waste. If you are wondering if you are needed this is your wake up call. You are here, that means we need you . Mayaam Hasnaa Excuses and justifications are most times fear. Fear of failure or fear of success. The "what if's" come in and plays havoc with our brains if we are not grounded in who we are. Ask around those who are living their dreams and their best lives - they let go of excuses and justifications, they take responsibility for where they are, the learn the lessons and walk the talk. There is always a reason not to do something, not to start something, not to take that risk. Many times they all seem like pretty valid reasons. How does the excuses, reasons and rationale given to stay stuck where you are compare to the feeling you get from living your best life? You will never know if y...

We are required to communicate in this world if we want to have healthy and functional relationships. We can get a bit further in this life if we acknowledge that we need something and show the person the way. I’m not asking you to spoon feed a person, nor am I asking you to explain the same thing 49 times. I’m asking you to consider what it might feel like to balance out all of the ways that love can be given and received and equalize it. Vienna Pharaon A friend of mine was chatting with me yesterday, he was bemoaning the fact that his wife does not listen to him. I asked him what does he mean by "she does not listen to him"? He responded with- she hardly ever does what he says or asks her to do. That got me to thinking, does listening to someone only mean that we do what they say or ask us to, in the same way and form? I would say no. I would say that listening means hearing someone and using the feedback to make the best decision possible for themselves. Sometime...

Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears. – Les Brown It's been exactly one year since the book "The Bootstapper's Way" was published. Confessions on the Journey I have completely neglected this baby. I neglected it because of my own views on how it became a reality.  The book represented to me a type of unfinished business, the PhD I started was unfinished, the task to complete the research I started was unfinished and here comes this book as a testament to unfinished business. Today the photo popped up in my FB feed as a memory. I looked at it and I thought, OMG, why did I ever think of this as a testament of unfinished business? I decided right there and then to flip the script, change my whole mind. What a difference a year makes? I started smiling and being so grateful that I had the opportunity to be a part of this body of work! Grateful for the experiences which brought forward this body of work and looking forward to...

Compromising is power. Saying sorry. Changing ways. Getting curious instead of defensive. Have an mindful reaction instead of being reactionary. Thinking before we speak. Going out of our way. Trying to approach things differently. Not leading the way. Or maybe leading the way. Adjustments away from our default can bring so much closeness in our most important relationships .  Maxi McCoy What is your default response? Do you even know what it is? Do you recognise when you are giving away your power? Over the past ten days I have been involved in  a whirlwind of a festival, with many moving parts. It called for patience, flexibility, stamina and an open mind. There were times when  tempers were flared, and responses had to be mindful I was able to see what my default responses are, when I am triggered and how I respond to that. These are my top lessons: 1. Our response comes from our experiences and how we feel about ourselves - no one can make us feel inferio...

Most people think happiness is about achieving something but it's not. Happiness is about being happy with yourself and treating yourself with love and kindness   Kyle Jones Today I want to share a post from the wonderful mind of Kyle D Jones who speaks the truth to me! How do you learn to love yourself?” ⠀⠀ Loving yourself is about establishing loving habits in every area of your life. These are the six areas of life you need to have loving habits: (1) physical, (2) mental, (3) emotional, (4) financial, (5) relational and (6) spiritual. ⠀⠀ My top thirty (30) loving habits are listed below: 1. Practice self-awareness throughout your day 2. Drinking at least eight glasses of water every day 3. Exercising at least twenty minutes a day 4. Working towards your short term and long term goals on a daily basis 5. Brushing and flossing your teeth twice a day 6. Having a daily skin care routine 7. Making sure your body is getting the proper nutrients 8. Getting enough ...

Hello Lovies Its been a while!! I have been caught up, literally with our Caribbean Arts Festival - CARIFESTA which is a ten day festival of the Arts and Culture bringing together 20 countries and 2000 delegates - sort of like an Olympic games for the arts!  The festival started on the 16th of August and will run for ten days, so we are now half way through and  Its been quite a whirlwind. Today I had some time to breathe and there was nothing more that I wanted to do than to touch base with y'all and see what's up!? I have been paying attention to the lessons on this Journey of being part of a team that executes the largest arts festival in the region The top five lessons thus far 1. Take nothing personally - a lesson that can apply anywhere and  in any situation 2. Get some sleep - Sleep is a super power - functioning with little 3. Everything cannot be scripted and controlled in the way I want it to be-many times the surrender to the flow and process brin...

One of the things that makes you so very qualified to help people isn't the number of certifications or degrees you have, it's not your education. While that's extremely important, what makes you most qualified to help people is that you have a strong desire to help people. Caring. Loving. Being present. Being attuned. Creating safety. These are the things that make you most qualified to help and serve others.   Mastin Kipp When you step into something you are mindful of what you step into. How it would impact you & you deliberately go into a thing- a career, a business, even a relationship, & because we know that something is going to happen TO us the reverse is where YOU take YOU with YOU into a thing and you TRANSFORM what you are stepping into Where the environment shifts because of that you are bringing This is an unto moment This is about how we bring the best of who we are & the best of what we know to the circumstances to allow it to transform...

Deep down inside of us there is a power,it's an inherent power, its an authentic power and nothing that has ever happened to you has diminished your power Iyanla Vanzant Blaming others is a misuse of your power Depending on other people to make you happy is a misuse of your power Holding other people responsible for your life is a misuse of your power People pleasing is a misuse of your power What Are You Doing with Your Power? Not taking care of your body - health wise is a misuse of your power Giving into fear is a misuse of your power Not taking care of your mind - is a misuse of your power What Are You Doing With Your Power? Denying your dreams - is a misuse of your power Denying your purpose - is a misuse of your power Ignoring your intuition - is a misuse of your power You have the power to make the decisions in your life, for your life and about your life Use it Don't Give Away or Misuse your power Peace

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...

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 m...

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 Follow Akosua on Twitter Instagram Facebook

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 b...

  “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 alwa...