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

Realize that the guilt that often leads to unhealthy patterns of rescuing, people pleasing and self sacrifice can be bloodline programming( old paradigm beliefs around what a “good” person is). Much of the guilt you feel may not be your own but in fact intergenerational . Maryam Hasnaa What does a "good person" look like to you? What makes a person "good" My initial learning about good people was based on how I was brought up. I was taught that a good person goes to church regularly, they pay their taxes, obeys the laws and sacrifices for their family. I was also taught that good girls go to school, have one partner they marry and live happily ever after with and minds their own business. Good girls are ladies, not loud or scandalous, wears modest clothes and serves their man well in every way. I somehow thought in my mind, that once I was a good girl that nothing bad would ever happen to me. Now I am not judging what I was taught nor saying it was wrong...

once we make a choice for ourselves that is in alignment with our betterment, we are actively telling Source that this is now our intention Hiro Boga Decision is power Choice is power There is nothing more powerful than a made up mind. Trust me on that! Yesterday I went on a run with a group. I did not ask many questions before hand - somehow I like to be surprised. Actually no, the real reason is if I knew the distance I would have talked myself out of going. During the run, I noticed it was uphill only, then I heard that it is 10k up - one way! I froze! 10k one way means 20k both ways. I have never ran more than 11k. My mind immediately went into "I cannot" mode, "this is hard" mode, I don't want to do this" mode I let it wash over me, all the negative talk, then I had to put the lessons into play. The immediate one was to shift the negative self talk, to change my mind. 1. Ask yourself - Is it true that you cannot make it? 2. Accept tha...

Blame is a big barrier to getting out of depression/apathy. Blame has lots of payoffs: we get to be innocent and enjoy self-pity and receive sympathy. It lets us stay small without guilt. But the cost is our freedom. David Hawkins Blaming others or a situation is a form of fear. It is so much easier to blame than take responsibility. I think we have deduced somewhere that if we take responsibility, it says that we are wrong.  Who wants to be wrong? When we blame others the heat is taken off of us. We somehow think we get a pass and guilt will not have to be faced. There is nothing to self reflect when we choose to blame, nothing to learn, no growth, no compassion or forgiveness. Blaming others is a big part of nursing an oversized ego. The ego loves the blame tactic. This is its best strategy! Next time you are faced with a situation, take another approach. Look at it as a moment of self reflection, rather than right or wrong. See what role you played in where you are...

Nothing is ever wrong when the sun came up, the trees give shade, water is soothing, the stars shine, and the plethora of other fantastic things that happen every single day. None of it is guaranteed. Be grateful for the simple things and you’ll get more of what you desire. Hajid Yesterday I had the opportunity to speak to a High School on Courage. It was quite fitting for me because this same talk was supposed to be given at another event that I was so looking forward to and it did not materialise. I was gutted - to say the least!  I used the opportunity to share what Courage looks like to me: Courage also looks like:  - owning your stuff  - taking responsibility for our actions - making tough decisions that may piss people off but its in your best interest - being disciplined & consistent - rest & self care - knowing who you are - telling the truth even when its hard - self respect Share your take on what courage looks like Peace  Hav...

Everyday is an opportunity for something and for someone. You could have failed 1,000 days in a row. But today can be different, you can change and you can cultivate the life you deserve –– for you, understand that it is possible. Sylvester McNutt I II Every day presents us with a re-do. Every day presents us with an opportunity, a different one which we had the day before. I have learnt that if we view each day as such our approach will be more productive and we can even be less harsh on ourselves. Bringing old tapes and baggage with us that does not contribute to our growth into a new day keeps us stuck. The experiences we have are for us - whether we deem them good or not so good), and therefore if we view them in that way we can better forge ahead when the challenges come. This week I have been going through quite a few lessons in coping with disappointment, in things turning out differently than I planned and it sucked initially when I forgot that this is happening for me...

Vulnerability is not waiting for affirmation, not waiting for a certificate or validation to be a shepherd of change in someone else’s life. It’s putting ourselves completely out there where we are because that is where opportunity exists. That’s where God exists. Lee Ann Chisolm I was having a conversation this morning about vulnerability with someone I recently met. The part of the conversation that stood out for me is that "vulnerability requires a safe space to unfold" It resonated with me. Having a safe space to unfold contributes to sharing openly and freely, to knowing that whatever happens someone has your back and there is no heat and no judgement. How many times are we afraid to share something, a mistake, a poor decision because of the judgement and repercussions, the lack of support and fear? If we know that there is a space where we can share and the repercussions would involve no judgement and honest feedback I believe that we would be more open to shari...

If you want to know who you are, pay attention to what you do. Think about what you tend to and what you don’t. If you want to be a writer, then write. If you want to be a good friend or partner or parent, then show up, listen, love. Yes, love is a verb, so do it. Keep moving. Maggie Smith What we do says so much! What we say can be changed, but what we do consistently shows us who we choose to be What we do consistently is driven by how we feel about ourselves. So our response to events and our choices are driven by the way we view and see ourselves Isn't that fabulous? Because it suggests that we are accountable for our actions and can adjust accordingly The trick is taking responsibility. Taking responsibility can be tough. But it's worth it in the end. If we don't take responsibility we cannot heal or change or improve our circumstances. Have you read any of Akosua's work? What Did I Learn Today? Lessons on the Journey to Unconditional Self Love ...

Growing, at times, feels like not growing. Stay encouraged. You are: growing. Lalah Delia A very dear friend of mine and I were chatting today about "how we are doing". I told her that I was a tad bit anxious about where I am and what I was about to do, she told me that having a pair of big girl panties comes in handy at times. I laughed at the time but I took it to heart that having that mindset that I can tap into that reminds us that we will be okay. The ability to feel the feelings, let it pass and then remember that yes, we do have this amazing resource that we can tap into this resource at any time and feel safe that whatever happens we can handle it, learn from it or grow from it. Sit in that comfort when you feel anxious and indecisive. Whatever decision you end up making remember this And press on Peace Come Join us in Guyana https://welead.21qcaribbean.com/ Have you read any of Akosua's work? What Did I Learn Today? Lessons on the Journey t...

A very wise teacher once said to me, “Who would you have to make wrong in order to get things right?” As long as you need to continue to make your sources “right,” you may never be able to “right a wrong” in your world. Neale Donald Walsh This quote resonated with me today as I received news from a colleague out in Bahamas. During this month, Hurricane Dorian battered a number of islands including Bahamas. I have the great fortune of being in Bahamas in July. I loved it. I met some wonderful people, I had fun, I fell in love with the place Today I was told that one of the families that I met did not survive the hurricane. It was a sobering conversation reminding me that we get to choose how we live and when that time comes, it comes ready and uncompromising. Who would we make wrong for a hurricane happening? Who would we make wrong for natural disasters? Isn't it just part of the cycle of life? And something that we have no control to? Just our response to it? This had ...

An act of personal and loving self-service is that you stop telling yourself nonsense. Carolyn Myss Sometimes we just have to tell ourselves the truth Sometimes we just have to tell ourselves that mistakes makes masters Sometimes we just have to talk to ourselves with a loving yet firm voice  Sometimes we have to peak to ourselves with compassion Sometimes we just have to remind ourselves that not everything will go the way we intend for  Sometimes we have to be real Peace Come Join us in Guyana 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

To bring any creation from the realm of imaginative vision to concrete manifestation, you must learn how to wield power effectively. Power is a quality of your soul, so it is already within you. You access it by clearing the beliefs, stories, and patterns that keep you from applying it skillfully to shape a life and business you truly love. Hiro Boga How do you define Power? There are so many descriptions of what power is, what is looks like, what it is supposed to be and who has it? Like success, I have learnt that I get to describe what Power means for me, in that way I take the stress off myself and walk towards my own definition of what Power is. In reading the work of Hiro Boga who believes that Power comes from within, I have also come to the conclusion that all of us were born with power, we forget that we have it inside us when we run towards the external definition of power which rests on the pillars of money, position and status. Power to me is a decision to use th...

Your void wants to be felt not filled. Steph Feels Uncomfortable feelings are well....uncomfortable! We don't like to feel them, we run from them. We suddenly find so many things to fill the void in our lives. People fill it with shopping, sex, drink, food, social media, you name it. Rather than face the uncomfortable feeling, we run from it. We run from feeling of discomfort, we run if we think it will bring us pain. Feelings are guides, they point us in a direction. If we ignore the guides it is so easy to get lost. We have to know and remember that our guidance comes from feelings and decisions are best made with a balance of both head and heart Many times our heart's decisions are illogical, it gives us uncertainty. so we shy away from those decisions waiting on certainty and signs What we don't understand is that our feelings are the signs and we may never get the validation and certainty that we crave. The next time you feel a void, sit in it for a moment, ...

What is being of service? Looking upon another human being with kindness and compassion and not judgement is a profound act of service and though such a form of service lacks for whistles and bells, this expression of “service” comes from truly understanding the power of your soul and what it means to “look upon another with eyes of grace.” Carolyn Myss 1. I believe in sleep 2. I believe that love can cure it all  3. I believe in feeling my feelings 4. I believe that nature is my best teacher 5. I believe that friends are family minus blood lines 6. I believe that discipline and consistency combined with talent  can and will can create miracles 7. I believe in following my intuition 8. I believe that rest is part of the Journey 9. I believe in that all things are lessons that God will have us learn 10. I believe in choosing the people around you with care 11. I believe that vacations can reboot creativity  12. I believe in joy - doing what brings you joy -...

There is no right or wrong way to be spiritual, everything is spiritual since all is Spirit. Adhering to a specific diet or lifestyle doesn't make you more spiritual than anyone else, although your ego might convince you otherwise. It's all the same, baby. Zoey Ann The ego wants us to believe that we are superior to others based on the things that we do, the clothes we wear, the places we visit, where we have gone to school and the list goes on. The ego is simply about separation. Just because someone does not do what you do, in the same way, with the same passion and intensity does not make them inferior to you. Everyone is different, every one has different experiences which leads to how we behave, how we respond, how we act. If it brings you peace without harming anyone else, how they respond is their business, not yours. Our lives is our responsibility. No one else's We must always remember that all of us are connected. There really is only the illusion of s...

Let no one tell you that taking a vacation is not an investment. People assume investments only make sense when you "deny" yourself nice things & invest in some market-tagged thing. Doing things for your well-being like having fun or taking rest and time out IS important . Chao Mmbogo  Confessions on the Journey - I am craving a vacation and I was feeling guilty about taking one. The people around me are not interested in vacations, they are workaholics. I drank the KoolAid and now I am out here craving a vacation. I peeped at my calendar two days ago and saw that it is literally full up until the end of September and got a tad bit depressed. Yesterday it seemed that an event on the calendar may be cancelled, I actually got so happy I started planning vacations in my head right away! That is how much I want to be somewhere quiet doing nothing! Vacations gives us an opportunity to reboot, to revive, to re frame our minds and bodies. Once done well, it is a cataly...