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

  The minute you stop living to prove is the moment you begin to receive from the Universe One of the best lessons that I have received on the Journey is "there is nothing to prove" When I was first introduced to this lesson, I had to question it. How will others know that I am capable, how will they know that I am fit for the purpose, how will I stand out, how will other's know about me? When I learnt is, focusing on others leaves very little room for me to do my best, focusing on others to the detriment of self plants the seeds for depending on external validation and that is quite a slippery slope. Not everyone will like, approve or be happy for you or with what you are doing. Proving sends you towards your ego. Your ego wants to be in control, to be right, to compare. This is another slippery slope to being disconnected. And most importantly, everything starts and ends from within. The work begins with you believing in yourself, in honoring your self in the way which ...

  Possibility isn’t about forced positivity or false hope. It’s about taking responsibility for change in ways we can and choosing to hold space for what could be when we can’t. It’s about looking toward what else could be . Lisa Olivera When faced with challenges and confusing moments, we retreat into old habits and comfortable patterns, it is also sometimes an easier option to withdraw altogether and look towards busyness, distractions and anything that will provide us with a reprieve. All of which may be a choice in the moment which can bring us closer to a solution - what is clear is that these methods are short term and unsustainable. What I have learnt whilst in the fog is to focus on what is possible. I ask myself that question "what is possible?" I also affirm to myself "I dwell in possibility" Possibility allows me to imagine, to dream, to move away from what is in front of me. This is not to put me in a space of denial, it really is to move my thinking tow...

  Sometimes responses are gifts to us - Minaa B How well do you respond to feedback? How well do you respond to unsolicited feedback? I have learnt that feedback is a gift. I have also learned that when the feedback gets on my nerves its an even more important gift. Let's face it, no one likes being told that they are doing something bad, wrong or ineffective. It becomes even more difficult when we spend time, effort and resources on that thing we are being told is bad and wrong. Confessions on the Journey - I would take feedback very personally, I would internalize it, get wildly upset or totally withdrawn until I realized that I had a choice, that it was a gift and I get to choose what I do with the choice and the gift. There were so many times that I did not do my best - when the feedback came I was defensive - I felt embarrassed to admit that I did not show up fully. When feedback comes and I get defensive, attached and start justifying, I know that it is me avo...

  Confusion is a symptom of three things: 1. The fear of trusting yourself 2. The lack of clarity about the road ahead. 3. New momentum in your life that was self-initiated.  If you’re not moving forward, you are in your comfort zone and won’t be confused. Mastin Kipp Guadeloupe was lovely, I thoroughly enjoyed the time spent, not only due to the amazing beaches, food, culture and company. The lessons on the Journey were also quite impactful. There were so many moments where I chose to jump out of my own limiting beliefs and just be. Be in the moment Be in the experience Be in the discomfort Be in the present Be in the laughter And here I am still able to tell the tales and share the lessons. Confessions on the Journey - Another reason I stay out of  water (beaches, river, oceans, waterfalls) I feel uncomfortable in a swim suit. I gave up the freedom of getting in the ocean because of how I saw myself and my body. On this trip, I decided that that no matter what, I was s...

You want to be ethical and loving and harmonious? Love you and love your values of love. Revere your heart. Change the world by most excellently respecting your own ideals. Raise your standards and the universe will meet you there . Danielle La Porte One of the most important lessons on the journey is acceptance. Iyanla Vanzant defines it Acceptance does not mean you agree with, condone, appreciate, or even like what has happened . Acceptance means that you know, regardless of what happened, that there is something bigger than you at work. It also means you know that you are okay and that you will continue to be ok. I can totally relate to this definition. Confessions on the Journey, I struggle to accept the things that I cannot control and do not like. I also know that when I resist the acceptance of it, especially when it has already happened, I suffer. So the question I ask myself is am I accepting or am I tolerating? Acceptance, despite being hard at times, brings me to a level of ...

  Spend more time focusing on getting comfortable being wherever you are and less time comparing yourself to others who are further along the path- Maryam Hasnaa Hello Lovies I am enjoying the experience of Guadeloupe. On Wednesday, there was a scheduled full moon. A friend offered to do a moon light hike. I immediately said yes without asking too many questions. I thought to myself, how rigorous can it be to climb up a hill and watch the moon light. The plan was on, we arranged a meeting with head torches at 7.30pm just at the base of La Soufriere. I felt excited as ever. I arrived at the base of the hill and it was FREEZING, I also could not source a head lamp or torch so I thought I would just go with the flow. Well...the flow was dark and freezing. Luckily my friend had an extra jacked and kindly  loaned it to me. About 20 of us started the climb. I was pleasantly surprised that the terrain was bushy however there were paved tarmac to walk on, we proceeded uphill and I sa...

  Persistence beats timing. Execution beats luck. Not immediately but eventually. Naval This morning, I took a run along the coast line in Basseterre, Guadeloupe. The level of joy, gratitude and freedom I felt in my soul was high. The weather was perfect, the coastline was beautiful and I felt an energy that allowed me to run. Since I have been here I walked down to the beach on the morning. Today I ran, the persistence and execution of  moving my body daily paid off to allow me to spend the morning running along the coast.  What do you do persistently in your life? Do you even know? What you do persistently allows you to execute well. There is no discrimination. If you eat poorly consistently, it will show up in your life. If you eat well consistently, your health will reflect it. Simple like that. Life favours consistency. It works every time Consistency supports discipline, building character, patience and courage. Consistency allows for self confidence. When you are ...

  “I acknowledge and honor the teacher that is my life. May I be wise enough to recognize the teachers and lessons that I encounter today, and may I be open to receiving their wisdom. ” Daily OM Hello Lovies I finally made it to Guadeloupe. It's been quite a journey!  The island is lovely, mountains, beaches, rivers running through the main town. Croissants and baguettes have been on the menu! the average bakery serving up treats that I would not even dare look at when I am at home. I am savouring it all. While in transit from Dominica, I sat and checked the requirements to enter Guadeloupe. I prided myself in having prepared well for the trip, something I usually don't do. Now, with the pandemic, I prefer not to leave it to luck and chance. As I enter the gates to the ferry which was scheduled to leave in one hour's time, I was told that I needed an Antigen test, travel insurance and a host of other documents that I did not have. Confessions - I got annoyed at the securi...

  you sabotage yourself slowly when you ask for signs but choose to ignore them. i hope you heal the parts of you that fear truth and has found comfort in illusion, i hope you heal the parts of you that feel unworthy because of the past, i hope you learn to validate your intuition . iambrilliant Finding comfort in illusions seems to be widespread. And I at the moment. get it, I have also found comfort in the illusions. It just seems simpler to deny, justify, rationalize what is there because making another decision involves change, uncertainty and effort. Many times, I would know what I know and leave it alone with the hope that it changes - even if I have done nothing different - I just hoped that the situation would change, go away, be solved. The truth will set you free - that lesson - is also true. One that I learnt early on. Life keeps reminding me of it at every turn. When we want to be seen as a success, want to be right, when we are afraid and ashamed of disappointing oth...

  He who blames others has a long way to go on his journey. He who blames himself is halfway there. He who blames no one has arrived. Chinese proverb One important lesson on this Journey so far is the importance of self talk. What are you telling yourself? What do you tell yourself on a daily basis? What are you hearing from yourself? Are you speaking to yourself with love, compassion, empathy or judging yourself harshly? Of course there are some times where your self talk must be stern, it must always however be with love and in love. How do you start changing the way you speak to and about yourself? Start noticing what you say, pay attention, listen to what you are saying objectively then ask is what I am saying filled with love, is it useful? If not, anytime you catch yourself talking to yourself in that way, pause, apologise and start a new conversation. It takes practice, soon you will see how when your self talk transforms, how much your outer experiences follow. It all sta...

July , illuminate my path and cover me in love. let the light i exude attract what is meant for me, while simultaneously keeping what cant handle my energy at bay. allow me to identify distractions and what is temporary so i can shift my focus to what wants to stay. be abundant. Billy Chapata   July.... Confidence to speak the Truth. Confidence to live the Truth. Confidence to take a Stand. Confidence to trust Self. Confidence to Show Up...Real. Confidence to Listen. Confidence to Empathize. Confidence to Learn. Confidence to Share. Confidence to Love. Confidence to Serve. Confidence to Rest. Confidence to Walk Away. Confidence to Stay. Confidence to be vulnerable. Confidence to Feel...All of it. Peace