Why do I want to forgive him? Part 3

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Why do i want to forgive him?

Because I don't want to spend anymore time on this.

I want to forgive him because I ,too, played a part in being hurt. I had put him on a pedestal. One that he had not proved himself enough prior to be on.

I want to forgive him because even though I miss him from time to time, it would be unrealistic for me to expect anything from someone who has proven that he is more than capable of disappointing me.

I want to forgive him because wishing him unwell hinders me and my future. I want to forgive him because my future does not involve hating something that is in the past.

I want to forgive him because a part of me is ashamed at how I allowed myself to be treated, the other part is determined not to be treated that way again. Those parts have met today for me to look forward. I look forward with clarity because all the haze has been cleared by forgiveness.

Les 3 raisons pour lesquelles j'ai choisi de pardonner à mon ex de m'avoir quitté pour son ex-épouse

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Je n'avais jamais pensé pouvoir ressentir une telle douleur émotionnelle avant de découvrir que mon ex m'avait quitté pour son ex-épouse. Vous voyez, lui et moi étions en train d'arranger les choses après une pause et bien que je sois incertain de beaucoup de choses, j'étais certain de l'aimer et de n'avoir jamais aimé personne de la même façon.


J'ai découvert la nouvelle avant mon déménagement à Los Angeles. Et, après l'avoir reçu, je lui ai envoyé le message qu'il était une mauvaise personne et que je n'avais jamais cru au mal avant de l'avoir rencontré. Ces mots, j'ai vraiment cru. J'étais envahi par la victimisation, la contrariété, la trahison, la négativité et la méfiance. Je ne pouvais plus le supporter. La haine est vraiment un fardeau à porter.



J’ai commencé mon premier mois à Los Angeles, heureux d’être loin de lui et de son «énergie toxique». À mes yeux, il était toxique parce que je lui avais tant donné pendant de nombreuses années et que je n'avais jamais semblé lui suffire.


Deux semaines après mon arrivée à LA, j’ai suivi un cours SoulCycle à Santa Monica et l’instructeur a joué la chanson de James MacArthur, Impossible. J'ai senti des larmes rouler sur mon visage. Les larmes sont venues quand j'ai réalisé que ce que tout le monde m'avait dit se produirait, s'était passé. Je me sentais comme si mon coeur était vaincu. Auparavant, j’avais été si plein d’amour sincère et je n’avais pas eu le sentiment d’être réciproque. Je voulais courir et me cacher de moi-même et du monde. Je me suis demandé comment je pouvais être si bête de lui faire confiance et à l’idée de nous quand toutes les chances étaient contre nous.




Nous risquons fort probablement de divorcer lorsque nous avons commencé à sortir ensemble et de rester ensemble pour toujours, sans nous souvenir de qui il était et d'où il venait.



Cela m'a pris quelques mois; Cependant, aujourd'hui, je suis reconnaissant d'être plein de pardon envers lui. C'est pourquoi j'ai choisi de lui pardonner:




1. Parfois, on aime et on se fait mal.

Nous avons cette idée que, juste parce que nous aimons quelque chose, nous devons retrouver l'amour exactement comme et quand nous le voulons. Mais ce n'est pas le cas. J'appelle cela, l'amour du Tit-pour-Tat. Avec ce genre d’amour, nous essayons de manipuler les gens pour qu’ils se comportent comme nous le voulons et, s’ils ne le font pas, nous les laissons ou nous leur mettons en colère. J'ai accepté (et j'accepte toujours) que l'amour que je lui ai donné n'a pas été mesuré, pourrait ne pas me revenir et ce n'est pas grave. L'amour inconditionnel, c'est s'ouvrir à l'idée que, peu importe ce qui se présente à nous, nous choisissons l'amour parce que la haine est lourde. Je lui pardonne parce que l'amour que je choisis de donner n'est pas seulement pour lui.




2. La croissance se produit lorsque nous tombons, nous levons, apprenons et allons de l'avant.


Quand j'ai découvert qu'il était revenu avec son ex, je me suis senti comme le plus gros idiot du monde. Quand nous avons commencé à sortir ensemble, j'ai perdu de nombreux amis qui refusaient de me regarder sortir avec cet homme marié et âgé et après tout, je me sentais comme s'ils avaient raison. S'ils savaient, pourquoi ai-je refusé de voir la vérité? La réponse est que nous devons parfois tomber pour apprendre, car une fois que nous tombons, nous pouvons nous relever nous-mêmes, apprendre et progresser. Je lui pardonne parce que j'ai appris que je suis plus fort que je ne le pensais. Si je pouvais surmonter ce sentiment de vide et de solitude, je me prouverais que je pouvais traverser beaucoup de choses.




3. Pour l'amour, je referais tout ça.

Après avoir publié le dernier article, un ami m'a demandé si je revivrais cette expérience. J'ai dit oui! Je le referais encore parce que nous partagions beaucoup d'amour et de souvenirs ensemble. Tout cela, je ne le regrette pas. À partir du moment où je l'ai vu me voir la première fois que nous nous sommes rencontrés, le moment où il a perçu mon attitude de "faire semblant de ne pas vous connaître" et les moments où nous avons ri ensemble Cela en valait la peine. Je lui pardonne parce qu'il avait un but dans ma vie et je lui en suis reconnaissant.

The 3 reasons why I have chosen to forgive my Ex for leaving me for his estranged wife.

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I never thought that I could feel such emotional pain until I found out that my ex had left me for his estranged wife. You see, he and I were in the process of working things out after being on a break and although I was uncertain of many things, I was certain that I loved him and had never loved anyone the way that I loved him.

I found out the news before I moved to Los Angeles. And, after I received it, I sent him a message that he is a bad person and that I never believed in evil until I met him. These words, I truly believed. I was filled up with victimization, upset, betrayal, negativity and mistrust. I couldn’t take it anymore. Hate is truly a burden to bear.


I began my first month in Los Angeles happy to be away from him and his ‘toxic energy’. In my eyes, he was toxic because I gave him so much for many years and I never seemed to be enough for him.

Two weeks after I had moved to LA, I  took a SoulCycle class in Santa Monica and the instructor played James MacArthur’s song, Impossible. I felt tears rolling down my face. The tears came as I realized that what everyone had told me would happen, had happened. I felt like my heart was defeated. I had previously been so full of genuine love and didn’t feel it reciprocated. I wanted to run and hide from myself and the world. I asked myself how I could’ve been so dumb to trust him and the idea of us when all of the odds were against us.


The odds being that we would make through his going through a divorce when we began dating and be together forever without remembering who and where he had come from.


It has taken me a few months; however, today I am grateful to be full of forgiveness towards him. This is why I have chosen to forgive him:


1. Sometimes we love and we get hurt.

We have this idea that just because we love something, we have to get the love back exactly how and when we want it to. But, that is not the case. I call this, Tit-for-Tat Love. With this kind of love, we try to manipulate people to behave the way that we want them to and, if they don’t, we leave them or are angry at them. I accepted (and am still accepting) that the love I gave him was not measured, might not come back to me from and that is okay. Unconditional love is being open to the idea that no matter what is thrown our way, we choose love because hate is heavy. I forgive him because the love that I choose to give out is not only for him.


2. Growth happens when we fall, get up, learn and move forward.

When I found out that he had gotten back together with his Ex, I felt like the biggest idiot in The World. When we had started dating, I lost many friends who refused to watch me date this older and married man and after everything, I felt like they were right. If they knew, why did I refuse to see the truth? The answer is that sometimes we have to fall to learn because once we fall, we can pick ourselves up, learn and move forward. I forgive him because I learnt that I am stronger than I thought. If I could get through this feeling of emptiness and loneliness, I proved to myself that I could get through a lot.


3. For love, I would do it all again.

After I published the last article, a friend asked me if I would live this experience again. I said yes! I would do it over again because we shared a lot of love and memories together. All of which, I don’t regret. From the moment that I saw him see me the first time we met, the moment that he saw through my ‘pretend like I don’t know you’ attitude, and the moments that we laughed together. It was all worth it. I forgive him because he had a purpose in my life and I am grateful.

Izinto ezinhlanu engifisa sengathi ngabe ngazi ngaphambi kokuba ngitshele indoda eyahlukana

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Eminyakeni engaba ngu-7 eyedlule, ngithandana nendoda, iminyaka engu-13 engineminyaka eyishumi nambili ubudala, owayehamba ngesehlukaniso. Namuhla, ngemva kokumthukuthelela kanye nesimo emva kokuqeda izinto, ekugcineni nginamahhala futhi nginokuthethelelwa.



Ngangineminyaka engu-21 lapho sihlangana kuqala ngakho ngangingazi ukuthi ngizongena kanjani. Angikholelwa ekuzisola. Kodwa-ke, uma ngikwazi ukukwenza futhi, yilokho engifisa sengathi ngazi ngaphambili:




1. Uyakhathalela!

Esinye sezizathu ezenza ngichithe isikhathi esiningi ngithukuthele, ngemuva kokuthi siphule, ngoba ngifisa sengathi wangishiya ngedwa lapho ngimphika ekuqaleni. Intuition yami yazi kusukela ekuqaleni ukuthi yayiyizindaba ezimbi. Ngakho-ke, angiqiniseki ukuthi kungani nginikela. Nginombono wokuthi kwakungenxa yokuthi lapho ngisemncane, ukuzethemba kwami  kwakungeyona into engcono kakhulu futhi nakuba ngiyazi ukuthi ngifaneleka kangcono, angizange ngifanele. Angizange ngikhulume ukuthi amazwi ami asemqoka, umzimba wami udaba, ingqondo yami iyindaba ... ekugcineni, nginendaba. Uma wazi ukuthi unendaba kule Leli, ikuvumela ukuba ugcine ibanga kubantu kanye nezinto ezenza uzizwe ungakhathazeki.




2. Qaphela ukuthi uvumela bani empilweni yakho.

Ngesikhathi ngisemncane, ngangingeke ngikhethe abantu engibavumelayo ekuphileni kwami  njengami manje. Mina nomngane wami sasihlabelela ngalunye usuku futhi wathi nginjengomgodla-uSargent ngemizwelo yami. Yikuphi, ngiphendule, ngithi, 'Uma ngingekho, ubani ozoba khona?' Kulula ukusho ukuthi, 'Themba wonke umuntu' futhi 'Vula wena wonke umuntu'; Kodwa-ke, uma othile ekubonisa ukuthi ngeke bakuhloniphe noma imingcele yakho uma bekhona empilweni yakho, kulungile ukuvuma ukuthi akufanelekile ukuba khona empilweni yakho ukuqala.


3. Kuhle ukuthi cha.

Ngangivame ukuzizwa kabi ngoba ngithi cha. Ngakho-ke, ngingavumela noma ubani empilweni yami futhi uma behamba, ngangibuza ukuthi ngabavumela kanjani. Impendulo ukuthi angizange ngibeke imingcele ecacile lapho ngingafanelekile ukwenza okuthile. Njengowesifazane ohlala eMelika, kunzima ukuthi cha. Ngoba uma usho ukuthi cha kumuntu onentshisekelo mayelana nenhlonipho eyinhloko, uyazi ukuthi kuyoba khona omunye owesifazane ngemuva kwakho (emgqeni) elinde ukuthi yebo futhi avumelane nalokho ongakufuni. Ngiye ngafunda ukuthi ngiyajabula ngokuthi cha cha kubantu kanye nezinto ezingahambi kahle kimi uma zihamba kumunye umuntu noma cha. Okungenani ubuqotho bami nokuziqhenya kuyohlala buqinile.



4. Akudingeki ube mncane ukuba ube nobuhlobo.

Lesi sifundo esiqhubeka siveza ebuhlotsheni bami, nginomkhuba wokwenza ngincane ukuze indoda enginayo ingazizwa ilungele. Inombolo 1 isizathu sokuthi angingashadile okwamanje ngukuthi angikaze ngibone indoda engingakaze ngiyidumise phansi noma ngiyenze ngokwanele. Ukuphila kwami  konke omdala-ukuphola kuye kwangenza ngifanele ukulingana komuntu enganginakho, yingakho ngivame ukwenza kangcono uma ngedwa. Ubuhlobo buhlanganisa abalingani ababili abafuna ukuphumelelana ukuze kube nenjongo ephakeme ebuhlotsheni. Uma umuntu oyedwa enomuzwa wokuthi omncane, kuveza ukungavikeleki, umhawu nomdlalo-konke okungeyona isisekelo sobuhlobo obuhle.




5. Ukuzinza akufanele kukukhokhele inhliziyo yakho.

Esinye seziqhwa zokuba nalesi ndoda kwakungokuthi wangithatha ngokwezimali. Ngangizizwa ngizinzile. Kodwa, ngokushesha ngafunda ukuthi imali yakhe ayikwazanga ukulungisa noma ukulungisa okudingekayo ukulungiswa noma okwakungekho. Wayengeke aphele isikhathi ngezikhathi futhi aphinde avele nento njengokuxolisa. Yikuphi, ngawela ekuqaleni ngoba (kumabhayisikobho) wonke owesifazane ufuna into enhle ukugqoka noma ukuthatha indawo ethile idumile. Iqiniso liwukuthi izinto ziphela, imizwelo iyasebenza futhi inhlonipho igolide. Ayikho imali emhlabeni ongakuthola phansi uma uthola ukuthi isoka lakho libuyele kanye nomkakhe. Asikho isipho emhlabeni ongashintsha ukuzihlonipha. Futhi, ayikho isidlo sokudla okunamnandi noma iwayini elingakusiza ukuba ulale kangcono ebusuku uma intuition yakho ikutshela ukuthi kukhona okuthile okungaziwa ngakho. Akuyona into engokwemvelo ukufaka indawo yezinto ezibonakalayo zothando nokuhlonipha indawo yenyama. Yenza imali yakho, zikhiphe futhi uziphathe ngothando nangenhlonipho. Uma usuqala ukwenza lokho, kanjalo nabanye bayokuzungezile ngoba ubakhombise ukuthi ungakwazi ukuzinakekela kakade nokuthi konke okudingayo kukhona, uthando nokuhlonipha.

 

5 things I wish I’d known before I dated a man going through a divorce

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Almost 7 years ago, I fell in love with a man, 13 years my senior, who was going through a divorce. Today, after being angry at him and the situation after we ended things, I am finally free of attachment and full of forgiveness.


I was 21 when we first met so I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I don’t believe in regrets. However, if I could do it again, this is what I wish I had known beforehand:


1. You matter!

One of the reasons why I spent so much time angry at him, after we broke up, is because I wish he had left me alone when I initially denied him in the beginning. My intuition knew from the very beginning that he was bad news. So, I’m not sure why I gave in. I have a theory that it was because when I was younger, my self-esteem wasn’t the best and although I knew that I deserved better, I didn’t know my worth. I didn’t know that my words matter, my body matters, my mind matters... ultimately, I matter. When you know that you matter in This World, it allows you to keep a distance from people and things that make you feel like you don’t matter.


2. Be careful who you let into your life.

When I was younger, I was not as selective with people that I allow into my life as I am now. My friend and I were joking around the other day and she said that I am like a drill-Sargent with my emotions. Which, I replied to, ‘If I am not, who will be?’It’s easy to say, ‘Trust everyone’ and ‘Open yourself up to everyone’; however, if someone shows you that they will not respect you or your boundaries once they are in your life, it’s okay to accept that they don’t deserve to be in your life to begin with.


3.  It’s okay to say no.

I used to feel so badly for saying no. So, I would let anyone into my life and once they were gone, I would question how I allowed them in. The answer is that I hadn’t set clear boundaries of when I was not okay with doing something. As a woman living in America, it’s tough to say no. Because when you say no to an interested man about fundamental respect, you know that there will  another woman behind you (in line) waiting to say yes and agree to whatever you won’t. I have learnt that I am happy to say no to people and things that are unhealthy for me whether they move onto someone else or don’t. At least my integrity and self-worth will stay intact.


4. You don’t have to be small to be in a relationship.

This is a lesson that keeps showing up in my relationships, I have a habit of making myself small so that the man that I am with can feel worthy. The number 1 reason that I am single right now is because I have yet to meet a man that I have not had to dumb myself down for or make myself small for. My entire adult-dating life has been making myself fit the smallness of the person who I was with, that’s why I usually do better when I am alone. Companionship consists of two equals who want each other to succeed so that there is a higher purpose for a relationship. When one person feels small, it is breeding ground for insecurity, jealousy and drama- all of which are not the foundation of a healthy relationship.


5. Stability should not cost you your heart.

One of the lures of being with this man was that he financially took care of me. I felt stable. But, I quickly learnt that his money couldn’t mend or replace what needed fixing or what wasn’t there. He would disappear from time-to-time and reappear with something as an apology. Which, I fell for in the beginning because (in the movies) every woman wants something nice to wear or to be taken somewhere fancy. The truth is that materials fade, emotions are valid and respect is golden. No amount of money in the world can pick you up off the floor when you find out that your boyfriend has gotten back together with his wife. No gift in the world can replace self-respect. And, no fancy dinner or wine can help you sleep better at night when your intuition is telling you that there is something going on that you don’t know about. It is unnatural to replace the physical world for the fundamentals of love and respect. Make your own money, take yourself out and treat yourself with love and respect. Once you start to do that, so will others around you because you have shown them that you can take care of yourself already and that all you need is presence, love and respect.

What I wish I’d known after I ended my first long-term relationship

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At this moment, I'm comfortable enough to be single and appreciate time by myself. I've had a few long-term relationships that left me feeling disappointed and underappreciated, which ultimately ended with my wanting to be by myself. Through those experiences, I learnt to love myself by looking at who I truly am with all my imperfections. It didn't come easily, but it came, and for that I'm grateful.

The lessons I've learnt from my love life thus far will pave way for the magnificent love that's on the way. Love that's based on respect, that isn't ego-driven, that allows me to be exactly who I am.

Here are five things that I wish someone had told me when I ended my first long-term relationship:

 

1. You don't need anyone to love you for you to love yourself.

Loving yourself comes from you, not from someone else. The people you attract when you don't love yourself most likely won't love the real you — because you don't love the real you. When you don't love yourself, you hide what’s on the inside. Relationships formed while you're hiding your true self will be based on a lie. Real love is based on the truth.

 

2. People love you because they want to love you.

You can't force someone to love you the way you wish to be loved. You're worth love that comes naturally, not love that's tarnished by force. People are allowed to choose how and if they'll love you, and it has nothing to do with you. When you force someone to love you, you're subconsciously telling yourself that you don't deserve to be loved. One day someone will come along who won't have to be reminded to call you back, who will want to buy you flowers, and who will always find a way for you to be in his or her life.

 

3. Don't be afraid to ask for what you want from a relationship.

If your partner doesn't want the same from it as you, you can and will find someone who does. Getting what you want from a relationship isn't asking for a lot. Asking someone to take the time to respond to you, to be there for you or to be loved by someone isn't asking for too much. All of us deserve to be treated with respect.

 

4. If something feels like a drag, it's probably bringing you down.

Happiness lifts you up, it doesn't bring you down. If you feel constantly down in your relationship, it's not a good sign. There will be difficult times, but there ought to be good times too. If you feel alone in a relationship, you probably are alone. The label of a boyfriend, fiancée or husband doesn't mean that you're being treated with the love and respect that you deserve. When people are in a healthy relationship, they are joyful. Not all the time but most of the time. 

 

5. You're human, not a hero!

You don't have to save someone from their past heartaches. Your partner's pain isn't because of you. We all get hurt, and it's a part of the journey of life. Someone who takes out his or her past on you is clearly holding on to baggage. This type of person may not be capable of sincerely loving. It has nothing to do with you; it's merely because they don't want to let go of his past. The person who's ready to love you has used his or her baggage from past relationships and transformed it into wisdom. This person wants to love you.

Why do I want to forgive him- part 2

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 Why do I want to forgive him?  Because thankfully, I have learnt that I cannot expect from him. I cannot expect from anyone, actually. Expectations denounce faith. And, I have faith that everything is meant to be.

Why do I want to forgive him?
Because I am in a better place. I am at peace with the outcome and wish him nothing but happiness. 

Why do I want to forgive him?
Because any negative efforts towards him comes from me. I want my body, my temple, to be a breeding ground for joy and peace. I am done being angry. Being angry is a full-time job; being at peace creates space for me to live duty-free.

Why do I want to forgive him?
Because repetition is tedious. I cannot re-learn what I have learnt from this and am grateful that I did learn.

Why do I want to forgive him?
Because this time when he shows me who he is, I smile- not cry. I smile not because I know that I am better than he, I smile, not because I call him names, but because I understand that his actions are mostly because of him.


Izinto ezingu-3 ngazifunda cishe ekushadweni

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Angikaze ngibe intombazane eyayifuna ukushada. Angizange ngikhulise umshado, umshado noma ingubo. Ngivela emndenini wabesifazane abanamandla abangashadile, ngokwabo-njengomkhiqizo woMkhulu wami njengomuntu wesifazane nowesifazane onamandla kakhulu.


Ukwengeza lokho, ngingumntwana wokuhlukanisa. Ngakho, umshado awuzange kubonakale njengomphumela wokuphela ngoba ngabona abantu, ikakhulukazi abesifazane, abajabula kakhulu ngaphandle komshado kunalokho. Ngakhula ngikholelwa ukuthi amadoda angaphumelela kakhulu emshadweni kunabesifazane. Futhi, njengoba ngingumhlubuki engiyikho, angikaze ngifune ukungena into ngenxa yomhlomulo wesilisa.


Ngakho-ke cishe eminyakeni eyishumi eyedlule, lapho ngineminyaka engu-20 ubudala futhi ngimemezela ukuthi ngishade, wonke umuntu wayesethukile futhi esaba kakhulu. Nginemibuzo eminingi kanye nokukhathazeka, ikakhulukazi abantu bezibuza ukuthi nginengqondo yini. Babengazi ukuthi nakuba indoda engangihlelwa ukuyoshada yayingumuntu engangikuthanda kakhulu, ngangingenalo uthando. Nganginezinye izizathu, okuzohlala ngasese ngenxa yakhe.


Ngokujabulisayo, akukho mthunzi, angizange ngishade. Kodwa ngafunda izinto ezimbalwa futhi lapha kukhona ezintathu zazo:


1. Umshado awufanani nenhlonipho.

Ngokwethembeka, noma ubani angashada. Nakuba kufanele uqhubeke nenqubo yokwahlulela eqinile lapho usuzoshada, isitifiketi somshado asidingi ukuba ube umuntu ongcono. Sivame ukudweba lesi sithombe ukuthi umshado ulingana nezinto eziningi futhi, inhlonipho ingenye yazo. Ngokuqinisekile, umshado isitifiketi esibopha abantu ababili ndawonye ngezifungo. Inhlonipho kufanele isungulwe, ngaphandle kwesitifiketi, ukuqinisekisa ukuthi ihlala.


2. Uma umuzwa ungekho, ungacindezeli.

Ngikholelwa lokhu ngezinto eziningi kodwa ikakhulukazi ngomshado. Ngezinye izikhathi, ngicabanga ukuthi ukuphila kwami  bekuyoba njani uma ngabe ngithuthele eYurophu (nginomyeni wami ngaleso sikhathi) futhi ngibonga ukuthi angizange ngihambe nazo. Ngichitha iningi lentsha yami ngokuphoqa ubudlelwane. Ngibheka ikhono lomlingani wami ngokumelene nobani ngenkathi nginabo. Ngangiphoqa ukuba ngikholelwe umqondo owawungewona wangempela. Kukhona umehluko omkhulu phakathi kokufuna okuthile okusebenzayo futhi ukuphoqa ukuba usebenze. Owokuqala uzokushiya ngokuthula futhi okulandelayo kuzokushiya ukuhlanekezela nokuphenduka ebusuku.



3. Yenzani wena, ngoba akekho omunye.

Lo mbono ubonakala ugovu kodwa ubheke njengalokhu: nguwe kuphela okufanele uphile nemiphumela yezenzo zakho. Udinga ukuqinisekisa ukuthi ujabule ngezinqumo ozenzayo. Ngenhlanhla kimi, akekho okholelwa ukuthi ngizoshada ngakho ngangingamvumeli muntu phansi lapho ngitshela ukuthi kwakungekho okwenzekayo. Ngisho noma uvumela abanye phansi, hamba ukuthi abantu babekwahlulela ngezinqumo zakho. Kungcono impilo yakho emva kwakho konke

3 things that I learnt from almost getting married.

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I’ve never been the girl who wanted to get married. I didn’t grow up idolizing marriage, the wedding or the dress. I come from a family of strong women who don’t get married, by their own accord- as a product of my Grandfather being a feminist and superb human being.


Adding to that, I am a child of divorce. So, marriage never seemed like the end result because I saw people, particularly women, who were happier without marriage than with it. I grew up believing that men would benefit more from marriage than women do. And, being the rebel that I am, I have never wanted to fall into something because of a male’s benefit.

So almost ten years ago, when I was 20-years-old and made the announcement that I was getting married, everyone was in shock and horror. I got a lot of questions and concerns, mostly people wondering if I was mentally okay. They didn’t know that although the man that I was set to marry was someone that I loved dearly, I was not doing it for love. I had other reasons, which will remain private for his sake.

Thankfully, no shade, I didn’t get married. But I learnt a few things and here are three of them:

1. Marriage does not equal respect.

Honestly, anyone can get married. Although you have to go through an intense judicial process when you are about to get married, a marriage certificate does not require you to be a better person. We often paint this image that marriage equals many things and, respect is one of them. Truthfully, marriage is a certificate that binds two people together by vows. Respect has to be established, aside from the certificate, to make sure that it lasts.

2. If the feeling is not there, don’t force it.

I believe this about most things but particularly with marriage. Sometimes, I think about what my life would be like if I had moved to Europe (with my prospective husband at the time) and I am grateful that I didn’t go through with it. I spent a lot of my youth forcing relationships. Looking at my partner’s potential as opposed to who they were while I was with them. I forced myself to believe an idea that wasn’t real.  There is a huge difference between wanting something to work and forcing it to work out. The former will leave you at peace and the latter will leave you twisting and turning at night.


3. Do it for yourself, for no one else.

This idea seems selfish but look at it like this: you are the only one who has to live with the consequences of your actions. You need to make sure that you are happy with the decisions that you are making. Luckily for me, no one believed in my prospective marriage so I wasn’t letting anyone down when I told them that it wasn’t happening anymore. Even if it is letting others down, be okay with having people judge you for your decisions. It’s your life after all.

12 things that can not replace love.

image by Getty Images

image by Getty Images

I am a firm-believer that love is the most powerful energy in the world. Sometimes, we want that energy so much that we replace it with others things. 

Like Maya Angelou said, ‘My great hope is to laugh as much as I cry; to get my work done and try to love somebody and have the courage to accept the love in return. Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope’


Here are 12 things that can not replace love:


1. Sex


2. Money


3. Looks


4. Fame


5. Power


6. Manipulation


7. Co-ercement


8. Ego


9. Stability


10. Security


11. Routine


12. Judgement

3 things I learnt from having my fortune told to me.

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I’ve had my cards, palm and energy read a few times and all of them eluded that I would meet my soulmate once I moved to California.


Alas, I move here only to find that two more energy and tarot card readers tell me the same thing that I had heard before. None of them knew each other but all described this man in the same way and said that he would show up at my job. One of them even counted down the exact day that he would come.

And, when he showed up, I didn’t expect it to be so disappointing. In my head, it would be a fantasy. I would run into his arms, tell him that I had waited for him my whole life and that he could rest assure because I was here to take care of him.

It didn’t turn out like that. In fact, it has been the opposite. When I come into contact with him, I avoid him because I expected him to be more than what he is. It’s a never-ending journey but this is what I have and am still learning:

1. It’s out of my hands.

It’s difficult being told that you will end up with someone when you don’t believe that you will. I am learning not to force it or get in my own way because God has a divine order, it’s bigger than I am and I am learning to trust. Trust that I don’t know why it hasn’t happened today and might never happen. But trust that things are exactly the way that they are meant to be.

2. He will be who he is, and I accept that.

When I received all these signs that he could possibly be any soulmate, I did some research on him- out of curiosity and fear. I found out some things that I didn’t want to know, particularly about his treatment of women. In my mind, my soulmate is meant to be a gentleman and kind to women. In my mind, he has understood the struggle of women his whole life; not a part of women’s problems. I asked myself and God, ‘Why him?’, to which I still don’t have an answer. I can spend hours talking about how I dislike his behaviour towards women and spend more hours wondering why he acts through his Ego and isn’t a better person. But, all of that would be a waste of my time. Time that I don’t have or won’t get back if I give it.

3. It’s not up to him to make me happy.

Whoever sold us this idea that our happiness depends on finding ‘the one’ lied. After seeing him out with a woman, romantically, I was devastated. I wondered why God would play around with me like that. I felt stripped of the fantasy that I had been sold. There I was, back in the situation that I always found myself in where the man I chose was choosing someone else and it angered me. It angered me because despite how I feel about him, he was supposed to be the one. And then it dawned on me, I am the one. I am the only one who can make myself truly happy. I want to be so solid, strong and unshakable that when I am in a circumstance like that, I can say Thank you for reminding me to be selective instead of allowing you to have power over me. I’m almost there but until I am there, I will keep believing that that day will come.

I accept him for who he is

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I accept that he is not changing. 

 

I accept that it is not up to him to change.


I accept that it is not up to me to change him. 


I accept that he can be whoever he wants to be.


I accept that I can free myself of who I want him to be. 


I accept that I can clear myself of any fears. 


I accept that everything is finally so crystal clear


I accept that it was only meant to be what it was.


I accept that I don’t need to have control over him.


I accept that I can only control myself.


I accept that it is what it is and peace is number 1 over anything else.

4 questions à se poser avant de devenir sérieux avec quelqu'un romantique

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 Le partenaire avec lequel nous choisissons d'être peut avoir un effet sur notre vie quotidienne: mentalement, physiquement et spirituellement. Souvent, nous pensons que nous rencontrons quelqu'un au hasard, puis soudainement, les choses se gâtent sans que nous ayons notre mot à dire sur la raison ou la façon dont cela s'est passé. Je suis un partisan convaincu de la vie intentionnelle, qui inclut aussi le romantisme.

Voici 4 questions que vous devez vous poser avant d'avoir une relation sérieuse avec quelqu'un:

 

1. Suis-je prêt?

Je ne veux pas dire prêt comme "j'ai tout fait ensemble" prêt. Je veux dire prêt du genre: «Suis-je capable de tout donner émotionnellement à quelqu'un sans le blesser ni le projeter délibérément?» C’est une question que beaucoup de gens ne se posent pas, mais c’est nécessaire. Nous sous-estimons le pouvoir de ce qu'une relation peut faire pour vous. Cela peut soit vous préparer à votre meilleure vie, soit être la raison pour laquelle vous vivez votre pire vie. Vous demander si vous êtes prêt vous permet d'être réaliste avec vous-même, de sorte que vous sachiez ce que vous pouvez gérer dans une relation et si vous êtes prêt à le faire.

2. Quelles sont mes intentions en entrant dans cela?

Que nous le réalisions ou non, nous avons tous des intentions lorsque nous commençons quelque chose. Cela peut être inconsciemment ou consciemment, mais nos intentions déterminent souvent comment nous allons agir ou nous comporter dans une relation. Par exemple, si vous ne vivez que du sexe dans une relation, vous pourriez passer le plus clair de votre temps à avoir des relations sexuelles, puis lorsque le rapport sexuel devient ennuyeux, vous vous ennuyez avec la personne ou vous vous battez avec elle parce que les fondements d'une relation étaient: jamais là pour commencer. Cela peut être appliqué à beaucoup d'autres choses que le sexe. Assurez-vous de vous demander quelles sont vos intentions dans une relation afin de bien comprendre ce que vous voulez en faire et ce que vous allez lui donner.

 

3. Ai-je grandi depuis ma dernière relation?

Il y a environ 6 ans, j'ai eu l'une des plus grandes épiphanies de ma vie. J'ai réalisé que j'étais le problème commun à toutes mes relations. J'avais eu trois relations à long terme et continuais à blâmer mes ex. Pour beaucoup de choses qui avaient mal tourné dans ma vie jusqu'à ce que je réalise que j'attirais le même homme, qui ressemblait à mon père, et que, jusqu'à ce que je me sépare de ce comportement inconscient, Je continuerais à souffrir. J'ai décidé d'être célibataire pour la première fois depuis des années et de me concentrer sur moi-même; ce n’était pas facile. J'ai passé du temps à apprendre à me connaître et à m'aimer moi-même afin de ne pas devoir continuer le cycle d'hommes entrant et sortant de ma vie, me laissant vide et me permettant de le rester parce que je ne savais pas comment me remplir. J’ai appris à être là pour moi-même afin que, si une autre relation ne fonctionnait pas, je n’aurais pas à prendre 10 pas en arrière avec une boîte de kleenex et un verre de vin à la main. Je pourrais faire un pas en arrière pour observer, puis trois pas en avant avec pardon, foi et espoir en l'avenir.

4. Suis-je capable de faire confiance? Honnêtement, c'est quelque chose sur lequel je travaille. Je viens d’une histoire d’hommes qui ont trompé leurs amies et leurs épouses et plus tard dans ma vie, mon «futur mari» m'a trompé. Cela m'a laissé sur mes gardes et avec l'incapacité de faire confiance aux hommes et de me faire confiance. Fais confiance aux hommes avec mon coeur et fais moi confiance pour ne pas devenir fou avec quelqu'un qui me fait mal. C’est un voyage continu sur lequel je vais continuer à travailler car la confiance est nécessaire dans chaque relation. Si nous ne faisons pas confiance aux gens, ils n’ont jamais vraiment notre cœur et comment pouvons-nous savoir de ne pas faire confiance aux autres si nous ne leur avons pas donné la chance de se faire confiance? Une fois que j'ai suffisamment confiance en moi pour savoir que tout ira bien, cela me permet de faire davantage confiance aux autres parce que les gens seront les gens. Il y a des gens dignes de confiance et indignes de confiance, ne les rassemblez pas simplement parce que quelqu'un vous a fait du

4 questions to ask yourself before you get romantically serious with someone.

Image by Getty images  

Image by Getty images  

The partner that we choose to be with can have an effect on our daily lives: mentally, physically and spiritually. A lot of the times we think that we are just randomly going on a date with someone and then all of a sudden, things get serious without us having a say in why or how it happened.


I am a firm-believer in living  with intent, that includes romantically too.

Here are 4 questions that you must ask yourself before having a serious relationship with someone:

1. Am I ready?
I don’t mean ready like ‘I have everything together’ ready. I mean ready like, ‘Am I able to give my all, emotionally, to someone without purposefully hurting or projecting onto them?’ It’s a question that a lot of people don’t ask themselves but it is necessary. We underestimate the power of what a relationship can do for you. It can either set you up for your best life or be the reason why you are living your worst life. Asking yourself if you are ready allows you to be realistic with yourself so that you are aware of what you can handle in a relationship and if you are ready to handle it.


2. What are my intentions entering this?

Whether we realize it or not, we all have intentions when we start something. It might be subconsciously or consciously but our intentions often determine how we will act or behave in a relationship. For example, if you go into a relationship only wanting to have sex, you might spend most of your time having sex and then when the sex becomes boring, you are bored with the person or you fight with them because the fundamentals of a relationship were never there to begin with. This can be applied to a lot of things other than sex. Make sure that you ask yourself your intentions in a relationship so that you are clear on what you want from it and what you will give to it.


3. Have I grown since my last relationship?

About 6 years ago, I had one of the biggest epiphanies of my life. I realized that I was the common problem between all of my relationships. I had had three long-term relationships and continued to blame my exes for a lot that went wrong in my life until I realized that I was attracting the same man, who resembled my father, and that until I broke myself of this subconscious behaviour, I would continue to suffer. I decided to be single for the first time in years and focus on myself; it wasn’t easy. I spent time getting to know myself and loving myself so that I didn’t have to continue the cycle of men coming in-and-out of my life, leaving me empty and me allowing it to be that way because I didn’t know how to fill myself up. I learnt how to be there for myself so that, if another relationship didn’t work out, I wouldn’t have to take 10 steps back with a box of Kleenex and a glass of wine in my hand. I could take one step back to observe and then 3 steps forward with forgiveness, faith and hope for the future.


4. Am I able to trust?

Honestly, this is something that I am working on. I come from a history of men who cheated on their girlfriends and wives and later on in my life, my ‘husband-to-be’ cheated on me. It left me guarded and with the inability to trust men and trust myself. Trust men with my heart and trust myself to not go crazy on someone who hurts me. It’s a continuous journey and one that I will continue to work on because trust is necessary in every relationship. If we don’t trust people, they never really have our hearts and how can we know not to trust others if we haven’t given them a chance to be trusted in the first place? Once I trust myself enough to know that I will be okay regardless, it allows me to trust others more because people will be people. There are trustworthy and untrustworthy people, don’t lump them together just because someone did you wrong.

I have hope that you will find true love and respect.

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I have hope that you will find true love and respect. And, when you do, I hope that you treat her better than the way that you have treated me.


I have hope that you think highly enough of her to call her back. I have hope that you will respect her enough to be there for her, not when you want to be; but when she needs you to be.

I have hope that you will be kind enough to her to refrain from leaving her hanging, bothered or upset.

I have hope that you will find it in yourself to show up on time- not on the hour but at the point of consideration.

I have hope that your friends will get along with her and that they will not promote an un-necessary cycle of negativity that leads to her being confused and feeling unwanted.

I have hope that you will choose love over your Ego. I also have hope that you will tell her that you love her when you love her.

I have hope that you will treat her humanely because she, just like you, is human. She cries, she smiles and she remembers- just like you. When you will be upset, so shall she. When you are confused, so shall she be. And when you blame her, she too, shall blame herself.

That is why I have hope that you treat your future-love better than me. I have hope that both of us will be spared of this occurring again. I have hope because you, just like I, deserve love and respect.

I have hope that I will find true love and respect.

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Image by Getty Images 

 

I have hope that I will find true love and respect. He will be in the form of someone considerate. Someone who understands me. When he will be in my life, I will feel exactly how I feel now: full of joy and contention.

I will feel happy and not feel the need to conform because he will accept me the way that I accept myself. He will not demean me or fear communicating with me. Everything will come naturally. And, naturally we will live life. Not bound to papers that enforce commitment, but bound to the respect that is sincere for one another.

He will not allow anyone to mistreat me and be okay with it. Furthermore, he will not be the reason that I am ever hurt. We will have our issues, as we are people after all. However, when we do, we will come out stronger and full of victory that will be worn through our joy and love for one another.

I accept that I have not met this man because when I do, I will know. He will have no reason to continuously fight me or go out of his way to throw harmful words at me. He will have no reason to treat me any other way than human.

He will have no reason to leave me hanging, crying and he would be heartbroken at the thought that he could ever harm me. Because when he holds me in his arms, he will be reminded that he has done something good in his life. He will always find a way for me to want him in my life. 

4 things that I have accepted not being okay with as a woman.

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image by Getty images 

 

Although I do not 100% support the ‘Me too’ movement, I am a firm-believer in change. Change that was very much needed. Whether it affects your life or not, it is clear that women do not have the same privileges  as a man does because, in general, we get paid less, we are expected to look a certain way and our bodies never really belong to us. Our bodies are criticized, ogled over and stared at whether we like it or not.

 

Don’t get me wrong, I love being a woman; however, we have to deal with some injustices that men do not have to. And, that can translate into our relationships.


Here are 4 things that I have learnt that I don’t have to be okay with, as a woman:


1. Being played games with.

I’m not sure where this idea developed that the man that plays games with us is the one that wants us the most. Because, in games, there is always a loser. The reason why healthy relationships do not start off with game-playing is because healthy relationships require both people to be equal. We all want to be included. So this idea of ‘If I really like someone, I don’t show them’ is something that destructs a relationship because you haven’t given the other person a chance before it has even started. Being in a relationship requires honesty, trust, vulnerability and love. None of those come from playing games with the other.


2. Being disappeared on.

This could fall into ‘the games’ section; however, I think it deserves it’s own paragraph. When I was younger, I thought it was okay for someone that I was seeing to come in &out of my life as they please. However, now I know better. When we allow people to come and go as they please, every time that they leave, they take a part of us with them which is not fair to us. Yes, unconditional love is beautiful but sometimes the best kind of love is saying no. No, I won’t let you talk to me like that. No, you cannot come and go as you please. And no, I don’t feel comfortable doing that. Ultimately, you are allowed to have boundaries in a relationship because boundaries mean that you are loving yourself and you are more able to love your partner when you have started with yourself. 


3. Staring at someone else (who is attractive)in front of my presence.

A glance and a stare are two different things. I used to date a guy who would blatantly stare at other women when I was talking to him and, it hurt my feelings. I was labeled as insecure, which hurt my feelings even more. It hurt my feelings because he wasn’t paying attention to what I was saying and he was going out of his way to make feel second. As women, we are expected to go with the flow and when we don’t, we are labeled all kinds of names- which is not fair. Obviously, I wasn’t expecting him to stop looking at other attractive women completely; however, being in a committed relationship requires presence. Now that I’m older, I expect respect. Respectful people listen and look at the other person when someone is talking to them because we all want to feel and be heard.


4. Dating many people at once.

I’ve never really been a dater. However, one thing that I know for sure is that I am only interested in giving people my time who know that my time is irreplaceable. We all have different approaches of dating and being in relationships but I see so many women being okay with the fact that the person they are seeing is seeing someone else too just so that they can have someone else’s company. Which leads to them losing themselves. They are willing to say anything to a potential romantic partner to have them stick around. The truth is that, when you settle, you only devalue yourself and it’s harder to get back up after everything is done and you know that you settled for a person or circumstance that wasn’t worth it, just so that you wouldn’t be alone. If you are running away from yourself, chances are that you need to face yourself. Take yourself out, get to know yourself and learn to love yourself. Because before you know it, you’ll regret not having done that and the relationship we have with ourselves is number 1.

3 reasons why you keep experiencing heartbreak

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Heartbreak sucks. And, it’s easy to get stuck in the monotony of life after each time it happens. However, getting stuck in this mode can set you back for life because the course of our romantic relationships can affect our mental and physical wellbeing.


If you have found yourself stuck after each heartbreak and not learning from each experience, this could be why:


1. You need to be single right now.

Iyanla Vanzant says, ‘If you can’t be with you, how can anyone be with you?’

Meaning, if you are not able to deal with yourself and all your problems, how can you expect someone else to? Unlike other people, if we don’t like ourselves, we can’t just leave. Time alone can empower you and help you grow, use it wisely!

2. You’re not connected.

Connection to The Higher Consciousness is important so that you understand the ability to surrender your pain, suffering and problems to the divine. Whether you call it God, Allah, The Universe, Jehovah or The Divine, knowing that there is something greater than you that wants the best for you helps you release and trust in the fact that you are being taken care of and then, you begin to understand that things like heartbreak happen for a reason.

3. You need boundaries.

I would love to walk around saying yes to everyone but it’s not possible. We are human and as much as there are kind and loving humans, there are humans who who are unkind and mean. If you do not have clear boundaries, people will walk all over you. Like my mom used to tell me growing up, ‘Every doormat says Welcome’. There is only so much that we can blame the person who has mis-treated us if we allowed them to do so in the first place.

10 inspiring quotes about love.

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It’s not easy but I think it’s important to us to choose love because love is the most powerful force in the world. And, by love, I don’t mean puppy love: I mean unconditional love, forgiving love, tough love and true love.


Here are 10 quotes to emphasize this:


1. ‘Now, more than ever, it is important to choose love. ’- Dr. Deepak’s Chopra

 

2. ‘Have enough courage to trust love one more time, always and forever.’-Maya Angelou


3. ‘Love takes of masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within.’- James Baldwin


4. ‘The chance to live and be loved exists no matter where you are.’- Oprah Winfrey


5. ‘Fundamentally, love means to go beyond likes and dislikes.’- Sadhguru


6. ‘Eventually, you will come to understand that love heals everything, and love is all there is.’- Gary Zukhav


7. ‘Reason is powerless in the expression of love.’- Rumi


8. ‘Love liberates. It doesn’t just hold—that’s ego. Love liberates. It doesn’t bind. Love says, ‘I love you. I love you if you’re in China. I love you if you’re across town. I love you if you’re in Harlem. I love you. I would like to be near you. I’d like to have your arms around me. I’d like to hear your voice in my ear. But that’s not possible now, so I love you. Go.’ -Maya Angelou


9. ‘You can only give away what you have inside of you, become an instrument of love.’ Dr. Wayne Dyer


10. ‘Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage." – Lao Tzu

Lo que aprendí al ver mi enamoramiento con otra mujer.

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Imagen de Getty Images

 

Decepción. Trastornado. Humillación. Desesperación. Enfado. Confusión. Estas son las 6 emociones que seguían circulando por mi cuerpo cuando vi a la persona que estaba enamorada de ligar y amar a otra persona.


Verá, hasta ese momento, había recibido tantas señales de que ESTE y yo estábamos destinados a ser. Casi se sintió como una colaboración cósmica. Sentí que el Universo me enviaba señales: cuando nos reunimos hubo un intercambio de energía sincero y profundo, y algunos lectores psíquicos se habían referido (a quien yo creía) a este hombre como alguien con quien posiblemente podría tener un futuro. (Hay más detalles que elijo omitir para la privacidad de esta persona).

Entonces, cuando surgieron estas emociones, mi cuento de hadas se perdió. El futuro que había construido entre él y yo en mi cabeza, se hizo añicos. Mi alegría se convirtió en amargura, mi sonrisa se convirtió en desagrado, mi apertura se cerró, mi sinceridad se convirtió en duda y cuando sentí que el cuchillo atravesaba mi corazón, me sentí como un idiota por creer. Mi diálogo interno comenzó con la cantidad de mujeres con las que he oído que ha estado y me pregunté cómo pensé que sería diferente a la forma en que generalmente trata a las mujeres.

Pasé unos 20-30 minutos sintiéndome derrotado y luego me hice una simple pregunta: ¿quién es él para mí? Lo que me llevó a otra pregunta: ¿por qué tiene tanto poder sobre mí?

Las dos respuestas que mi intuición me dio fueron que él es un extraño y si pudiera darle a un extraño ese poder, tengo trabajo que hacer conmigo mismo. Podría pasarme la vida culpándolo o perdonándome a mí mismo, perdonarlo y seguir con mi vida.


No tengo que responder cómo solía hacerlo cuando era un niño; Puedo romper esa cadena y encarnar realmente lo que significa ser un adulto. Los adultos se elevan por encima; no se quedan revolcándose en sus emociones, culpando a la otra persona y manteniéndose en modo receptivo.


Esta situación también me devolvió a una pregunta que sigue llegando a mi cabeza: ¿soy suficiente? Primero respondí, 'SÍ' por enojo hacia él, pero seguí haciendo la misma pregunta y la respuesta se hizo más suave a medida que respondía. Aún sí! ¡Sí! ¡Sí! ¡Sí! ¡Soy suficiente y siempre he sido suficiente!


Sentí una profunda aceptación de mí mismo y un conocimiento de que soy suficiente. Este conocimiento es algo que nadie puede quitarme de encima. Este conocimiento cuesta más que el dinero y no puede ser reemplazado por otra cosa que no sea verdaderamente encarnarlo y creerlo porque es verdad.

Él ha cumplido su propósito en mi vida y cuando lo veo o veo / escucho algo de su trabajo, estoy agradecido por el viaje que me llevó de regreso a algo que nadie puede quitarme.