MANIFESTATION - ABRACADABRA

In this segment, it is my intention to nourish your soul, motivate and empower you

on a regular basis.

“Fun gives you a new outlook.

It helps you expand your mind and your spirit”

Taken from Iyanla Vanzant, “One Day My Soul Lifted Up”

I have been following Iyanla Vanzant since she had made her debut on “The Oprah

Show” in 1998. I had bought one of her early books, “One Day My Soul Just Lifted

Up” in June 1998. (I wrote the date on it! Lol!) Ms. Vanzant gave practical advice to

her audiences. She was a powerhouse on spiritual healing. She was real and

relatable and she was truly loved! She was a darling. Her story was one of rising like

a phoenix after terrible misfortune and she had to learn the art of “rebuilding”. Today

she calls herself a spiritual hygienist.

When Ms. Vanzant visited Trinidad and Tobago on 19 July, 2007, I was amongst the

first in line gathered to get five of her books signed. (“One Day My Soul Just Lifted

Up”, “Until Today”, “In the Meantime”, “The Value in the Valley” and

“Yesterday, I Cried” In all of them, she wrote lovely messages. I considered it the

perfect birthday gift that year! Lol!

In her book, “One Day My Soul Just Lifted Up” she wrote about honoring yourself

with FUN. She said “Fun is the pursuit of joy.

Activities that provide amusement and mental or emotional release”. One of the things that I know about many“Trinibagonians” is that we like to have fun all year round. We just celebrated Carnival! Fun is an integral part of a healthy and fulfilling life. When we engage in

activities that bring us joy and laughter, we experience many physical and mental health benefits such as the stress release, improved mood and overall a better functioning. Ms. Vanzant and I share something in common. She said that she used to “play with food. I would play with different recipes and make my family eat whatever I cooked. The cooking part was fun”. I also like to cook as you may know…particularly on Sundays!

There are so many things that we could do to have fun. Sites to visit, tours to take,

concerts, festivals, amusement parks, cinemas, beaches, cooking, exercising,

hobbies and the list goes endlessly. In this V.U.C.A. world (Volatility, Uncertainty,

Complexity, Ambiguity) world that we live in today, we have to find a counterbalance

to deal with life’s daily stresses. I like to say “life is lifing “ Lol! So invest in your

overall well-being and incorporate fun in your daily regimen. And …it’s not only the

girls that want to have fun!