The Tribune

By JEFFARAH GIBSON

Tribune Features Writer

jgibson@tribunemedia.net

WITH so much going in day-to-day life, many people don’t get the chance to spend quality time just with themselves.

According to life coach and radio personality Stanya Davis, investing in oneself can be one of the most beneficial exercises a person can do because it has the potential to add to their quality of life.

It is with that in mind that Ms Davis designed the “Me Time” weekend, which entails a series of self-discovery exercises that will make people “laugh, cry and then exhale”. More importantly, “Me Time”, which will be held November 27-29, is an opportunity for people to reflect on their pain and reconnect with their inner selves, she said.

“We are expected to be parents, employees, partners, neighbours, friends – being all things to everyone else but neglecting to present in our own lives. This weekend is all about giving ourselves back to ourselves before we give ourselves away. It will be a time of reflection, meditation, self-introspection, and believe it or not, fun,” Ms Davis told Tribune Woman.

Throughout the weekend, participants will be guided towards change by way of a number of activities and exercises designed to energise the soul and reclaim the parts of ourselves that we have lost along the way.

There will be a “name claim” ceremony, quiet time exercise, a me time treasure hunt at a remote location, a relative ability activity and much more. The weekend retreat is all about people doing the work and remembering how important and valuable they are.

“This weekend is for men and women who feel stuck, are angry, confused, frustrated, stuck in the past, and plain old tired of giving so much of themselves only to feel depleted and empty in the end. Put another way, this weekend retreat is for the person who is ready to let go of everything that has held them back from loving, living and truly being who they were created to be. This event is for the person who is truly ready for change,” she said.

Ms Davis said during the event participants will see the benefits of setting time aside to just focus on themselves in ways they have probably not done before.

“It is important to set time aside for ourselves because by spending time with ourselves we get to understand who we truly are. I believe it was Myles Munroe who said that ‘unless you understand the purpose of a thing, abuse is inevitable’. When we understand ourselves we begin to understand our purpose, our beauty, our gifts and talents. With understanding comes acceptance and love. When we begin loving ourselves we will not allow others to act un-lovingly towards us,” she said.

“I know that people will be helped by this retreat because the focus is self-centered. When I say self-centered I am not speaking of arrogance, instead what I am talking about is love. We rarely take the time to just stop and take care of ourselves. We just keep going and doing, making sure that everyone else is taken care of. We fail to realise that we, too, deserve to be happy. As a matter of fact, we are no good to anyone else until we are good to ourselves.”

Ms Davis is the founder and CEO of Eve’s Journey. She is a certified life coach and is also the host of the radio talk show Tell It To Stanya. For more information about the “Me Time” weekend, contact journeytoeve@gmail.com or 364-1159/ 451-6767.