A young boy was travel­ling on a school trip to Mountain Afadja and his younger brother asked him to buy him meat pie when returning home from the journey. On their way back to Accra, he saw a vendor with meat pie and he moved quickly towards the front of the vehicle to buy one through the window.

A few seconds later, a ve­hicle smashed into the back of the bus where he was moments before and the af­termath was a disaster. His desire to honour his promise to his younger brother, saved him from death.

A lot of the students at the rear area of the bus died. Such is life and certain things are inexplicable. What made him see the meat pie ven­dor and leave the back seat towards the front of the bus, moments before the heavy truck crashed into the rear of the bus?

There are happenings in life that does not simply make sense and if you try to apply logical reasoning to them, they fail to explain why what happened.

Recently a young man who was working at a construc­tion site decided to stop work briefly to get something to eat. On his way returning back, the whole three story building that he was working in had completely collapsed with a couple of his col­leagues under the rubble.

Again the question is, why did he not delay his going out of the building for a few min­utes which would have made him a victim of the incident? No logical explanation to this.

A cousin of mine was living in Takoradi during the early days of the 31st December revolution. One morning on his way to work, he was stopped by a soldier holding a gun and he told my cousin to get unto a truck parked by the roadside, ostensibly to join others already onboard to go do some job.

He was annoyed by some­one just ordering him simply because he had authority. He brushed the gun aside and went past the truck heading towards his shop. According to him he heard behind him a gun being clocked and then he heard a soft voice telling him not to look back but con­tinue along. He then hear people shouting “oh, oh” but he did not turn around to look back.

The place was a short distance from his refrigera­tion repair shop so he soon reached his shop. A few minutes after sitting down in front of his shop, people came rushing to him enquir­ing where he got his ‘power’ from. He asked them what they were talking about and they told him that the soldier clocked his gun to shoot him but as he suddenly started collapsing unto the ground.

This led them to believe that my cousin have some kind of juju powers, hence they asked him where he went for spiritual fortifica­tion. The intriguing question is, whose voice did he hear ordering him not to look back? It still baffles him up to this day.

The June 3rd disaster is another instance of a deliv­erance from certain death that my brother-in-law experienced. That afternoon he had gone to buy items for his JHS 3 son and as usual when going home, had gone to a store where he has some friends to chat with them for a while before going home.

After some few minutes, he decided to go home since he had been drenched by the drizzling that came after the earlier heavy rainfall. When he got home about 35 minutes later, he switched on the TV and a fire disas­ter that has burnt people to death as well as destroyed a fuel station, vehicles and buildings near the filling station, including the store where he had stopped to chat a short while ago. A voice had convinced him to leave the place and that was what saved him.

Being a Christian, I would attribute it to God but why he choose to deal with cer­tain individuals and deliver them and the criteria for selection, is a mystery

By Laud Kissi-Mensah

Introduction

Our emotional landscape is a vast and intricate terrain, shaped by our experiences, thoughts, beliefs, and memories. It’s a world where our emotions, both con­scious and unconscious reside, influencing our relationships, decisions, and overall well-be­ing.

In this article, we’ll explore the concept of the emotional landscape, its components, and how understanding it can lead to greater self-awareness, emotional regulation, and healing.

The components of the emotional landscape

Our emotional landscape consists of various regions, each representing a different emotional state. These regions are shaped by our:

– Life experiences: Trauma, relationships, and significant events.

– Thoughts and beliefs: Posi­tive or negative self-talk.

– Emotions: Joy, sadness, anger, fear, and more.

– Memories: Happy, painful, or neutral.

– Coping mechanisms: Healthy or unhealthy strategies for managing emotions.

Exploring your emotional landscape

To navigate your emotional landscape, start by:

– Identifying emotional pat­terns and triggers.

– Recognising areas for growth and healing.

– Developing emotional awareness and regulation.

– Cultivating self-compassion and acceptance.

Benefits of understanding your emotional landscape

By exploring and understand­ing your emotional landscape, you can:

– Gain greater self-aware­ness and emotional intelli­gence.

– Develop more effective coping mechanisms.

– Improve relationships and communication.

– Enhance emotional resil­ience and well-being.

– Unlock personal growth and transformation.

Conclusion

Navigating your emotion­al landscape is a journey of self-discovery and healing. By understanding the components of your emotional landscape and exploring its regions, you can gain a deeper connection with yourself and develop a more authentic, wholehearted existence.

Remember, your emotion­al landscape is unique and ever-changing, and embracing its complexities can lead to a more fulfilling and meaningful life.

BY ROBERT EKOW GRIMMOND-THOMPSON