going to the ends of the earth

to create the life you want

I did a quick search online of “what does going to the ends of the earth mean?”. I skimmed and read the following:

“used figuratively to suggest no limit to an effort.”

“to do everything possible to achieve something.”

“as far as one needs to go to accomplish something.”

Now geographically, the end of the earth appears to be … well I’d suggest doing some research on that. But for the purposes of this week’s post we don’t need to be too concerned with that.

What I am able to say is that I can tell you about the end of Ghana where I’ve been. Specifically the furthest you can go to the south of the country - Cape Three Points. A peninsula on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.

Cape Three Points is situated in Ghana’s Western region and there is a small village there.

We had taken an extended weekend trip to the Western Region, well known for its stunning beaches. We were staying in the coastal town Axim and at night we fell asleep to the sounds of waves on the Atlantic Ocean and light winds blowing through the palm trees.

The day we went to Cape Three Points, we squished into a local taxi that picked us up from where we were staying. It was sometime after breakfast and we drove a couple of hours (maybe less or maybe more) along the unfamiliar roads that would take us to this landmark.

As we got nearer, we smelt a strong scent which we found out was the smell of rubber. The forest surrounding Cape Three Points has extensive rubber plantations which have been meticulously organised in abundance. There was deep green all around and leaves scattered the forest floor.

We pulled up next to a light house that was aged with history but still fully functioning, guiding ships at sea in the night. After chatting and giggling with some inquisitive children who had been collecting the fruit from a leafy almond tree, we started our guided tour.

We stood on rocks lining the peninsula and took in the expansive views. From the tip of one part of the peninsula to the others measured the exact same distance, forming a kind of W shape.

Beautiful views from Cape Three Points and other places, Western Region, Ghana (2023).

You could see nothing beyond a certain point of the ocean, a mere haze, and you just got the feeling that you were far away. That feeling of having travelled to the ends of the earth to see something special.

Back to the lighthouse we went and my sister, friend and I went inside and were guided to the top. This required climbing a very winding staircase with very narrow steps which I did barefoot to ensure I had a good grip. And to think the easy part was going up!

Sometimes you don’t realise you’re afraid of heights until you are positioned high above the ground. The excitement of what lies at the top of something can be enough to get you off the ground so that you can experience the beauty of a view.

We walked around the top of the lighthouse, and I snapped some candid polaroids so that the memory could live on forever.

I was in Ghana for a while by then, and my focus shifted to creating routines and building habits that would keep me in the energy I felt being in a place that was so far away but so magical.

I think what we can take away from this is that the life we desire is first created on the inside of us. A picture we visualise in our minds, a dream we hold in our hearts.

The life we wish to experience can be compared to what lies at the top of a lighthouse. It will require some effort in order to be reached.

The difference between moving from where we are to where we want to be being measured by how much we want it rather than the practical limitations, which coupled with supernatural power can be overcome.

And that’s why we started this post with the meaning of the phrase “going to the ends of the earth”. Because to me, it provides a powerful mission statement for our own lives.

Are we willing to put in not only the necessary effort required to reach whatever dream life or version of ourselves that lies within us, but to also have the faith required to get us there?

A quote attributed to Nelson Mandela says,

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

This was a very profound lesson I learned - in venturing to practically the ends of Ghana to see what I would find and also in making various decisions that would take me from the bottom of the lighthouse to the top, or at least closer .

And many of these decisions I could not have made alone. I needed the strength of God to be able to trust that I would be okay. In fact more than okay. Much of the effort is in the trusting.

I want to be clear that this notion of going to the ends of the earth to achieve your dreams should not be taken out of context or to extremes. The message that is trying to be conveyed is that our limiting beliefs can often be what stops us from creating the life we want to live. We can want to have all the information and all the outcomes made known to us before we decide to climb, before we decide to start those routines and habits and make those decisions that we feel called to. Me included.

So as I close out, I don’t have much more to say but to tell you that anything really did seem possible for me looking out onto the ocean atop of that lighthouse.

Questions to ponder:

☁️ what would I do if I wasn’t so afraid?

☁️ what life do I want to live?

☁️ how can I create this life?

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Recommendations

Steps along the journey of creating the life we want can be as simple as curating our social media feeds to show us positive and uplifting content. Two specific instagram accounts I’d recommend for those wanting to find joy in the now and contentment in the waiting are:

🧡 @modernmind___

🧡 @icietnu

Keep in touch

Look out for this week’s weekly discussion thread if you want to chat further & if you want to see more content from Ghana follow @adjoainghana (by request. kindly dm that you are coming from the adjoainghana newsletter.)

If you would like to swap notes, thoughts or experiences, you are welcome to get in touch.

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