It hasn't always been this way. In fact, not too many years ago, my first thoughts upon waking were, "What do I have scheduled and what do I have to get done today?" Such a stressful way to start the day! Where is the Joy in this? (I am aware that there are many of you, my readers, who start your day like this.)
It used to be even worse! I spent years living in what I call "survival mode", where I felt like had to cope with the demands of my life just to avoid impending disaster. 'Joy' was far from my reach back then.
Even more sad, was back in my teens, when I used to lie in bed in the morning and struggle to find just one thing to look forward to, to make getting out of bed possible - and some days I just couldn't do it. I was seriously depressed!
So what has changed?
My depression was not relieved much by medication or therapy, but rather, I learned to meditate (I learned Transcendental Meditation). Meditating consistently every day, even when it didn't seem to be doing anything, began to shift my experience from black & white to Technicolor. I learned (the hard way!) that when I didn't meditate, life seemed to become more & more difficult, and I would return to meditating daily.
With daily meditation, I had moved from 'depressed' to 'coping' with moments of Joy once in a while. Then came Reiki. Most people think of Reiki as a way to help others heal. This is true, but I discovered it was MUCH more! Reiki is a practice we can do for ourselves - not just to ease pain and speed up healing, but to relax, reduce stress and even put us in a meditative state of mind. It doesn't replace my meditation, but enhances my life in countless ways.
I have watched many of my Reiki students who use their Reiki for themselves blossom. When I ask students how their life is different, almost all say that their life is easier, more peaceful. There are so many benefits to doing Reiki for ourselves, I am writing a book on it! (More later...)
After many years of Reiki being a daily part of my life, I started to experience an expansion of my Intuitive Abilities (see my website: Our Higher Wisdom) and learned about the Law of Attraction. (Abraham-Hicks is a great resource.)
I find that using Reiki, meditating and approaching life from the philosophical perspective of the Law of Attraction makes Joy my predominant daily experience. It is SO fulfilling to do my work and being able to assist others in "Living in Joy".
And so, I hope you, too, will find your path to Living in Joy and wake up each day with eager anticipation and a smile in your heart!
Me ke Aloha,
Maureen Pua'ena
