FOLLOWING "BREADCRUMBS"

It has been over 21 years since I was first introduced to Reiki by my friend Nancy.  At the time, I didn’t feel much when she gave me a Reiki treatment – just a sense of ease, relief and relaxation.  I didn’t feel heat from her hands, or even know what ‘energy’ felt like back then.  Little did I know how dramatically this simple practice of “hands on healing” would impact my life!

It was some months later I took a First Degree Reiki class in Phoenix and my motivation (I thought!) was one of curiosity.  As I look back, I can see that I was unwittingly “following the bread crumbs” to a life that I couldn’t have begun to imagine, let alone believe was possible!

Even when I took the First Degree class, I enjoyed it, I liked meeting the people in the class and was excited about the prospect of sharing Reiki with others – even though I wasn’t fully confident it was real!  I offered Reiki to friends mostly out of a need to gather evidence that something this easy and simple could work.  I had no idea that this was a “fork in the road” that would lead me to my life today.

In many ways, I still feel that I am “following the bread crumbs” and cannot envision what my life will be like in a few years from now.  And, I think I’d rather not know.

Many times I meet students or clients who are seeking clarity on “What is my Purpose”, or how do I “Fulfill my Destiny”, or “What is it I Came Here to Do?”  I am beginning to see that for most of us, it is not a Vision that we find or discover, and then make the plan and take action to fulfill – but rather a Journey that leads us to a place of Fulfillment.

If I had known back in 1994 that I was going to “quit my day job”, and never have a guaranteed income again, I might not have made the decision to begin my training as a Reiki master. 

If I had known that when I left Honolulu almost three years ago to take a ‘three month sabbatical’ that I would be traveling constantly for all this time, I might not have taken that step.

(a little sidebar – I can hear the theme song for Gilligan’s Island in my head right now – “… set sail that day, For a three hour tour, a three hour tour… So this is the tale of the castaways - They're here for a long, long time, They'll have to make the best of things…)

My point is, when we follow an idea, an inspiration, a nudge of some kind, it is often the “breadcrumb” that leads us towards our fulfillment.  Many of us feel that until we have a clear plan or idea that we can’t or shouldn’t take action.  Or, that we try and anticipate all of the possible problems that could arise before we decide to take action.

I started off talking about my decision to take a Reiki class.  I was motivated by a little curiosity, and listened to that nudge.  I had no idea that it would lead me to where I am today, but all I can do is sit here in deep appreciation for all that has unfolded since I chose to take a class.

What ‘nudge” has called you lately?  Why not follow it?

A CLOSED DOOR TO POSSIBILITIES?

Do You Close the Door on Possibilities?

If you were told that it IS possible to live a rich, happy, satisfying, fulfilled life, would you believe it is true? 

Sometimes we are blocked by thoughts like: “I can’t because…”  (it would take more education and money); (I tried that, it didn’t work); (they would never agree); (when I think of that, I just shut down); (I just can’t motivate myself); and  - the most common one: “I don’t know HOW to…”

How often do we “Close the Door” on our own thoughts and ideas?  What if you have EVERYTHING necessary to be great?  To fulfill your Highest Potential?  If so, what is in the way?  Do you give up before you begin?  Are you afraid to Dream because you don’t want to be disappointed?  Or you believed someone who told you that you couldn’t succeed?

What this short video clip about some people who were told they couldn’t succeed:   WATCH VIDEO 

How are these people different from you?  The difference is that they didn’t give up and they BELIEVED!

How do you get from doubt, fear, confusion, discouragement, lack of motivation or other negative thoughts to BELIEF?

There are a number of things you can do ~

The first step is to decide you want to…

The second step is to crack open the (sometimes closed) door of your mind say, “What if it IS possible? (and, if that gremlin voice in your head tells you that it is too scary to believe it is possible, just say “Thank you for sharing” and ignore it!)

Now, the most important step it to take the leap from where you are at this moment and allow yourself to imagine your greatest dream possible!  It is best to start with one area of your life – perhaps a vision of a loving romance, or a happy family or professional success.  It is VERY important to NOT be practical at this stage.  The important part of this step is to imagine something that makes you FEEL great!  (**Some of you very practical people may find this challenging – you may find it difficult to emotionally connect to something before you see it is possible. ***  If this is your experience, then it is important to imagine something that you can emotionally get excited about.)

Remember back in childhood when you could dream and imagine anything was possible?  Perhaps you envisioned yourself as a rock star – or a fireman – or a teacher - or a mountain climber – or an artist….  As children, we are able to envision all sorts of possibilities and we never worry about whether they are feasible or realistic!

The purpose of this imagining is not to “figure out” your dream future plan or goal, it is to activate your creativity and intuition!  It is important to be playful!  It is important to connect with what makes us feel good, what delights us, brings us Joy!  The details and the “How” are not important at all – we need to connect to the wonderful feelings of excitement, enthusiasm & playfulness.

Another “clue” to finding possibilities for your future is to pay attention to activities that cause you to lose all sense of time...  

For me, it was when I was playing with clay in a ceramics class.  Three hours disappeared in a blink when my hands were in clay.  Does this mean I am “supposed” to be a ceramics artist? Not necessarily, but it is a clue for me that creative expression is a way for me to live in Joy.

The reason that it is important to imagine things that stir our emotions, is to move into a “Future of Possibilities” we need to be connected to our Passion.  If you watched the video in the link above, about people who were told they would not succeed, you will recognize the one quality they had in common: PASSION.

When we have Passion, motivation is not necessary and we don’t let the lack of resources or solutions hold us back.  With Passion, all things become possible and, even easy!

As I learned in a seminar over 25 years ago:  “When the Intention is Clear – the Mechanism (the HOW) will appear!”

 If you would like to practice and learn specific tools to creating a future that is greater than what you currently believe is possible, please join us on my upcoming FREE Tele-Class:

“Opening the Door to Possibilities”

Thursday July 5

5 pm Hawaii, 8 pm Pacific & 11 pm Eastern

Click Here to Register

RECEIVING JOYFULLY

In January 2010, I packed up my belongings, put them in storage, moved out of my house and set off for what I thought was a 6 month trip.  I expected to return to Hawaii and settle into a new home and continue with life as usual. Now, two and a half years later, I am still “Home Free” and living out of my suitcase!

I have just left England, where I attended a weekend Reiki Retreat near Glastonbury hosted by a fellow Reiki Master and friend, Melanie Hoffstead. It was a magical time, and one of the songs we sang (in an amazing Druid circle) was “Home Is Where The Heart Is”. How appropriate!

During a good part of these past two plus years, I have been living in other people's homes - sometimes as a house-sitter, other times as a house guest.  I am extremely grateful to the many people who have welcomed me into their home.  It has been a time of receiving, and learning to receive with appreciation without diminishing my sense of self when others are so generous towards me.  It helped that this gypsy life-style has been by choice, rather than feeling it was out of necessity, but isn't that simply choosing something 100% rather than feeling something is a reluctant option?

In the past, when I was the recipient of someone's generosity, it often came with a feeling of being less - Of being needy rather than capable, of being dependent on others, rather than fully capable within my own self.  I am sure many of you have had similar feelings.

Why do we feel "less" or "needy" when others give to us?  Is it because we feel they wouldn't give if we weren't in need?  Is it because we believe that if I receive, I am taking from someone else? Do I only give when I perceive someone of being needy or needing to be helped or rescued? No!  I frequently give for the joy of it, because I have blessings and abundance to share, and I especially love giving to others when they joyfully appreciate my gift, rather than being apologetic because they perceived themselves as somehow less than me.

I learned a great lesson many years ago when a client gifted me with the money to attend a Reiki Master Workshop in Uruguay.  When she offered to pay for both my trip and the workshop, I was brought to tears.  I said to her - "But, but, that is so generous!"  Her wise reply to me was "No, I don't see it as generous - you are supposed to go, and I am just the vehicle!"

What if we are all simply the "vehicles" for each other?  What if we give for the joy of it, rather than out of some sense of obligation, duty or even pity?  What if our lives are simply a dance, where we take turns leading and following, supporting and receiving - Recognizing that everything we give and receive with each other is simply all part of the Infinite Abundance of Source, and we get to be the caretaker of some of that abundance for a while.

Receiving with Gratitude and Joy is, in my opinion, the best way to say thanks, and, of course to attract continued blessings and abundance, so I am able to also "pay it forward" in my life every day.

I am so blessed by all of you who have touched my life and given your 'energy' to me - be it a smile, a meal, an encouraging word, tuition for a class, a referral, a place to stay, helped me laugh, made me cry, hugged me, or simply just listened.  I have never felt so abundant and blessed as I have these past years. A Joyful Mahalo for all of your gifts!

TRUSTING OURSELVES

I have had comments from some people close to me that I would be more effective if I trusted myself more. I thought I WAS trusting myself!

When I sat with this feedback from friends I trusted, I saw times where I looked outside of myself for validation, for answers and for confirmation, even though I thought I was pretty good at trusting myself and my intuition.

What these friends saw in me was often a reluctance to speak out and own my knowledge and perceptions. Sometimes I would offer knowledge and information, giving all the credit to others who had inspired me rather than owning the wisdom that my studies and practice had given me. I also had opinions or suggestions that I withheld. Many years ago, I had little discernment about what I said and blurted out whatever popped into my head (often with painful consequences!) Now I have perhaps swung the pendulum a little too far in the other direction.

What I perceived as thoughtful and discerning others saw as a lack of confidence or trust in myself. I also recognized an aversion to speaking my mind and later discovering I was "wrong". My pride/ego hates being wrong!

When I first began teaching Reiki, I was cautious about making specific statements about the benefits and results of Reiki. Now after over 16 years of experience, I speak quite authoritatively about the benefits of Reiki. I see this confidence in my statements as a benefit and support to my students. I think it's time to take this confidence to other areas of my life as well.

I'm ready to offer another level of leadership. This type of leadership that I am speaking of is not a controlling or dominant type of leadership but rather owning what I know and being willing to share it without hesitation. I'm also recognizing that growth, at the beginning, is sometimes uncomfortable. And I have been feeling this discomfort. As I write this, it is feeling less like discomfort and more like excitement.

In the workshops and groups I have offered on Accessing your Intuition, trusting oneself is a critical piece. Self-doubt, second guessing and being self-critical are all great obstacles to using our intuition. I have had enough positive experiences with my intuitive gifts that I rarely doubt what comes through me intuitively. I can see, however, that as I embrace a new level of confidence – “Self Trust” in my knowledge I will have much more to offer my students and clients, my Reiki community, and my friends.

How can I do this effectively? 

Ironically, if I want to be able to ‘speak out’ confidently and with self-trust, I need to listen well.

-       I have learned that the best way to listen is for me to be fully present.  To ‘take in’ what others are saying with all my senses, to not be reacting, or thinking about what I want to say in reply.

Another important thing is that I need to be willing to ask questions.

-       Instead of making assumptions, I need to be sure I understand what is being said..

-       I need to let go of my fear of looking foolish if I ask a ‘dumb’ question.

-       I also need to let go of the expectation that I am supposed to have all the answers!  I can be knowledgeable, confident and have a lot to contribute without all the ‘answers’.

-       And, sometimes, a good question is much more helpful than trying to have answers!

And a final thing I can do is to be willing to make a mistake.

-       It takes courage to ‘make a stand’, ‘take a position’, or simply to have an opinion.

-       When I am paying more attention to what I think of myself (and for myself) instead of being concerned about what others think of me, I am free to Trust Myself.

It is feeling a little "edgy" to put this in writing and to share with all of you, but I am ready to "walk my talk" and demonstrate a new level of confidence in myself. It is my hope that my willingness to do so will awaken and inspire a new level of self-trust in all of you. At this moment, I am experiencing an interesting mix of feeling vulnerable and confident at the same time…

I would love to hear how these thoughts have affected you. I welcome your e-mails.

Aloha, Maureen

SOLUTIONS vs PROBLEMS

 I have been working with the concepts of the Law of Attraction as presented in the film The Secret and the teachings of Abraham-Hicks  for a number of years.  As a result, I have experienced a dramatic increase in the quality of my life – greater Joy, more Peace, increased income, and a lot more laughter (frequently at myself!)

One of the habits I keep noticing is the tendency to be ‘problem focused”.  Many of us have been taught by society to look for the flaws or problems with the misconception that if we can find what is not ideal or perfect, we can then ‘fix’ the problem and improve ourselves and our life.

What the Law of Attraction teaches is that whatever we focus upon, we get more of.  So, if we look for what isn’t right, we get more of that!.  I notice phrases like “The problem is…” or, “Everything is good, but …”  “If only ….” 

I find myself in the habit of noticing what I want to change, instead of giving 100% of my attention (and therefore my energy) to a desired outcome. 

I can do this with my body.  Instead of noticing all the things that are great about my body and my health, such as my stamina, my strong immune system, my healthy hair, how quickly I heal, how quickly I respond to exercise  how well I sleep, my good digestion, the pleasure of my senses …. I will notice a problem.  (I will not even mention any problems here!)

I can do the same thing with compliments.  Even when I don’t say it out loud, when someone says I am good at something, my attention will automatically go to something I would like to improve!  How crazy is that?  I have to consciously remind myself to take in the compliment and acknowledge it’s validity to myself.

I believe it is very flawed thinking to diligently seek the problems to ‘fix’.  It is very contrary to the Law of Attraction.  What would happen if we just noticed and appreciated what is going well?  What if we really became aware of all of the wonderful things about ourselves and our life? 

I believe that if you hold an appreciative, positive perspective, if we became detectives working to find the good and the best in ourselves and our life, we would have such a rich, wonderful life, that any imperfections would be put in proper perspective .  Problems would work themselves out, or be resolved almost effortlessly.

Think about how you feel when you are with someone who is happy, at peace and feels great about themselves.  Don’t you feel drawn to them?  Don’t you feel like helping them out if they need something?  Doesn’t just being around them make you feel better?

What if we became one of those people?  What if life became easy and effortless because we were so full of joy?  What if this is how it is really supposed to be?

DISCIPLINE

A large number of us set New Year's Resolutions, or at least decide to start the New Year with better habits and lifestyles... Most of these intentions for improvement call for "Discipline."

In recent years, the concept of "discipline" has taken a new twist for me.  Previously, when I heard the word discipline, I would think of something unpleasant, of having to force myself to do something I don't want to do, but do it anyhow, since I believe it is good for me, or I will like the end result.

In some areas of my life, such as in my work, I have thought of myself as relatively disciplined, in the sense that if I say I will do something, it will get done.  In other areas, my 'self discipline' is inconsistent.  For example, I would decide to exercise on a regular basis and do so for a few weeks.  At some point, the activity I had planned disappears from my life.  In the past when I dieted, I would be very "disciplined" until I reached my target and then I would put the weight back on.

As I looked at this pattern, I realized that in the areas that took what I perceived as 'discipline', I had to FORCE myself to do something I didn't want to do.  For example, with dieting, I would want to eat something that was not on my diet, I would reach for it and stop myself.  I would struggle and tell myself no, that I would not like the consequences on the scale if I ate it.  With exercising, I would dread being cold as I got in the pool, or dread the tired feeling, the backache or sore muscles after my walk or workout, and I would struggle and tell myself that I would feel worse about myself for not exercising.

I came to see that with this pattern, I was expending a LOT of energy resisting myself.  It felt like I was running a marathon, just pushing myself a little further, then a little further, always with the finish line in mind.  I was willing to expend that amount of energy for a finite amount of time, but I couldn't do it indefinitely!  I couldn't run a marathon every day for the rest of my life! 

One day as I was walking, I noticed that as I felt the discomfort of being out of breath and my legs and back hurting, I would take my attention off of my body and distract myself with thoughts about a presentation I was doing.  An alarm went off inside! 

One of the things I have been working on is to stay present and connected to my feelings.  I have many ways that I used to distract myself from uncomfortable feelings such as overeating, being too busy and overwhelmed, getting caught up in drama in my life, etc.  All of them are quite effective in allowing me to disconnect from what I am feeling in the moment.  Here I was doing it while I was walking! I suddenly understood that the mechanism I used to 'discipline' myself was the same one that I have been trying to eliminate in my life!  Now what? Was I to give up the idea of having any discipline at all? (I have to admit, that was a tempting thought!)

As I was writing in my journal, I remembered an experience I had during my Bungy Jump. (yes, I did it, it was great!)  As I stood on the platform 140 feet above the river below me, I felt a very visceral fear.  I took a few deep breaths and imagined diving off of the little platform and immediately grabbed the railing and knew I wasn't ready to go.  Then my attention shifted to my memories of all the times I had been up high somewhere and dreamt of flying freely through the air.  As I focused on the desire to feel exhilaration of flying the fear disappeared.  Then I thought about diving off of the platform and the fear welled up again, then I focused on flying and the desire and exhilaration flowed through me again.  When I finally dove off of the platform, I was completely connected to my desire to fly and felt no fear at all.  Not only was it exhilarating, it was thrilling, empowering and I felt high for two days afterwards!

The significant part of this memory, was that I did not RESIST or fight my feeling of fear.  Instead, I chose to focus on my DESIRE to fly!  This took no 'discipline' on my part, and instead of distracting myself from my fear, or ignoring my discomfort, as I tended to think was necessary, for discipline, I stayed very connected to my feelings and chose to focus on my desire!

My new perspective on discipline is not to force myself to do something uncomfortable and detach from my discomfort, but rather to stay very connected to my feelings of desire for the outcome.  For example, instead of fighting my desire to eat more than my body needs and feel deprived of the pleasure of my food, I can focus on how good it feels to be light and energized without feeling hunger.  When I choose to exercise, instead of focusing on the discomfort or dread of the activity, I can focus on being in the fresh air, being present and gentle with my body and enjoying the sensuality of movement! 

So now, for me, discipline is simply a matter of focus - finding my desire in the activity and its outcome and focusing on what I can enjoy in the process!  Discipline now becomes another exercise in awareness, rather than a struggle!! What a relief!

WHAT IF?

What if life is supposed to be easy?  What if life is supposed to be joyful play, ALL the time?  What if life is supposed to be an ever-expanding adventure of creative expression?  What if the only thing stopping us from having unlimited health, wealth & prosperity is what we are thinking about and what we believe is possible?

I know, we have to make a living, pay our bills, etc.  But who said it should be difficult?  Yes, who said so? What if those people (parents, teachers, church, etc.) that taught us that we shouldn’t expect all that we desire to come to us effortlessly were mislead?  What if they were simply taught something erroneous and they passed it on?  Remember, about 500 years ago, people were taught that the world was flat!  Even a hundred years ago, who could have believed space travel, cell phones and the internet would be part of our daily life?

Take a minute to imagine what you would like life to be like - if you could create it any way you wanted?  What would you spend your days doing?  Where would you live? What would you dream of?  What would you create?  It can feel a little mind boggling if we really set no limitations on ourselves….

HMMMMM, sailing on my private chartered yacht in the Caribbean, treks to Machu Pichu in Peru and to Egypt and Greece and Italy… Spending a month in some exotic place learning the indigenous style of pottery or weaving…. Spending a few months in a Hawaiian preschool learning to speak Hawaiian fluently… scuba diving in different places all over the world…. Skydiving, learning to fly a helicopter, creating and tending a garden and then preparing meals for friends made from all the things I have grown myself… buying a piece of oceanfront property and building and designing and decorating my dream home… oh, yes, visiting with Oprah and talking story with her….

These are a just a few things that come to mind, I am sure as I continued to expand my horizons, more exciting things would bubble up.  “Maybe I could do some or one of those things…” “Of course I would have to work hard to earn the money to do all of that…”    “Unrealistic?” “ Irresponsible?” “ Selfish?”  “Indulgent?”  Those are some of the gremlin-like thoughts that can show up in reaction to dreams like these. 

Then the question came to mind:  “What is my purpose here?”

WHAT IF our purpose in life is NOT to earn a living, be a productive member of society, do good deeds?… WHAT IF our purpose in life (or even multiple lives) is NOT to learn lessons, repeating them until we get it right?…. WHAT IF our purpose in life is NOT to discover our gifts and use them in a way that benefits others?… WHAT IF our purpose in life is NOT to take care of our neighbor, make others happy, and live a moral, ‘good’ life?…. WHAT IF our purpose in life is NOT to atone or clear the Karma from past actions?… WHAT IF our purpose in life is NOT to do anything we have been told….

What if our purpose in life is to simply find ways to be joyful?  To explore and experience all that we desire?  What if the details like food, shelter and money really can take care of themselves when we live from a place of trust and faith?  We have heard things like “Ask and it is given”, “To believe is to achieve”, To think is to create” or “We are never given a desire without the means to fulfill it”?  WHAT IF THEY ARE REALLY TRUE?  What if we don’t have to DO anything to ‘earn’ or ‘deserve’ or ‘be worthy’ of anything?

I realize that for some, these are radical thoughts, but they are certainly worth exploring.  Over the years, I keep coming across this perspective and have embraced it to varying degrees.  If I hadn’t believed this philosophy to some degree, I would never have taken the ‘leap’ to become a Reiki master.

Have any of you had experiences of living from Trust and having Life work?  I’d love to hear your stories and examples – and I’d love to hear your comments if I struck a chord with you…