Thanks Giving

Dr. Hew Len walked into a high security mental hospital for the criminally insane and discovered there were three or four attacks on inmates or staff each day. The energy was angry and oppressive. The majority of the 30 patients were shackled, put into seclusion or restricted to the ward. Both doctors and nursed walked with their backs to the walls for the fear of being attacked. This was a scary place. And yet, without out seeing a single patient face to face for therapy and armed with just a bit more than genuine grace and gratitude, within months there were no more shackles, there was no more seclusion and patients and staff were working together, playing sports and the fear lifted? (Read the story in Joe Vitale’s book Zero Limits) Gratitude, thanks giving is a mighty warrior. When asked, Dr Len said, “I had to take complete responsibility for the problems outside myself and replace all negative thoughts with love.” I know, I know…this sounds entirely too therapisty and new agey. The problem is, however, it happens to be true. Let me give you an example: The other day before my seminar, I realized I needed ice for the guests so I grabbed my wallet and my keys and I ran to the store. I got the ice and returned home and as I was pulling in my driveway, I realized I left my wallet in the basket. Immediately, my heart started to pound remembering months it took clearing the mess from the last time my wallet was stolen, and I thought, Oh god, I am going to have my identity and credit cards stolen again. The anxiety kept coming until I backed up and started pulling out of the driveway to return to the store. Then it hit me, in one exasperating deep breath, that I was creating this reality and it was all my stuff. So, I started using Dr Len’s process and said, over and over all the way back to the store, I love you, I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you. I realized I was projecting my own fear on to the situation and I was genuinely sorry for putting that on anyone and I was truly grateful that this circumstance had given the opportunity to heal another place inside of me that felt vulnerable and at risk. I walked into the store, asked if anyone had turned a wallet in and the clerk said, “Yes, right after you left a young man brought it in.” I vaguely remembered a shabbily dressed young man at the door when I left and hoped I had not felt any judgment about him the first time I saw him. I asked if he was there so I could thank him and she replied that he had left. I didn’t even check the wallet because I intuitively knew everything was still safely inside. This simple Hawaiian ritual/teaching is called Ho’oponopono,