A little over a year and a half ago I moved to Maui as a result of some strong guidance that I received from Spirit. Living in Hawaii has helped me to deepen my understanding of myself as a Spiritual being. In some ways I feel like I was sent to Maui to be put back in a Kindergarten class spiritually so I can grow. I thought I knew so much when I was in Santa Cruz only to discover that my ego was holding to old beliefs, and afraid to die. I have discovered many spiritual teachings that have come to life here on Maui. I am continually amazed at the depth of character of the people I meet here.
One of the main lessons in my Kindergarten class on Maui is to have fun. Now this has not been easy for a work-a-holic type “A” personality like me. I came here with my hard driving, intense marketing strategy only to find out that advertising deadlines are flexible and many great events happen spontaneously rather than being planned. There seems to be a prevalent theme of “trust the flow” that runs through the society here. I stood out from the laid-back easy going residents who have allowed the island life to soften them and slow them down. Having fun is a large priority here on Maui in the “New Thought” community. There is an attitude of “let it be easy and effortless” People take time to snorkel, sail, hike, play and visit together. This philosophy of taking time to do have fun is based on the idea that if you are having fun then you are living more fully in the present moment and are creating Heaven on Earth right now.
A quote from Meredith Young’s book of Angelic Messages says that “…to experience life as a living prayer and each moment as an affirmation of the blessings received…”. This quote describes my new focus on Maui. One of the ways that I live this prayer and have more fun is expressed in the fact that almost every morning I get up and walk on the beach and at sunset I walk there again. I take this time to connect with the healing and rejuvenating energy of Mother Maui. I breathe in the fresh clean air and I am bathed with the warm ocean breeze. I “set my intention” for the day to be a clear channel of love and light. I then ask myself how I am feeling and assess my inner emotional state in terms of objectively looking at myself and noting if I feel aligned with my spirit (which would be indicated by my feeling content) or if I am stuck in some emotional baggage. If I do notice that I feel sad or hurt or lonely I give that emotion time to express then I focus on a positive thought to lift my vibration. This thought could be anything from appreciating the beauty and magnificence of being in paradise to feeling a loving connection with friends. I could even feel gratitude for the lesson I am learning that the pain is showing me. The key is to change my thoughts so I am not a victim of my emotions.
When I lived on the mainland I never really valued feeling good or happy. I was happy enough but life seemed like a struggle on many levels. I was more focused on just allowing whatever feelings that come up to come up and to not resist them or attach myself to them. I accepted that we all have our ups and downs and that it is the ego’s way of playing in this illusion called life. I never imagined that happiness could be a goal or result of spiritual practice. I always assumed wanting to know and experience peace was enough. To be free of attachment and aversion seemed like a lofty goal. However, being on Maui has changed my perception. I have met so many truly happy and content people here that I have begun to believe that I too can develop this ability of being happy. The key seems to be in opening to the moment and being the guardian of my thoughts and trusting the process of life.
Another lesson in my Kindergarten class of life here on Maui is to “let things be easy.” I know this sounds simple but it is actually quite an astonishing feat to accomplish in day to day life. I have had to learn to laugh at myself more and take most things less seriously to even begin to live this. Opening to the flow and ease in the Universe is teaching me to relax and trust that good will come. Sometimes I have to trust in the good even when I can’t quite see it or feel it yet. As I relax more and believe in the natural process of life to bring me what I need, I am surprised at the exciting results. For example, I was wondering about the possibility of having my own radio show when I received a call the next day from the local talk radio station where I had been a guest many times. The announcer said that another woman had just decided to start a show and was looking for someone to share it with. I got in touch with this person and we met together and gave birth to a new radio program called “Mind, Body Spirit Maui”. It all happened so easily and effortlessly that I was quite delighted.. I have often felt an expansiveness and deep connection to peacefulness in my daily practice and now I am feeling it more in my day to day activities. My trust In Spirit has deepened as I allow things to be easy. One of the benefits of giving up so much of the struggle is that I have more energy available for life. I feel I am living a fuller more satisfying life than ever before.
