One of my favorite BFFs, Jeannette Maw, once said one of the strangest things.
Ho’oponopono.
At first I thought she was suppressing a burp.
Turns out Ms. Maw was describing an ancient Hawaiian teaching called Huna, and Ho’oponopono is one of its principles.
Still…..
In a nutshell, (because that’s about the extent of my understanding so far) Ho’oponopono (pronounced: ho’oponopono – yeah, I know), is all about forgiveness within the family.
It’s about bringing a family–and all of its nut-bag members–to a place of forgiveness… for all their messed-up ways.
Because, in Polynesian cultures, many believe that one’s so-called errors and the subsequent guilt can cause illness.
The way to counter the illness is to confess the error.
One who fails to confess dies.
And after the confession comes atonement.
A heartfelt request for forgiveness is made. It goes something like:
I’m sorry. Please forgive me. I love you. Thank you
This is the pono part of the deal.
Or is it the nopo?
As if I know.
But, once the confession and apology are made, the illness loses its power.
And therein lies the healing.
Ho’oponopono is all about healing.
The transgressor, a.k.a. the ding-dong, bad guy, family jerk, black sheep, num-nut … is healed.
The whole family is healed.
So, here’s what I think (I know you sooooo wanna know what I’m thinking!)…
When you put out a good vibe, you have the power to heal. Your self, your family, your world.
And it’s your job on this planet to put out a good vibe. You can’t show up to the party (your life!) and just sit in the corner (yes, I just used the party-life metaphor… deal!) and then expect everyone else to bring you cake! (In this case cake is a metaphor for joy, but it also includes actual cake. Because I definitely go to parties for the cake, which, oddly enough, is never found in the corner.)
Actually, it’s not an either or thing.
You can have your joy… and eat it too. Nah… that makes no bloody sense. But I have a feeling you know what I’m talking about.
Because you’re a freak… like me.
You love cake. And joy. And life.
And you want to do better. Be better.
You want to just Do. Be. Do. Be. Do.
Don’t worry… we’re getting there.
Now go forth and put out a good vibe, like my BFF Jeannette Maw, a master of creating good vibes. In fact she runs an entire university that teaches you how to be a good viber.
And if necessary, do some of that ho’oponopono stuff with/on/to your family.
Heal thyself, my fellow freaks!
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Guess what? I’m having a cake party! This Tuesday, May 3, 1 pm Eastern, 10 am Pacific, where we’ll moan and complain for one whole minute about the non-joys of life, then brainstorm for the remaining 59 about how to put some party (and cake) back into your life. You can even stay in your pajamas. Bring a cuppa somethin’… I’ll provide some peach upside down cake (because everything I bake ends up on the floor, upside down!).
For more deets, go here.
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