I am sitting with my deep blue Irises on this perfect spring morning and I inwardly chant: Thank you, I love you dear Irises for showing me the meaning of beauty and transcendence here on planet Earth.

Human concerns and problems are nonexistent as I continue my Ho'oponopono chant.

If an issue suddenly surfaces in the form of a memory or an actual seemingly troubling event, I continue the chant, adding: I am sorry, Please forgive me for the part I played or play in bringing this story about.

Ho'oponopono is an ancient Hawaiian healing art that teaches that by inwardly saying the phrases, I love you, Thank you, I am sorry, Please forgive me, that shared memories and mental repetitive tapes are erased.

These chants are ceaselessly repeated even in calm and peaceful times, as I sit with my Irises and love them.

The phrases are a direct method of Letting Go/Letting God. Ho'oponopono teaches that everything we see is a projection of our emotional baggage and programs or of our love and harmony.

The choice is ours: to let go, to embrace, or react and get lost in the confusion.

The challenge is: that everyone loves a story. Our earliest programming for most of us is the bedtime story. Children love these and we love to read them and tell them.

In my own life, the stories that seemingly happen such as: The doctor was mean to me; The patient is homeless; my love affair is over; she doesn't love me anymore; he loves her more than he loves me; are the same stories that happen to everyone.

New stories don't exist. They've been rehashed for hundreds and hundreds of years!

Ho'oponopono is a beautiful tool. As I inwardly chant my phrases (I love you, Thank you, Please forgive me and I am sorry) I also use Byron Katie's "The Work" to dissect my stories and grant them the freedom to be--or not to be.

I will use as an example a volatile situation that occurred in the workplace:

A provider does not respond to a call of an imminent delivery. The nurses deliver the baby and when the provider arrives, she screams at the nurses in front of the patient. The delivery was smooth, baby was healthy, and mom was very happy, indeed.

I will use the Judge-Your-Neighbor Worksheet to do "the work" for this particular story:

Inquiry: The Four Questions and Turnaround

1. Is it true?

2. Can you absolutely know that it's true?

3. How do you react when you believe that thought?

4. Who would you be without that thought? and--

Turn it around.

I. I am angry and frustrated with said provider because she screamed at me in front of the patient. She has done this on numerous occasions and we are all sick of it.

Is this true?

Yes.

Can you absolutely know that it's true?

Yes. (Well, she really doesn't do it all the time....)

How do you react when you believe that thought?

Judgmental and restricted.

Who would you be without that thought?

I'd be more relaxed and allow others the freedom to be themselves without me having to be freaked out and offended.

(Here I can see that my thoughts and beliefs are what are bringing me pain--not what anyone else does or doesn't do!!)

Turn it around: I am not angry and frustrated with this person.

I am angry and frustrated at myself because I allowed someone else's behavior ruin my day.

I may not always be totally centered and caring for my patients--How can I improve that?

II. I want (said provider) to take a communications class and get her act together.

Is this true?

Well, not necessarily true.

Who would you be without this thought?

I'd think it was funnier and could laugh at it and move on.

Turn it around.

I don't want her to take a communications class. What she does or doesn't do is her own business.

I need to take a communications class.

In fact, I want to take a communications class!

III. Said provider should get her medicines re-evaluated.

Is This true?

No, because I don't even know if she is taking any medicines.

Who would you be without this thought?

More clear, more forgiving.

Turn it around.

Said provider should not get her medicines re-evaluated.

I need to get MY medicines re-evaluated!!! (Just kidding--I don't take any medicines but if I keep going insane with these judgments, I may have to see a Doctor!!!)

IV. What do they need to do for me to be happy?

Stop screaming at nurses in front of patients.

Is this true?

No, because if this is what I base my happiness on, I will never be happy.

Why?

Because people will always be screaming at nurses in front of patients, will continue to do so, and this is the way of it.

How do I know this? Because it continues to happen. Could even happen today.

Turn it around.

She doesn't need to stop screaming at patients for me to happy.

I need to stop screaming at my self and stop thinking the world needs to change for me to be happy.

V. What do you think of said provider?

1. Not fun to be around

2. Psychologically impaired.

3. She is mean-spirited.

Is this true?

No, she's may be having a bad day.

Turn it around--

I'M not fun to be around when I judge other people.

I'm fun to be around when I don't judge other people.

I'm psychologically impaired when I judge other people.

I'm psychologically sane when I don't judge other people.

I am mean spirited when I judge other people.

I am kind when I don't judge other people.

VI. What is it I don't want to experience with this person again?

I don't ever want to be in a situation where I am screamed at in front of a patient, or screamed at ever again, under any circumstance.

Is this true?

No, I see the absurdity of this, now.

Turn it around?

I do want to be screamed at--Why? Because the reality is, people scream at each other. (And when other people scream at me, I am given the opportunity to up my Ho'oponopono practice!!)

I look forward to other people screaming at me, because I can clean, clean and erase with the tools of Ho'oponopono.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Ho'oponopono and The Work are examples of taking 100% responsibility.

Issues in the form of memory of shared human anguish arise and we clear, erase and do the the work of Inquiry.

What would you be without your story?

I know I'd be closer to spirit, closer to the infinite, and I'd be a happy person.