forgiveness...

If you have ever been to a retreat center, you will observe that the intention in most peoples’ experience is change. They come to change something in their life. It may be that they come to change their whole way of being into a more authentic self – as I witnessed with many women and a few men with a yoga teacher training just last week. It may be to fully immerse yourself in this lifestyle by running from something and living here off the land as many locals do.  It may be to serve as the volunteers, staff, sabbatical and tradespeople do here – in a whole new way, in a very special place. It may be just to change their scenery – to open up their world to the beautiful jungle of life here and to press their face into the ocean as it breaks against this black lava cliff shore.

Whatever the reason, this is what people do here. The constant is change. It is flux. It is the way of the world. And it is so amazing to be an observer, here, to see this change. I see people stand in lines when they get here, finger poking away at their iPhones, cursing their magical device for “not working”, not even noticing the flower, gecko, coconut that is watching them. I see them leave a week later with a whole new face (yes, you can SO see it on people’s faces!), a whole new beam of light that is so excited to get out and share itself with the world. I am not always the observer, but when I am, it is bliss.

I will share an experience from today. I ran the amazing technology behind a webinar that allowed a wonderful kahuna, Harry Jim, share the beautiful Hawaiian practice of Ho’oponopono with physically, temporarily sick people around the U.S.  Broadcast live from the beautiful EMAX performance studio set steps away from the Pacific Ocean, Harry spread a message of forgiveness to those sitting thousands of miles away, in front of computer screens in their homes. He said many things, he helped us breathe better with a lovely chant, he sent Aloha through the wires of the computers, cables, undersea fiber lines, data centers, and wireless connections. But through my perception, through my experience, something really landed. He said.

“There are two types of forgiveness:

Now, or Later.”

Just those simple, imperfect words have so much in them. They trigger so much in so many experiences or things we have been holding on to, or just feelings alone. He said it again,

“There are two types of forgiveness

Now

Or, Later.

Which are you choosing?”