President’s Day is on February 17th, Washington’s Birthday. While some states celebrate Washington’s birthday, others celebrate Lincoln’s birthday and still others celebrate the overall work of the office of the Commander in Chief. No matter what your political beliefs, you can use the principles that make a good leader to deeper your work and understanding of Ho’oponopono. No matter who is in office or what you believe, most of us can agree that compassion and honesty are two principals that an ideal leader should have. But with the ancient practice of Ho’oponopono, we can focus on first leading ourselves in order to change the world around us.

INWARD FOCUS

With Ho’oponopono, our leadership begins from within: our leadership is internal. As Dr. Hew Len famously said of his time working in a mental ward with rapists and killers, once he shifted his focus to love and compassion, and began working with Ho’oponopono principles such as phrases like I Love You, Please Forgive Me, Thank You, and I’m Sorry, his experience of those around him with all their issues, changed drastically to something more positive. So, how can we best lead others? According to Ho’oponopono, we can only change ourselves and in doing so, our experience of the world will change. Binaural beats (otherwise known as brain wave entrainment) also helps to focus the brain and bring an increased feeling of creativity to your life.

BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT

Congress consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. They were created to work together equally (at least in theory). Through our self-governing process of Ho’oponopono, we are responsible for helping all of the individual parts – hearts, minds, and souls – to work together to create the kind of life we want. Whether it’s a life of more forgiveness and love, more self-awareness, or more creativity, this ancient practice of forgiveness, especially when combined with brain wave entrainment, can place us on a more loving and clear path.

A NEW START

From Lincoln’s decision to abolish slavery to Obama’s decision to change the way we look at healthcare, at its purest form, every new elected political leader represents a chance for change, no matter what our political party. With Ho’oponopono, it is the same: with each new time that we practice it, we’re able to create a new start and a chance, however small, for change.

Photo by Phil Roeder