From my life journey thus far, I have come to understand that to be filled with JOY is a beautiful state of being where we recognize the interconnection shared with all life. It comes as a positive energy allowing one to experience BLISS, available as a gift to all humankind.

What prevents living a joyous life? It seems so evasive, especially when filled with remorse for the past, sadness for what is happing in the here and now and fear and dread for what the future brings. Sometimes life seems hard and unfair. While dealing with difficulties, is it possible to accept Joy as a gift and live a life of harmony with others? When will the gift come? When we look for answers from outside ourselves, we live in wishful thinking. It is easy to hope that something outside of ourselves will change our fearful hearts about what is happening in our families, communities, and countries worldwide. We live the effects of many uncomfortable memories and fears brought on by unhappiness, and unfairness, not only of our own but also of our ancestors. And as is so often the case. . ., it is hard to let them go. And “letting go” is exactly what needs to happen to set us free to make room for JOY.

Consider that Joy comes from the Divine, and if we are indeed a spark of that same Divine, we soon recognize why we have such strong desires to lighten our burdens, feel joyful, and be in harmony with our surroundings. Harmony needs room to grow and expand, as does Joy.  Is there a way to make room for the healing we need and fill our hearts and mind with the kind of Joy we all desire? Can we connect to the divine spark within, known as the higher self or, in other words, the essence of goodness within us all?  To feel and experience true joy and harmony, we must make room by releasing all that blocks the way. However, to remove our troubles and woes, we must take responsibility for making the change that comes from within.

I am confident that there are untold ways to break free from a burdensome life, and what I am sharing is merely one of them. It is an ancient Hawaiian traditional practice called the ‘Ho’oponopono Prayer.’ it is a prayer practice that encourages healing with simplicity and effectiveness. You may have heard of it and may already have practiced it in your life. In this tradition, the magic of letting go happens as healing from within.  It clears guilt, sadness, resentment, hopelessness, anger, and fear for the needed space, making room for JOY. It all starts with practicing four phrases or steps.

Ho’oponopono Prayer Chant

Consisting of Four Components as follows:

I love you…I’m Sorry…Please, forgive me…Thank you, I love you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJLSkopnxj0&t=133s

The spoken chant comes from the GOODNESS found in me to the GOODNESS found in you. The vocal chant is to one’s own ‘higher self.’ This prayer chant can hold magical outcomes when put into practice. It fits with any practice of faith as a means of letting go of what holds you back from experiencing peace, love and harmony in heart and soul. It is good to remember that to change or release, own it. It is easier to remove something owned than something that does not belong to us, or it continues to surface from time to time. By opening our hearts and minds to this practice, we encourage the “magical outcomes” that follow while in the pursuit of bliss. . ., our joy will expand.

The Look and Feel of Each Phrase

I love you; the first step. This first step is acknowledging your love and understanding that something more significant exists in us all. You are part of a Divine presence that will always love, appreciate, and forgive. It is the first step in opening your heart to accept all that is meant for you. This step sets the stage for a genuine meditative or mindfulness experience as you focus on what you want to achieve with the exercise.

I’m sorry; the second step. We speak to personal sorrow by apologizing to ourselves for everything in our life that brings us and others misery. It is about any wrong you have experienced, whether committed by you or done to you, including what you witnessed. If spoken from the heart energy sent to your higher self or goodness within, it will pave the way for the success of your intention to live in a Joyful state of being. Understanding and taking responsibility for your part in your misery and being courageous enough to say sorry for everything wrong in your life will make you feel better. It is important to remember that being sorry for what has happened in the past or present does not mean you are taking on guilt for things out of your control. What it means is that you are sorry for letting the negativity of those happenings have so much power and control over your life.

Please, forgive me; the third step. Once you can wholeheartedly say sorry, no matter the circumstances, it requires seeking forgiveness for everything you feel sorry for. What that forgiveness means is forgiving your part from any memories that hold power over you, keeping you captive or stuck to something that serves no purpose in your intentions and pursuit of Joy. Even if it sounds weird or feels hard to do, the process is magical once you mean what you say.

Thank you; the fourth step. This step allows gratitude to fill the void of letting go of all that has happened in your life. It expands understanding and appreciation for any learning that has occurred with past or present happenings, primarily through the prayer or chanting experience. Following this Ho’oponopono way to freedom, you need not worry about any unexpected results from someone you were asking forgiveness from in your chant. The chant, directed/intended but not spoken to a person, does not require a response from your acknowledgement other than from your heart and mind. Your gratitude will expand. With this step, we learn patience and let go of expectations from all that we have offered through our forgiveness. Most importantly, you are forgiving yourself. It is good to remember that your higher self will always forgive you, and you are sending a call out to another’s higher self that serves you in the same way.

I love you; added as part of the last step. It brings you full circle and relates to an actual demonstration of love by saying I love you to all that walks with you during this life journey. The magical power of this practice’s Ho’oponopono Prayer Chant makes you stronger and provides the means to face all that comes to you in your life journey. Knowing the forgiveness granted by your higher self clears the way for harmony in your heart and mind. It matters not whether repeated as a request to the goodness in all humanity or chanted to your divine nature.

There is not a single human being on this planet that does not or has not made a life-altering mistake, either knowingly or unknowingly. Once taking the courage to see, take responsibility and seek forgiveness, the heart opens, lessening one’s burdens. Happiness and joy replace misery and grudges. Letting go allows openness to good and strengthens our ability to appreciate everyone that attends us on our journey.

One’s life journey is more than a solitary one. As you move forward with the forgiveness offered from this prayer chant, you will find that all bad memories associated with your past and present will slowly ebb away from your mind and heart. Following this prayer tradition in your life during trying times will build and strengthen your faith and courage to accept and face whatever comes your way. This prayer chant opens doors to make room for feeling and living in joy. I love you; I am sorry; please forgive me, and I love you. Bless every one of you. Namaste, dear readers.