The Secret To Happiness
Many of us wish that we could be happier...
...but many of those wishes are left unfulfilled.
In my experience, it seems that many people continue to suffer, despite their best efforts.
As a result, people tend to think that they need to "try harder" or "push through it", when this is actually far from the truth...
Some even go so far as to believe that they are not born to be happy and seclude themselves from others as a result of their pain.
However, there are ways to be happy and to transform suffering into happiness and joy.
What I've learned from practicing Reiki all these years is that we have to first acknowledge our pain before we can heal it.
You have to admit that it exists in order to transform that negative energy into positive light.
It sounds so simple...but when I say this to others, I always receive a blank look as though it is impossible.
But think about your suffering and pain like fear.
The more you try to escape your fear, the more power it has over you.
However, the moment that you define that fear and acknowledge that it exists...
...its power begins to diminish in strength.
Likewise, when you see that your suffering and pain exist and seek to understand it before removing it, you absolve its terrible power in your life.
This transformative process is indicative of change...and can be used to turn physical pain into spiritual joy.
This truth took me a long time to uncover, but once I did, it was as though the burden of life had lifted off of my shoulders.
I began to live life in a way that was much more attune and aware of myself.
I transformed the negative, murky energy into compassionate energy that I could send to my friends, family, and other loved ones.
And today, I want to share that process with you.
In this blog post, I'm going to share these insights with you so that you can live a happier, more peaceful life.
This way, you can begin the process of healing your wounds, trauma, and suffering...and start to live a more compassionate life full of energy.
The first step, as always, is acknowledgement.
Acceptance
One of the harshest, but most liberating truths that we need to accept is that there is no happiness without suffering.
Reiki teaches us that despite our best efforts, things happen.
The worst we can do is try to escape and avoid it, because that creates more pain and suffering.
Healing requires that we acknowledge the pain be there.
Think of it like having a cut on your finger.
If you try to look away and escape from it, you will continue to bleed.
But if you see that it's there and begin the healing process by putting a band-aid on it, then you are already taking the power of the pain away.
Our emotional, spiritual, and other physical pains are no different.
To ignore our problems is to cause them to grow - therefore, the only way out of suffering is to go deeper in.
This may sound scary and frightful to some, but I encourage you to try the following process:
Think of something non-physical that you are lightly afraid of. This could be being late, talking to new people, public speaking, etc.
Whatever it is, imagine yourself to be in a position where, despite your best efforts, your fear comes true.
Now, say to yourself aloud, "my fear is that (insert your fear here), and that I will be helpless in that situation."
Take a moment to think about what you just said.
If you're like me, you tend to think to the immediate worst that can happen.
However, once you say it aloud, that fear becomes slightly less powerful.
It is here that we can see how acknowledgement and acceptance is the first step towards building a stronger orientation towards happiness.
Use this practice as often as you'd like for different fears or pains that you may have.
Experiment with how you define your fears and pains until they no longer overtake your life as they once did before.
The more you acknowledge your fear or pain or trauma, the more likely you are to heal faster and feel better.
The next step towards healing is creating an attitude of gratitude...
Gratitude
If you're familiar with the Reiki Principles, you know that appreciation and gratitude are held in the highest regard.
In fact, Dr. Mikao Usui would emphasize this feeling in his lectures with his students, as he found gratitude to be a fundamental pillar of Reiki.
Whether you are facing emotional trauma, the burden of anger, or despair of sadness...
...the fact is that you cannot be experiencing any of these things when you operate from an attitude of gratitude.
In one example, it is near impossible to be angry and thankful at the same time.
Operating from gratitude is a difficult practice (especially if you have a long history of pain and trauma)...but one that will permeate your entire life if you allow it to.
It will help you balance your Chakras...
It will help you gain the life that you truly want to live...
And it will help you create the life that you've always dreamed of.
However, I know that it can be difficult for many people who haven't practiced this before.
Below, I'm going to show you a few different techniques that you can use to begin this process of healing that have worked for me and my students.
These are my 'bang for the buck' practices that, if done correctly, will help you carve the way to happiness.
Don't read too deeply into them, and practice them everyday in order to make the most out of them.
Recite The Reiki Principles
The Reiki Principles are the simplest tool I use to re-affirm my mission on this Earth and create an attitude of appreciation.
If you're unfamiliar with the Reiki Principles, they are (in no particular order):
- Just for today, I will not worry.
- Just for today, I will not be angry.
- Just for today, I will be grateful.
- Just for today, I will do my work honestly.
- Just for today, I will be kind to every living thing.
Of these five principles, I want to emphasize the 3rd principle because of how crucial it is to our happiness.
It is from here that all of the other Reiki Principles emerged...
...and so, as a practice, I generally emphasize my tone when I recite the Reiki Principles.
Start simply by reciting the principles in the morning and in the evening.
In my experience, reciting them with conviction has led to the best results, and I encourage you to do the same.
You can recite them as many times as you'd like until you internalize the meaning.
I often write them down repeatedly in my notebooks or on my computer to remind me to be grateful, neither worry nor be angry, and be kind and honest.
It's one of the simplest practices...
...but one of the most effective as well.
I've seen people write this technique off because it's so simple - but I encourage you to start simple before you move onto more complex practices.
This has led me to be more happy than I've ever been, even though negative energy and people often try to come into my life.
After you have recited the Reiki Principles, I'll show you one of my favorite techniques that I teach my students...
Transformative Meditation
This particular type of meditation creates an atmosphere where you can turn negative energy into medicine for your energy, spirit, and body.
In other words, you'll be able to transform stagnant, dark, and muddy energy blockages into positive energetic flow.
To perform this meditation, all you need to be able to do as a prerequisite is sit and breathe.
Start by sitting in a chair, bench or couch.
Tilt your head upwards toward the sky, ceiling, or whatever it is above you.
Breathe through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
With each passing breath, say the name of the thing that is causing you pain.
It could be your weight, your relationships, or even just the way you feel.
Say its name in the most compassionate way that you can.
It may take a while to not react defensively or out of pain...
...but in this way, you'll be able to identify what is causing the stress at a more precise level.
One you acknowledge the thing that is causing you pain, start to say what you are thankful for aloud.
This could be God, the food you had in the morning, the feeling of air on your face - whatever it is, I suggest that you keep it simple.
Open your eyes and notice your feeling.
If you don't feel any noticeable changes, try again on a different day to give your energetic system time to recharge.
Dave Nelson is the creator of Reiki Infinite Healer. Over the last 4 years Dave and his team have helped hundreds of thousands of people improve their wellbeing, recover from illness, connect with their spiritual selves, and learn to heal with the amazing art of Reiki. Dave is a highly sought after healer and teacher, who's work has impacted the lives, health and relationships of individuals and their families in over 200 different countries.
