People believe what they need to believe and change only when it’s right for them to do so, this turning point can come at different times in people’s lives and can be triggered by all manner of personal challenges, or the belief life must have something better to offer them. When my friend Anne came into my life it’s fair to say she wasn’t overly impressed, but thankfully she didn’t give up on my ability to help her, or her belief in herself. In a relatively short time that feels like forever she has become a friend and colleague who I love and respect for her strength of character and determination to overcome personal challenges and hardship that would have destroyed a lesser person.
As much as I love Anne she will be the first to admit she is hard work at times. It’s natural for strength of character and determination to find expression in stubbornness and bloody mindedness, and when you have some less than positive beliefs to deal with it means you can end up hanging onto the very stuff you really need to let go of as your own personality works against you. What helped get you through the hard times can become problematic unless you learn to let go, but to Anne’s credit she found the courage to let go of so much and it gives me a great deal of pride and pleasure to be a small part of her story.
Transformation is a big word that’s often overused and undeserved; in Anne’s case it would struggle to accurately describe the transition taking place in her life. People mistakenly believe healing and letting go is easy but it’s not, it can be painful, stressful and messy as you work your way through the pain, suffering and hardship trying to make sense of the overwhelming heartache and confusion. Having done it myself I have the greatest respect for anyone who can find the strength and courage to go through that process, but I also have sympathy and compassion for those unable to do so. You help those you can and hope those you can’t find the right person to help them if and when they are finally ready to change.
For quite some time Anne believed in a very small but powerful word; the word is “can’t’’. Even when we don’t use the word the thought process behind it controls so much of the way we live our lives. If we believe in this word we will only attempt what we think is possible, and allow into our lives what we think we deserve, so helping someone to change and improve their lives you must first help them to see the true nature of the word “can’t’’. I never ask a student to do anything I know they can’t do, to do so would be counterproductive, damage their self-esteem and destroy what little confidence they have.
If I ask a student to do something it’s because I have already witnessed them doing it by using my intuitive guidance, so I can truthfully say to them I know you can do this because I have already seen you do it. With Anne it was her ability to write, and when I broached the subject the word can’t was used time and time again. I explained her first book already existed, I had seen it and gave her the title of it, and all she had to do is let go of the word can’t and simply grow into the reality that already exists. Knowledge and understanding expressed through practice creates ability and Anne worked through the can’t’s to such an extent this will be her fourth book in less than a year.
The thing we should remind ourselves of when we doubt our ability or self-worth is negative words like can’t didn’t exist for us until someone gives them to us and we accept them as our own and allow them to control our life. The only power the word can’t have is what we give it, without it, it becomes meaningless. To me Anne is living proof, testament to what you can achieve when you put your mind to it, believe in yourself and what you deserve, and willing to accept in life. People mistakenly believe change takes forever but it doesn’t; change is instantaneous the moment you decide to take action to support your new thoughts and beliefs. Procrastination and over thinking delays change and depletes our energy and will to change. The moment we take positive action change has taken place and we have created a new reality based on who we have decided we wish to become, in doing so the seeker has proven themselves ready and they become their own truth demonstrated.
Article by Phillip Hawkins
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A Reiki practitioner since 1999, Phillip started teaching Reiki in 2000 and using those skills and abilities he has spent the majority of the last seventeen years working with a wide range of social and educational needs including Autism and ADHD. Working with addicts dependent on alcohol and drugs, people whose lives were extremely violent and abusive, and others who had to deal with severe mental health issues. This has enabled him to work extensively in the private sector, schools, colleges, education and care in the community, the prison service and psychiatric units.
In 2016, Phillip decided to semi-retire from full-time employment to concentrate on developing his career as a published author and the setting up of his Reiki personal development programme at the Chilton Community College.
Hi Phillip,
This is an awesome article.
Thank you for sharing it out here.