HOW TO BE LIKE THE FOREST

If you leave a forest alone to do its thing, that forest will continue an endless process of growth and creation. Now, there might be infighting among species: Animals may eat other ani-mals, diseases might infect some of the plant life, seasons will come and go, and there may be a brush fire or drought. But, left to its own devices, the overall direction of that forest will always be moving toward growth and creation—this is the energy of Nature. That which moves the tides, spins the Earth, grows the trees, shines the sun, and beats your heart is made of this same energy, and it pervades everything that exists.
My spiritual path is Shamanism and to align with the indigenous wisdom of
the shamans is to revere Nature. The reason anyone would revere something is because they are inspired by it and they want to align with it and emulate it, because it has something to teach them.
Nature’s immeasurable interconnectivity, holism and its constant expression of growth show us who we are. In Nature, there is no separation; everything is connected and working together, and if it is a cooperative and connected universe, then that means that we are each an inextricable part of that interdependence.
The underlying intention of Nature is love. Why would the forest always move in the di-rection of growth and creation other than its loving and joyful intention to experience more of itself? So, in order for us to emulate the forest, we must allow ourselves to want with abandon, to say “yes” to our own growth, and to organize the choices we make and the actions we take in such a way that we always include love’s perspective—the forest always reaches toward the sun, opens to the rain, extends itself downward into the soil, and grasps toward life however it can; it never turns on itself or denies itself what it yearns for or what is good for it, and if we want to be
like the forest (as any Shaman would), then neither should we.
According to Huna, the ancient spiritual philosophy of the Hawaiian shamans, there are seven principles that we follow that can help us to create lives that are in align with the power of Nature. I will briefly describe
each principle below. Bring to mind something that you would like to manifest or create, and then meditate on the Huna principles and the questions provided.
1. Your thoughts create your world. This principle is not just saying that the way you think about the world will reflect your personal experience of the world, it is also stating that the world itself will energetically and physically shift, based on how you think about it. If our thoughts co-create your reality, what are your habitual thoughts and beliefs about what it is that you want to manifest?
2. Limitlessness is the true nature of reality.
This principle teaches that you are actually connecting to everything, and that absolutely anything is possible if you can figure out how to do it. If there are no limits, then what impedes your freedom to create whatever it is that you want—fear, doubt, cynicism, stress, financial concerns, rules, or social constructs?
3. Our attention attracts creative energy.
This principle explains that whatever we give our focus and attention to will elicit the energies of the universe that manifest physical reality. If creative energy responds to what you focus on, are you giving enough of focus and attention to what you want to create?
4. The only place to access power is in theNow.
This principle reminds us that because the past is dead and buried, and the
future is not yet born, we can only actually do anything right now. If the now is only place to access power, what behaviors, thoughts and habits take
you away from the present moment?
5. Love is the creation of happiness.
This principle tells us that when we include love’s perspective in our choices, the result is always joy.
If love is the essence of creation itself, then how can you increase love and
happiness in your creative process?
6. Your personal power is divine power.
We exist in an infinitely powerful universe, and that powerful infinitude converges at the point that called “you.” If all the power of the universe is within you,do you have the self-esteem and the personal will and the faith that can support what you want to create?
7. If it works, then its true.
Effectiveness is the only measure of truth. If what is true is measured only by results, then do you need to adjust your process or be more creative or flexible in order to create what you want?