# 529: BOOK OF THE WEEK — “Mastering Your Hidden Self.”
Story behind the Book Choice
This week was a speed way to the future as far as my personal revelations are concerned. Still, I did not rush to finish reading this book. It was recommended to me by a dear friend who has never really become a friend to me. But he is in my heart and will be, no matter how he feels about it. Our encounter was magical in a way and I learned a lot from him, even though we will probably never work together. I do not think that is because we are so different. The opposite is true. We are very similar and our purpose in life might be very similar as well. Still, for the time being, the only thing “I have” of him is this book which I ordered following our first long conversation only a little while ago. And that day, I also encountered a few other books in his shelves that I will read soon. They mostly deal with the incredible abilities or rather “spiritual” nature of animals.
Actually, animals are becoming more and more important in my life. I somehow feel as if I have learned “enough” from and about human beings. And now the time has come to dive deeper into animal nature. Of course, such a statement is stupid. You cannot compare and judge humans and animals and there is never an “enough” to learning about other human beinigs. But it is in the nature of human beings to compare whenever trying to make sense of the world. And the point for me is, and that is the most important bond between my dear friend C. and me, that we have a special connection to animals. And that is also the link to the “Huna Way.” Huna is fundamentally about energy if you want to sum it up in a sentence. It is not a religion, it is not dogma, it is not a therapy — it is “wisdom” conveyed in a language that is not easy to study or to decipher. But a few people have studied it to an extent that they can pass it on to us in books like this one.
Well, actually, when it comes to “spiritual practices” or “life wisdom,” I have never been a fan of “just reading a book” about it. One needs to go to the source and experience it. Books are signposts — not more, not less. And it always depends on your position in life what exactly a book can do for you. I am not talking about “prior knowledge” or so. That would mean that you need something in order to make sense of something else. But Huna is not about sensemaking at all. I am just saying that what you read in this book might be more easily accessible to you if you have generally thought about life energy before and if you are open to believing that it does not take any particular God or superhuman being to influence your course of life.
The nice thing about Huna is that it does not oppose any “traditional” belief systems. This is also what the author states at the outset. Rather, you can use it as a complimentary “path” to achieving whatever “a happy and meaningful life” is to you. Actually, if you just rely on Huna, you do not necessarily need any other “belief.” Still, all I am saying is that you can combine Huna with whatever else you believe in as long as you are willing to not only THINK but FEEL and EXPLORE what being human and alive is all about outside the boundaries of some books or smart talks delivered by religious or other authorities.
All I can do today is give you glimpses of Huna and my reflections.
For more, you can go online and read more and watch more.
Or you travel to Hawaii,
Or you find a master.
Whatever you do — it is about practice.
And the book is sufficient to get you started.
It is not about relying on others to “help” you with it.
It is about you doing something with it.
- Growth
Growth has become a household buzzword nowadays. Hardly any company leaves out that word when they post job ads. And, of course, it is up to every individual to define whatever that means to him/her. The definition for the Huna way here is one that I deeply agree with. That is my definition of growth. And my personal “belief” is that this is the natural state of living beings. They (consciously or unconsciously) strive towards “achieving” these things — awareness, skills, happiness. So, what society and most workplaces do to us is actually untrain us to pursue these things or even actively inhibit our growth. That is also why the Huna way might become more popular in “the West,” as applies to all other “spiritual movements” outside conventional Christianity and mainstream religion. People want to grow again, not be kept in intellectual and emotional prisons.
That is part of what makes me work and live.
“Spirituality” is about awareness. That is also what “enlightenment” means if you look at A Course in Miracles and other teachings, including Buddhism. Enlightenment means a sudden shift of consciousness. You start seeing and “understanding” things in a completely different way. Maybe someone was evil in your view as long as you can think of him/her and all of a sudden, you see that person from a completely new perspective; one that is not so evil at all. And that also means you see yourself in a new light. And such a realization is irreversible and it affects your entire life and your future decisions. This is also in line with psychology, by the way, you do not have to keep it in the “spiritual or esoteric” compartment of your brain. In any case, awareness is key. And awareness also is the key to grasping your emotions and everything else your body does in response to thoughts.
2. Purpose
I will forever be thankful to my friend for the book suggestion not only because of the content in general and because of unfolding core “principles” of Huna to me. The most important thing that happened for me while I was reading it was that my “purpose” suddenly became clear(er). That means: I became aware of it — it has been there with me all my life already. A purpose is nothing that you completely create. I strongly believe that we are all born with a certain “calling,” something to do with our unique being. But life shapes this calling in a special way and it is up to us what we do with this calling. It is also up to us if we want to “explore” it and “name” it and “accept” it and live it.
I want to do all these things.
This is my decision.
I did not always make this decision consciously in the past.
But I consciously affirm it today.
And Huna teaches you that your energy flows much easier if your rational consciousness and all other parts that constitute your “self” (subconscious and super conscious, among other elements) are in line and swinging at the same tune. Hence, I am happy that I start seeing and feeling my purpose clearer. One might say that I have been struggling to see it for a long time but I also trusted that I might see it when the time has come. And I do see how the dots connect now. All I have been doing in the past is “lead people to freedom” in many different ways and roles, whereby freedom is defined by the individual. These roles might seem completely chaotic to some people but for me, they make sense now. And it also makes sense that I have to drop some roles once in a while because they inhibit my freedom. And unless this lack of freedom is helpful for my purpose of setting others free, I will have to break the chains once in a while…
3. True Self
This Sufi story does not require many more words. The message is very clear. And I do believe that it describes the state of humanity at this point very accurately. Most people in the “West” have unlearned what it means to be happy and “truly themselves.” They have money, they have houses, they have jobs but they have very little happiness and even less energy flowing through their bodies. It does not take any scientific measurement to be able to state this. You can feel it if you are aware enough. All human beings have that innate sensory ability but, again, we have unlearned to use it and who knows — maybe our DNA and our human setup will completely lose that ability to sense and control energy in the long run. I do not know.
What I know is that it takes human beings like the ones in the Sufi story to lead people “back” to the original state of being. Not all people will join and that is totally fine. Above all, Huna is about making conscious decisions and materializing your thoughts. But my hope is that people who have learned to increase their energy level by practicing Huna and other traditional “paths” will inspire others. Inspiration means triggering other souls to start walking a different path than before. For me, this path leads towards freedom — whatever this means to every individual. As long as some people are willing to “swim” again, there is hope that happiness and love do not become relics of old dictionaries…
Reflection Questions
1) How do you define “growth”? Which images do you associate with the concept?
2) What is your (higher) purpose in life? Have you ever thought about this before? In how far would knowing this purpose make a difference to your daily life?
3) Are there moments in your life when you feel as if your “true self” is hidden?