Every act is either an expression of love, or a call for love.

Our February-March “Relationships” Issue headline comes straight from A Course in Miracles (ACIM). A delightful sign of things to come, I had selected this message before I knew Andrea & I would be attending Alan Cohen’s workshop, Miracles in Paradise, on the Big Island of Hawai’i.

Most of you know Alan as a regular (and favorite) contributor to CREATIONS MAGAZINE. Internationally, Alan is known as a bestselling author of many books, including A Course in Miracles Made Easy, Mastering the Journey from Fear to Love. He is also ACIM student and teacher for over 30 years, and hosts a weekly radio show on HayHouseRadio.com.

Alan explains that “A Course in Miracles is a self-study spiritual-thought system that teaches the way to inner peace and healing through the power of love and forgiveness. Themes include the importance of choosing love over fear, the power of the mind, and withdrawing the authority we have attributed to external sources.”

As spiritual beings (we are not our bodies), we all possess the power to transform any circumstance. We have the ability to create an entirely different outcome when we approach a situation from a state of love, rather than reacting from fear. Miracles are simply the natural outcome of choosing love.

The Introduction to the Course states The opposite of love is fear, but what is all encompassing can have no opposite. This Course can therefore be summed up in this way: Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God.

While universal principles are relatively simple, grappling with the lessons can often be daunting. Alan, however, renders the Course spiritually accessible, utilizing reallife applications.

For Andrea & me, Alan’s experiential (emphasis on “experiential”) workshop was a gift of a lifetime. The Hawaiian Aloha Spirit is a gift to the world. Aloha is used similarly as Namaste and Shalom. So much more than “hello” and “goodbye” aloha expresses peace, compassion, affection, connection, etc.

We stayed just 10 days, and visited only the Big Island, but my initial take-away is that Hawai’i is American predominantly in name only — the culture, the language, and the vibe are distinctly their own. Hawaiians embrace a deep connection to everyone and everything, revering their ancestors and holding the land sacred. The “contiguous 48” could do well to embracie a bit of aloha.

The power of forgiveness is a cornerstone of both Hawaiian culture and the Course. Ho’oponopono is an ancient and extremely powerful Hawaiian transformation and healing concept. Pono is to “make right.” I heard Alan say, “You can’t bury the hatchet, only to remember where you buried it.” You’d be “digging” up past hurts, forever recycling the anger and pain. To forgive and never forget, is to never forgive in the first place. Holding onto negativity prevents true forgiveness. Ho’oponopono is to make doubly right. First, you ask for forgiveness. Second, is for the other person to give forgiveness. For an in-depth explanation of this concept, please read Forgiveness Hawaiian Style in our December-January 2010 Issue.

We close our Relationships “Talk” courtesy of the Course: The purpose of all relationships is to make you happy. Appreciate and celebrate everyone, for they are lovable, as you are.

May the Course be with you,,
Neil and Andrea

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