I love you. I am sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you.
I first encountered these phrases together at the end of a fascinating book called The Source Field Investigations: The Hidden Science and Lost Civilisations Behind the 2012 Prophecies by David Wilcock. He ends the book with:
We create the Golden Age ourselves—beginning in our own lives—and the rewards are almost beyond imagination. By moving through the self-hatred and fear to reach that hard-earned place of acceptance and forgiveness—of both self and others—we heal the world: I love you. I am sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you.
Interestingly, these words ended a book very focused on advanced, hidden science; yet, David Wilcock clearly appreciated the relationship between consciousness and technology—as did the lost civilizations he investigated. The four ending phrases puzzled me until I recalled an earlier chapter and returned to this section of it for clarification:
~ Chapter 5: Heal the World by Healing Yourself | page 95 | location 1596
The Source Field Investigations: The Hidden Science and Lost Civilisations Behind the 2012 Prophecies
by David Wilcock
Dr. Hew Len, a Hawaiian psychiatrist, discovered a similar technique that could substantially increase health and happiness in the psychiatric ward he managed. It didn’t start out very well: “The ward where they kept the criminally insane was dangerous. Psychologists quit on a monthly basis. The staff called in sick a lot or simply quit. People would walk through that ward with their backs against the wall, afraid of being attacked by patients.” Dr. Len’s job allowed him to be completely isolated from the ward—he reviewed patiences’ case files to prescribe medication and/or treatment plans with the staff. Nonetheless, by simply holding each patient’s file in his hand and practicing the “Ho’oponopono” technique we are about to discover, he got results.
After a few months, patients that had to be shackled were being allowed to walk freely…. Others who had to be heavily medicated were getting off their medications. And those who had no chance of ever being released were being freed…. Not only that…but the staff began to enjoy coming to work. Absenteeism and turnover disappeared. We ended up with more staff than we needed because patients were being released, and all the staff was showing up to work. Today, the ward is closed.
What exactly was Dr. Len doing while he reviewed each patient’s file? He simply took on their pains and problems as if they were his own, and worked on healing those issues within himself: “I just kept saying ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘I love you’ over and over again.” Dr. Len was practicing his own variation of a Hawaiian spiritual practice called Ho’oponopono. Dr. Len recommends going inside, to wherever you feel hurt by a particular person or issue, and then saying each of these four statements with as much feeling as possible—thinking through the real reasons why you genuinely feel this way: “I love you. I am sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you.” That’s all it takes. You heal the other person by healing yourself—and this apparently works because in the greater sense, you are both sharing the same Mind.
I forgot about Ho’oponopono until the 2020 pandemic-enforced isolation when it came to my attention again through self-empowerment author, Joe Vitale. During that time, as mentioned in my Finding Thrivival post, I signed up for more free or almost-free online courses than I could possibly complete, including spontaneously purchasing the introductory and advanced Ho’oponopono courses. The courses consisted of recordings of in-person Ho’oponopono courses that Joe Vitale facilitated and Dr. Len taught. Through these videos, Dr. Len became my quasi-personal Ho’oponopono guide and mentor. He taught his practice of the traditional Hawaiian Ho’oponopono teaching, in addition to many interesting practices to complement it.
The core Ho’oponopono practice requires understanding our true, multi-dimensional nature, ‘i am that I AM,’ which I explore in my I AM Series. My conscious mind, ‘i am’ is controlled and limited by all of ‘that and that and that’ data—an accumulation of memories held in both the conscious and, more importantly, in the subconscious mind; that data influences and forms my thoughts far more than I am consciously aware; my thoughts literally manifest my physical reality—everything that I see in the circumstances around me. Therefore, if I want to change my circumstances, I need to recognize that:
- I own the data.
- The data creates my physical reality.
- I have the power to change, or to clear, that data.
How do I change or ‘clear’ the data? In Dr. Len’s terms, I ‘clean it’—like mental housekeeping. I simply repeat, while truly focusing on and feeling these statements: I love you. I’m sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you.
Through the pandemic, I’ve found this cleaning method key to remaining calm in the face of so many negative messages—when I’ve remembered to use it, of course, which is always the challenge! Sometimes we get so caught up in the effect, that we lose sight of the cause—we forget that our outer circumstances are a reflection of our inner thoughts. Remembering that we have power over the cause is key. Then, we simply ‘clean’ it. So, when Dr. Len was asked if he still watches the news, he responded, “I watch it all; I just clean it.”
Of course, this idea is by no means new. It’s stated in the Biblical Old Testament:
“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” ~ Proverbs 23:7
In 1903, British author, James Allen, published the book As a Man Thinketh, based on his understanding of this concept. He states:
“A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.”
In 1937, Napoleon Hill published the classic self-success book, Think and Grow Rich, based on it. In 2006, Rhonda Byrne published the book, The Secret, which repopularized it as ‘The Law of Attraction’ and Joe Vitale was featured in the movie spun from that book. All of these books were stops in my quest to understand the nature of reality; I explored them in various posts, including As a Woman Thinketh and Let Me Tell You a Secret. But, Dr. Len’s ho’oponopono practice helped me to internalize it with these simple phrases:
I love you. I’m sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you.
They helped me to take responsibility for the reality I have manifested while also releasing any guilt associated with not liking the result. My eldest asked me, “who are you talking to when you say it?” They resisted the idea that we need to ask God’s forgiveness. I pondered it and realized that it’s actually an internal dialogue—it’s self-forgiveness. I envision myself as a young child—small and thin—feeling vulnerable and misplaced. I repeat the words to this child—to myself—my inner child who still carries the wounds of disregard.
When I ‘clean,’ I forgive myself for the choices I wish I hadn’t made. I recognize that focusing on a divisive perspective has created a crisis of separation—a playing out of fear and trauma-based energies. I take personal responsibility for the unique and individualized timeline I have manifested. I forgive myself for creating a chaotic reality for I knew not what I did. Now, I know better and I ‘clean’ it. Now, I change focus. Instead, I choose visionary activism.
Ho’oponopono Meditation
When I incorporate Ho’oponopono into a meditation, I envision a ferris wheel ride that takes me around the spiral of a torus. I follow this fluid, 7-step sequence, with these words and visions as the ferris wheel takes me backward, up, and around in a counter-clockwise circle:
- I love you
Conscious awareness in the physical.
I envision getting on the ferris wheel; it moves counter-clockwise, taking me backward, on a course I cannot see, and I rise up into the air. - I’m sorry
Sub-Conscious awareness in the meta-physical.
Acknowledgement: I forgive myself for the choices I wish I had not made.
The ferris wheel pauses around the top of the spiral; my inner child joins me for the ride and I put my arm around them gently. Together, we look ahead as the ferris wheel follows the spiral down into the centre of the torus. - I LOVE YOU
Re-integration with Divine Source.
We arrive at the Zero Point—the Void—and pause to sit in complete calmness, stillness, neutrality. We breathe it in. Freedom lives here.
Then, the ferris wheel continues down, around the spiral. - Please forgive me
Release through spiritual alchemy: we experience complete transmutation of all trauma. We accept forgiveness for the choices we have not made.
The ferris wheel continues around the spiral. - I love you
Super-Conscious.
Re-Integration: my inner child reintegrates with me.
I begin entry back into physical, pregnant with possibilities.
The ferris wheel continues. - Thank you
Re-Birth: Gratitude and acceptance. I feel gratitude for the journey.
I disembark from the ferris wheel a new person. - I love you
Re-Awakening: Conscious awareness in the physical.
I feel lighter and more joyful.
I send love spiralling around the entire torus.
The end of everything is the beginning of everything.
Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.
Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len
April 1939 – January 15, 2022
Love this reminder.