There is a pervasive form of contemporary violence by which the idealist fighting for peace by nonviolent methods easily succumbs: activism and overwork.
The rush and pressure of modern life are a form, perhaps the most common form, of its innate violence.
To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything is to succumb to violence.
The frenzy of the activist neutralizes his work for peace. It destroys the fruitfulness of his own work, because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful. ~Thomas Merton
listen to my PIP Clip as I read this power passage from a great mind.
Aloha We-Day Wednesday: Today I invite us to pause, to reflect, to inspire each other. “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
On this day in 1929, my hero and silence breaker and non-violent change maker, Martin Luther King, Jr. was born.
In Boston he met and married Coretta Scott, a young woman of uncommon intellectual and artistic attainments. Two sons and two daughters were born into the family.At the age of thirty-five, Martin Luther King, Jr., was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. When notified of his selection, he announced that he would turn over the prize money of $54,123 to the furtherance of the civil rights movement.
On the evening of April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was to lead a protest march in sympathy with striking garbage workers of that city, he was assassinated. Please follow this link for a more detailed history
On this day in 1934, my loving and loyal father was born to a militaryfamily on the Chesapeake Coast in Virginia. He died of heart dis-ease at the age of 69. The following is taken from the first draft of my transformational memoir, Moonshot aim high, dive deep, live an extraordinary life
This book is dedicated to my Dad, an unsung hero in his right. A man growing up in America, to me he represents warmth of heart and poetry of soul. He loved birds and sunrise was his favorite time of the day. I pushed at the stickiness of his torment gingerly with my small hands, and for a time, I was stuck. Unable to let go of the past, my Dad also chased the promise of new beginnings.
To me, his only daughter, he embodied the Albert Camus quote, “In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.”
Life being both beautiful and terrifying, he introduced me to both the sunrise as well as the dark night of the soul. Be prepared for anything, he taught me, and this, I now see, can be an incredible “come from” in how I see my life. We can dwell in possibility, that anything could happen, and to be prepared for anything. In the past, for me this perspective was incredibly nerve-wracking. Now, this same truth, is indeed, incredibly liberating; I am responsible for everything.
My father taught me to be prepared for a slight change in temperature, a sudden rain storm, and how to test the brakes on a car. He advised me to quit looking busy for busyness sake, to slow down and smell the roses. Generate warmth, prepare for anything, and know how to slow down effectively, these are the great guidelines that still steer me today.
My thoughts today, inspired by these two powerful men. our lives begin to end… when we forget to care when we forsake our resilient heart when we forgo our right to speak up about injustice
our lives begin to thrive… when we forget to seek revenge when we forgive ourselves and others when we forgo our right to retaliate with hate
May we reside in the privilege of nonviolent committed action and break the silence that locks our heart in hate. My heart is with the movement on ʻOahu today. Kapu Aloha. Aloha ʻĀina. may it be so.you matter. your relationships matter.
My best quality of love, Amy Elizabeth Relational Health Coach
heal your heart, open your mind cover it with love, transform your world change in here, ignite out there
Moonshot Monday: get grounded in grief and gratitude
Here’s the big Moonshot declaration for this week: You can stop manufacturing your own misery. Period.
The Magic is that we can counter the overwhelm of life by allowing space for grace to enter our hearts and time to unwind our minds. No matter what. We can get grounded in our grief and gratitude.
My words are more of a poetic list today. Feel my heart. Take what you can use. Leave the rest. Share with others.
Finding ground in grief and gratitude:
feel the higher power
of gravity.
allow space for grace
to enter your heart.
take time to unwind
and calm your mind.
allow yourself to simply be.
you are enough.
find power in partnership
together we heal
we tend to the space between
together, we metabolize the unprocessed grief
we clear the fear
we feel it to heal it.
May it be so
You matter. Your relationships matter.
Comment below and let me know what unprocessed grief you are facing today? the loss of your pet? the dissolution of a relationship? the loss of your eyesight? the loss of your playful, youthful spirit? Name it to reclaim it and metabolize the hurt, let go of the loss and hold on to the gratitude.
’tis magical, this season of excellence, abundance & gratitude
As I’m sitting here, I’m operating from a sense of excellence, abundance and gratitude. Living my Moonshot, my declaration of extraordinary living as I send love to:
Everett, my son, as I tend to his sickness
the fresh biopsy wound on my nose after yesterday’s dermatology appointment
my mind as I recognize this email didn’t get out “on time” and release the pinch of perfectionism
the earth as I prepare for a “plastic free event” at the luau tomorrow at our local canoe club
Juggling all of this can feel like a lot, even too much, if I entertain the story of overwhelm in my head. Though it’s tempting, instead, I tune in to a different story, one of abundant love and supportive energy that surrounds us all. I trust it like I trust gravity. Penetrate the surface, much like the rains are penetrating the dry ground in this season, and there is indeed a rich sense of abundance and the ever-present-presence of gratitude.
From this wellspring of gratitude, I delegate. I ask for support from my Moonshot team, my family, my angels and ancestors, from those seen and unseen energies that are conspiring tirelessly in my favor. I let go and allow the extraordinariness of life to unfold in magical ways. All of this is coupled with my committed action; my overarching intention of excellence, abundance and gratitude.
’tis magical, this season of excellence, abundance & gratitude
Many of you may think I’m referring to Thanksgiving and the December major holidays. It’s more than that. Here in Hawai’i it’s also the season where we say, Lonoikamakahiki.
What is Lonoikamakahiki?
This is the greeting we share to acknowledge Makahiki. This marks the time of year when the god Lono returns to Hawaiʻi from Kahiki. Makahiki lasts for roughly four months. This season is a time for rest and rejuvenation. Tribute would be given to the aliʻi, the chiefs, there were no wars, and games and sports were the main pastime. (from kumukahi.org)
Season of attunement
We wake up our senses and notice a shift in the weather around us and within us. The storms come. The rain penetrates the earth and ends the dry season. It is time to fully reconnect with loved ones. We enjoy prosperity and the fruits of fertility.
Learn more about this season in an amazing 10 minute talk from my kumu Kekuhi here.
Annual tradition
My family, my team, participated in the annual tradition of Makahiki “Aha Pule ʻĀina Holo” relay run on Sunday, 17th of November. This four-day ceremonial relay run around the entire island of Hawaiʻi is in its sixth year and has become a significant community event, mirroring the traditional clockwise Makahiki procession. We ran part of it.
A great honor to participate shows in this photo, my youngest, Toby, carrying the Lono staff. We run in prayerful ceremony to honor the ripple effect of the power of peace, prosperity, and attunement.
Finally, we pause to celebrate. We intentionally magnify the power of excellence, abundance and gratitude. Together we rise, like a mighty wave. Join the Moonshot Movement, build your Moonshot team, and let the magic of the season of excellence, abundance & gratitude unfold. Stay tuned…
When I reflect on those who inspire us to bring our Best Self forth to any situation and make any experience benefit from our presence, a flurry of people come to mind.
My kumu, my Hawaiʻi life ways teacher, Kekuhi, is one such person in my life. She’s a transformational leader in bringing awareness to Kapu Aloha, the sacredness of compassion.
Kapu Aloha is an invitation to bring our best self forth in every moment, in each interaction and to cultivate genuine responsibility for our presence on this planet and in all our relations.
Presently, on Hawaiʻi Island, protecting Maunakea from further desecration. We connect to the land, the ancestors, to each other and to ourselves in the spirit of Kapu Aloha. Hawaiʻi lifeways is flourishing and growing. It is an honor to be here now.
If you are interested in learning more about this movement: Check out these links
We are standing together, peacefully, for what matters most. And we rise, like a mighty wave.
My kumu endorsed my book with this:
Moonshot is an elegant and visceral memoir that dares one to question one’s own resilience and courage. Indeed, Amy Elizabeth is as transparent as she appears in these pages. Love the interactive curriculum & it’s usefulness. While Liz (her name of endearment) has had to turn her focus to her profession and her particular contribution to the community, we miss her authenticity and presence in Hālau ‘Ōhi’a.
Kekuhi Keali’ikanaka’oleohaililani, Trainer
Hālau ‘Ōhi’a
Why I wrote my memoir: Moonshot
I wrote Moonshot: aim high, dive deep, live an extraordinary life, as an invitation to approaching the present moment with greater awareness, allowing a moment of acceptance, and then acting accordingly. All of this stems from a place of tender, powerful generosity rooted in resilience.
This transformational memoir is for you if you have severed contact with your inner guidance system, felt blamed and shamed, and then criticized others and compromised your morals.
Perhaps you suffer, as I once did, from the epidemic in our dominant culture of distraction and busyness. You’re addicted to things that rob your soul of the beauty of the present moment. You avoid the direct experience of the moment by chronic “doing” versus “being.”
Are you ready to stand for what matters most in your life? Join me in the coming weeks as we declare our own Moonshots for 2020.
Moonshot: that something extraordinary that wouldn’t otherwise happen.
Why we get to declare our Moonshot is because, without it, we have no real aim, no real goal, no real desire worth working toward.
Aim high, dive deep and live an extraordinary life.
Then release the grip, surrender the striving, and allow the Moonshot Magic to unfold. There is magic in recognizing you are an energetic being having a human experience and the spiritual support is surrounding you in powerfully positive ways.
Moonshot: commitment to something extraordinary; declaring what, by when.
Magic: surrender to something greater than yourself; inviting ease, flow, and grace.
You don’t have to do this gig called life alone. Join a movement that matters. Moonshot Magic is the launch of such an invitation. Stay tuned for more details about a year-long coaching Mastermind to give you the inspiration and accountability required to live an extraordinary life.
