Walking on the Leading Edge #5 – The Edgewalker Journey Continues…

The continuation of my Edgewalker Journey on the Big Island of Hawaii was at a cross roads. I was not expecting the invitation to house sit at the beautiful sanctuary of my new Hawaii friends Joel and Michele and extend my trip for the Summer months. I was conflicted about what to do next and whether or not to accept their offer. So I decided to stay on course and follow the next step in my plan which was to fly to  Kauai, the Garden Isle in the Hawaiian chain. I wanted to explore the beauty and experience the energy there. Each Hawaiian Island has it’s own energy, gifts and lessons. I was curious and open to what Kauai had to offer. I also gained distance and perspective so I could get clear about my decision.

Upon arriving I immediately felt that Kauai was a true tropical paradise, heaven on earth!  The depth and beauty of nature was unlike anything I had experienced before. The colors, flowers, beaches, waterfalls, gardens and air touched my heart and senses. Unlike the beauty of the Big Island which is primal, raw and powerful, a Masculine energy, Kauai is softer, ethereal, a feminine Energy.  As I was exploring the natural and spiritual sites that included a breathtaking helicopter ride, I also met Ohana, my spiritual family on Kauai. My Hawaiian tribe was growing, as I connected with community and friends who I instantly felt at home with.  Little did I know that in the years to come, the island of Kauai would bring my most challenging lessons, emotional healing and spiritual growth.

In spite of the magical moments in the paradise of Kauai, the nagging feeling that I had to go back to the Big Island of Hawaii and extend my trip would not leave me. I could not ignore the signs and the Divine Synchronicity of my Edgewalker journey thus far.  My Edgewalker Skills of  Manifesting and Risk-taking, the ability to try what hasn’t been tried before, trust my instincts and break new ground supported me in taking another leap and making a conscious decision. My friend Jim and future neighbor on the Big Island, encouraged me to fly back to the Big Island and spend the Summer house sitting which made Joel and Michele happy. I chose yes, a conscious choice that to this day sparked a series of events and opened a path that would change my life, from the inside out and outside in. I fastened my “seatbelt” and flew back to my future….!

Lessons:

*Making a conscious choice sometimes requires stepping away and creating time and distance to gain perspective and clarity. When in doubt, don’t (Oprah)!

*We have free will. We can choose from our ego with fear or choose from Divine Will with Love!

*The Universe Handles the Details. Observe, Trust, Allow, Act.  Leap, Let Go and Let God!

Walking on the Leading Edge: My “Edgewalker” Journey 3

Sometimes the best mode of transportation is a “Leap of Faith”.  Mine continued on June 1, 2007 on a one way flight from Naples, Florida to Kona, Hawaii. When I landed at midnight  I literally and figuratively felt like I was in the dark. I began to have second thoughts about my decision. What was I doing on the Big Island of Hawaii in the middle of the Pacific Ocean? I knew no one and had no future long term plan, no past possessions and no home to speak of. I was in the void,the unknown and at the same time felt empowered.  I was curious, open to a new adventure and chapter in my life. Little did I know that my Hawaiian “ohana”, friends and community, were waiting for me with open arms and hearts to welcome me to the islands.

When I awoke the next morning in the  beautiful home I rented I was surrounded by an abundance of nature I had never experienced before.  Sounds of tropical birds and the smells and sights of exotic  flora and fauna were a feast to my senses. Any uncertainty I had felt about my decision to come to Hawaii was dispelled.  I intentionally rented a house near Kealakekua Bay,  a favorite local spot to swim with the dolphins in the wild and one of the main reasons I was called to Hawaii. I have always loved and felt drawn to dolphins as I sensed they had a message for me.

I arranged a dolphin snorkeling swim on a small boat with my local guide Joan Ocean. To my amazement I had the opportunity to swim with about 30 spinner dolphins. As they were encircling me, looking me in the eye, I felt their energy, playfulness and magnificence envelop me.  I was crying in my snorkel, overwhelmed by the feelings and love that I felt. As we connected I was also invited to swim and play with them. My “Edgewalker” qualities of playfulness and connection naturally expressed with the dolphins.

When I got back on the boat Joan shared that clearly I had been called to Hawaii which included connecting with the dolphins. She explained that dolphins, and the Hawaiian Islands, call to certain individuals when it is their time to change, shift, evolve.  My “Edgewalker” quality of Self-Awareness allowed me to listen, hear, and act on that calling. The process of disengaging from my former  life, persona and identity created a fertile environment for Hawaii and the dolphins to initiate me.  Over the next 10 years I would transform spiritually, emotionally, and physically.  The shift that began to occur from the dolphin exchange happened almost immediately. My entire body, my energy felt completely different after the dolphin swim. It was so intense that I had to take a few days off to relax and integrate.

The local Hawaiians say the islands either “chew you up and spit you out, or embrace you.” Little did I know that I was being embraced and supported to grow and evolve in ways I could have never imagined.  This also included the difficult process of letting go of the parts of me that no longer served my life. Over time they got “chewed  up and spit out”. I surrendered to the unknown, scary and full of possibility, one magical day and one precious moment at a time.

Lessons:

*When we are aligned with our true path, our authentic calling, LIFE supports us.

*Learn to listen to and hear your intuitive voice, trust it and act on it’s wisdom. It is never wrong.

*Letting go of the old is necessary to create space for the new.

Walking on the Leading Edge: My “Edgewalker Journey” 2

During the first 6 months of 2007  I was living in a temporary home with a girlfriend in Naples, Florida. After the fire which destroyed all my possessions, I was able to get out of my annual lease and I was free to move forward onto what was next in my life. I found out the hard way the importance of asking for signs that were CEO (Clear, Easy and Obvious). I was now exercising a daily practice of patience, faith and trust. I asked the Universe, my Higher Self, Infinite Intelligence and the Powers that Be to: “Show me the way!”

I know from life experience and being an “Edgewalker” that I could not figure this out on my own.  Our conscious minds have a limited frame of reference (as much as the ego thought it had it all under control!).  I was waiting for clarity, an answer, a direction. I was feeling both anxious and excited.

Living my life as an “Edgewalker” assisted me on this uncertain journey.  When I first heard the word “Edgewalker” from my dear friend of 20 + years Dr. Judi Neal  I exclaimed, ” This is me!” Judi’s inspiration and intuition connected her to the term that describes her and so many of us on the planet at this time. In Dr. Judi Neal’s book ” Edgewalkers: People and Organizations that Take Risks, Build Bridges and Break New Ground”, Edgewalkers are defined as “People who walk between worlds and have the ability to build bridges between different worlds. They have a strong inner life and are very grounded and effective in the everyday external world. This orientation looks to the future and is focused on openness to possibilities.” Edgewalkers also “Serve Those Who Walk Between Worlds”.

I had no clarity about where or what was next in my life. I had to surrender. By tapping into my “Edgewalker” essence, I patiently watched, waited, allowed as the right timing and opportunities presented themselves. As the observer of my life, I noticed what was naturally coming to me without effort and what was falling away. The main theme was Hawaii. This was curious to me as Hawaii was never on my radar as it is too far away and isolated. I visited on vacation a few times throughout my life yet never felt I would live or move there. However, much to my confusion and resistance at times, everywhere I went I was met with the message of the Hawaiian Islands – books, bumper stickers, TV ads, friends mentioning it, making contacts, etc. In addition, my lifelong wish and desire to swim in the wild with dolphins had been answered.  The synchronicity of a friend introducing me to a woman on the Big Island of Hawaii in Kona who brings people to swim with the dolphins. There were so many signs over a 6 month period that there was no question that Hawaii was calling me.

So, with a leap of faith and excitement I parked my car in a friend’s driveway, packed 2 suitcases, and on June 1, 2007 I left Florida. When I boarded the plane with a one way ticket to the Big Island of Hawaii, little did I know that my life, my very being, would be changed forever. I would never be the same and I never looked back…

Lessons:

*Let the Universe “Fill in the blanks”. 

*Stay open to possibilities and options you never considered.

*We are not in control, however if we surrender and get out of the way we can co-create with the Universe/our Higher Self.