Almost six weeks ago, I was forced to rush to the Island of Oahu from my home on Kaua`i to have retina repair surgery. It was sudden, unexpected and quite a whirlwind trip. You can read more about it in my blogs called “My Hero’s Journey,” beginning on March 12, 2022.

One of the most integral parts of my retina repair surgery was the placement of a gas bubble in my eye. I remember telling my excellent doctor I planned to leave on a jet plane on April 28 to visit my friends and family and especially to see my granddaughter make her debut at 11 in her first musical. The doctor smiled and said “It would be better if you thought that you weren’t going. That will take the pressure off you.” I said something like “That’s not the way I do things. I affirm that I am going.” He just smiled and brushed my comment off and went on to give me my instructions for healing.

So, for the last six weeks, although I feel that I am good at being a trained thinker, there was a part of me that heard his words and took them in as possible truth. However, because I knew I had to keep my thoughts aligned with my plans for my trip, I used Spiritual Mind Treatment and I used mental rehearsal. I just kept seeing myself toasting with my friends and watching my granddaughter from the audience of the theater. My visualizations were filled with emotions of love, delight and gratitude.

Yesterday, I went for my walk by the ocean. The gas bubble in my eye had been decreasing, but it was still there. I said to myself “When I am done with this walk, it is gone.” Then I stopped myself and changed my wording. “My eye is healed.” I did a Spiritual Mind Treatment for myself and for those close to me that I knew were reaching out for healing at that moment. When I finished my walk, the bubble was so tiny that I could hardly see it. A few hours later it was gone.

I tell you this story for a number of reasons. First of all, to remind us all that what we say to people is very important. I know the doctor was just doing his job and telling me what he knew as truth. His intentions were for my healing. I accept that. However, how many times do we say things to ourselves or others that are, although well meaning, unnecessary. I think Thumper’s mother’s statement, “If you can’t say something nice to someone, don’t say anything and all” and the “Is it kind? Is it necessary? Is it true?” are good reminders in how to monitor our words to ourselves and others.

The second reason I tell you this story is to remind us all that over-intending our healing can prolong the process. In my mind, the most powerful way to assist myself in healing is to focus on what I want, instead of pushing away what I don’t want. The realization of the Universal Spirit moving through me and the visualizations of my future reality with my granddaughter and friends let my brain know that I was already healed and allowed my automatic systems to take over and hasten my healing without struggle and strain.

My bubble (she) is gone from sight, but what remains is the wisdom I take from this experience. The chief reminder is that I am to relax and glide through life with more ease and grace. My biggest lesson is to ALLOW the Power of Life to do the work through me and as me. We do not have to push and will things to happen. Once we have done our work, and I did through self-care, we can let go and let the greater Power within us move us the rest of the way. She’s gone from sight but she left her imprint on my heart.

Love and Aloha,

Rev. Rita Andriello-Feren, Spiritual Founding Director, CSL Kaua`i, Spiritual Coach