What if the world needs you?

As a fisherman, I’ve watched a lot of sun rises and a lot of sun sets. Today, 21 June, is the winter soulstice in New Zealand & I’d like to share some thoughts about the Light and the Dark.

Today is the shortest day.

How can you use this day, today, as a totem for the next 12 months?

I’ve got a simple exercise below you can use, that will be especially helpful if you struggle with sleep or any aspect of wellbeing. Then I might take the liberty of going deeper with a second exercise.

In our 24 hour clock in NZ , today , we have more dark in our day than light. A big difference to 21 Dec. That impacts EVERYTHING around us, our plants, our garden, the fish in the ocean, how they eat. Everything in nature is different this time of year.

What about you?

How attuned to the light and the dark are you?

Are you paying attention to nature?

We have so much artificial light on our world these days, impacting our wellbeing, in our homes and pumping from multiple screens, how are you paying attention to natural light and the dark? How comfortable are you in the dark?

Here is a very easy and simple exercise to start to tune into nature for wellbeing - starting today or a clear day this week - find a point at home where you can look east in the morning, to watch the sunrise and another where you can look west to the sunset. When you witness the sun rise make note of the physical point it rises over, and what happens to the rays of light as they first appear. Pay attention to the different colour and quality of light each day. Have a think about what you are grateful for. The sun and the life it provides us would be a good starting point of gratitude! Release any struggles over to a higher power. Breath deep, have a stretch. I am lucky, I have some pretty choice natural landmarks 360 degrees, and when people arrive on our property for a retreat, I often point out the natural markers for winter and summer soulstice when I orient them. Same when I walk up our maunga, on retreat, I will point out the huge difference between where the sun rises well north of the Aldies in winter, well south of them in summer. The Pinnacles mark our summer soulstice sunset, and it is much further north now. If you have houses all around you, you could put a stone, stick or mark your fence, on a deck, or take a photo, keep a diary. Then go as many mornings, and nights as you can over the next 12 months, and see where it shifts through to the longest day on December 21 and back again. Sunrise and sunset. You could keep a journal and make some reflections on what arises in your own awareness, including your most important ‘to-do’ list for the day ahead.

You can regulate your wellbeing, your natural rhythms, your sleep, your body clock, your happiness, and ease of life, by paying attention to something as simple as the sun rising and setting, and you will soon tune into the fact it is in a slightly different place every day. It could the the one chance to do something for yourself each day.

The best thing about this simple tool is - it is FREE. Like any tool to stay well, Consistency is Key!

This week melatonin got approved as an over the counter, non prescription drug - it is in so much need - yet, this should be a naturally occurring chemical in all our bodies, one of the easiest to access natural chemicals, regulated by the shift from sunlight to darkness. Sleep should come easy! I know full well the dire implications when it is not, that is why I continually share information to help others with sleep by tapping into natural rhythms, and also what we put into our bodies. We give so much power away to chemists, corporations and pharmaceutical companies- we should be looking at tools to take that power back ourselves.

Here is another simple exercise. The first was an external one. Now, I’d like you to take a look INSIDE on this important day. How much of YOU right now is LIGHT and how much of you, right now, is DARK. This check in came to me, in a mens group the other day, we used it as a tool to go around a dozen men around the globe and the answers that came out were profound.

A confronting question - we all have a light side to ourselves, and we’d like to think we are all love and light, but we all have a shadow side. Many of us do not realise we have this shadow, this taniwha inside us, until it snaps, we’ve hidden the dark side so far down sometimes but sooner or later it finds a way out as depression, anger, resentment, jealousy, blaming others, pointing the finger, addictions, bad choices, even sometimes , wanting out of this world etc.

Sometimes we need safe spaces to do this work , and understand our shadow, and transmute it with people who understand how to hold this space, without judgement. We also still need to be comfortable to go into the dark each day to rest , meditate & recalibrate. Is the dark a comfortable space for you?

Zoom out to a macro level - and you see the result of the collective imbalance of darkness the planet holds - war, imbalance of wealth and resources, conflict.

Sometimes, seeing these global conflicts play out, it can seem like we cannot make a difference. I know I have really struggled to comprehend and put words around the evil that has been perpetrated by Israel on the many innocent people of Palestine the last two years, for example. But I know sharing daily videos on social media about it, and creating even more noise and divide isn’t how I can help.

The only thing we can do, is our own work. Creating more light inside us, and holding more light, in this darkness. We can’t change anyone else’s behaviour, especially the power brokers and warmongers of the world, only ourselves. What does the situation in the Middle East teach us about our own behaviour, our ability to reconcile, compromise, love, find common ground, unite and support others?

Sir David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D. an esteemed and renowned psychiatrist, physician, researcher, spiritual teacher and lecturer surmised that it only takes one person holding a frequency of peace and light to counterbalance 90,000 other humans in the frequency of negativity. If that frequency is pure enough, it can counterbalance millions, possibly billions. If you look at the various ‘Lords’ over the years - Buddha, Jesus, Krishna, this is what they were doing and trying to teach us - to hold the light for others. Think of how far you can see a lighthouse shine in the dark. The world needs these lightworkers, because 87% of humans are unable to discern truth from untruth and will be happy following the herd, into the dark. If you are one of the other 13%, literally, world peace, starts inside, with you. Your job is to hold the light. Are you ready to do this work? Because, as someone once put to me, what if the world needs you?

If this has raised something inside you, to carry on the conversation, or go deeper, just reach out on email, phone or DM.

Soulstice blessings y’all.

Manawatia a Matariki.