"Put feet to your prayers."

"A journey of a thousand miles begins beneath one's feet." — Tao Te Ching, Chapter 64

Recently, I have been finding myself reflecting on the time I spent on the Big Island during the Mauna Kea Protection Movement four summers ago. It was a profound experience. Within days of the kahea (the call) going out after many of their Elders had been arrested, thousands of people showed up to stand and protect the Mauna. What carried on from there for the many months to follow was nothing short of a miracle.

Some days, 10,000 people showed up, not just there but all over the Islands. It drew people from all walks of life and from all over the world—including people of fame and influence, from locals to representatives from different groups, nations, cultures, and traditions. We all recognized the importance of the situation.

The prayer: Keep Mauna Kea sacred and return it to the people of the land.

For the Hawaiian people, Mauna Kea is a heiau, a temple; it is sacred land. For many years, Aunty Pua and a group of others had been working to protect the Mauna from further desecration and to have it restored. But when they arrested the Elders, it sparked something within all of us. So, what appeared to happen overnight was the result of years of preparation.

I look to this experience as an example of what it means to "put feet to your prayers." While this experience was, and is, large in scale, the lessons drawn from it are relevant to many aspects of our personal lives.

A vision is like a prayer

You have a vision, an idea, a project of some sort, a goal. You have something that you want to do. Something that you have been dreaming up. It could be a vision for changing careers, learning a new skill, or working on a passion project. Or maybe it's an idea for improving your environment, your neighborhood, town or city, country, or the communities and organizations you're involved in. Whatever it is, it is something that you have been carrying within yourself that you feel needs to be brought into this world—in whatever shape or form, however public or private.

Move beyond fear—take action

Holding onto a dream is like a prayer, and at some point during the process a decision needs to be made: Do I keep dreaming or do I act on it? Do I keep it to myself, or do I share it with others?

There is time for contemplation, time for dreaming up big things. There is wisdom in waiting, in allowing for the vision to crystalize, and to prepare just as Aunty Pua and others had been doing for years. And then, there is time for action. You will feel it when that time comes.

Recognize that whether you take an action or not is a decision nonetheless. Also, recognize that actions are not necessarily outward in appearance. Internal actions are just as well. However, do not let either action or inaction result from doubt or fear. For, in this way, action is inaction, and inaction is action in support of doubt or fear. Learn to trust yourself, to be courageous, and to believe that you can take that first step.

Kindling to flames: small actions lead to BIG IMPACT

There were many actions on and off the Mauna of all sizes, and every one of them counted. From organizing gatherings across all the Islands to send a message, coming to ceremony three times a day to pule (pray), to mele (sing) and to hula, helping prepare and bring food to the elders, mo'olelo (talk story), or just taking some time to rest. Each and every one of these actions contributed to bringing a vision into reality.

As I've been coming back into my work, I've been asking myself daily: what is the one thing I can do today, the one thing I can start, or even better, the one that I can complete that will improve upon the current situation? However large or small, what is the most important thing I can do today to move things forward and toward realizing a goal or vision? What twigs, sticks, or logs can I put onto the fire to keep the fire burning brightly for today and, more importantly, for tomorrow?

Let higher values guide you and lift you up

This is all a part of developing your intuition, your inner guidance. And if there's ever any confusion about what action to take, my teacher always tells me: choose freedom, choose happiness, choose love, choose peace, choose understanding, choose joy. The way I understand this is that for every experience, situation, or emotion, there is an opposite. Choose that which improves your conditions and, perhaps as a result, your environment.

"Like and subscribe" to higher-level values, and allow them to be your guiding stars. And this is not to say that lower values are bad and that higher values are good. This is a topic for a whole other discussion, but briefly, its to point you in the direction of what lifts you up, rather than what keeps you down.

And if there's still any doubt after that, he likes to say: Just do it!

Put feet to your prayers.

The result

On January 24th, 2022, a new Hawaii state law was passed, recognizing the mountain of Mauna Kea to be a sacred site to the people of Hawaii and established the Mauna Kea stewardship authority, "a new governance and management structure for Mauna Kea that collaboratively engages with all stakeholders, particularly the Native Hawaiian community."

(See BILL FOR AN ACT: HI HB2024)

Eō! Kū Kia'i Mauna!

Dreams do come true.

All photos were taken by me.