Labyrinth Lessons – How do I FIX this?

This labyrinth lesson took place on 3/12/2021 in the Labyrinth at Paleaku Gardens in Kona, HI.

It was a pretty tumultuous time for me, though you would never have known it from my Facebook photos and posts. (You know- Public face versus private face!)

As I have said before, labyrinths have always given me a sense of peace because I take my burdens, worries, fears and questions of contemplation into the labyrinth, and emerge with three focal points that give me more clarity (and therefore more peace).

So I entered the labyrinth, determined to find peace and get answers.

My question was more panic and confusion than anything else… All I wanted to know was:

“What do I do to fix this?”

And boy oh boy, was I ever humbled in this lesson!

I walked the Paleaku Labyrinth, fully expecting immediate answers and most of all, solace.

And got NOTHING.

NOTHING.

I could NOT believe it.

I did not accept it.

I walked it a second time. Still nothing.

I was stunned. That’s not the way it works! I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t know what else to do.

I was frustrated, agitated… devastated.

I wandered the gardens a while, stopping to spend time at the many statuaries, monuments and shrines of the major world religions. Trying to find solace. And failing.

I had essentially given up on getting any peace or answers from a labyrinth walk, and consulted the garden’s map to see what I had missed. As I was heading up toward the entrance, I ran into Heather, who was hanging out with Harry the Parrot. I asked if she had been to the labyrinth and she asked if I had been to the ancient Hawaiian petroglyphs. “No”, and “No”, so we decided to visit the petroglyphs first, then the labyrinth.

The idea of a third attempt at gaining insight through a labyrinth walk gave me some trepidation. But I was desperate for answers.

Heather started her labyrinth walk while I waited on a nearby bench. You can walk a labyrinth while someone else is also walking it, but I generally prefer to walk it alone. I’ll usually wait until it is completely empty before starting my own walk.
This time, however, I felt compelled to start walking it while Heather was still walking towards the center.

I believe Heather’s presence in the labyrinth was a key component to my success (as evidenced in insight #3).

Eureka! (Sort of….)

1. You won’t find the answer here.

This felt like a slap in the face- after all, labyrinths are where I go to get answers when I need guidance.

They are where I clearly hear God speak to me.

2. Stop tripping over your ego.

You know how books and movies talk about a punch in the gut? That’s pretty much how it felt in this moment. It was a blatant reminder to stop thinking I could “fix” everything. I have never been more clearly chastised than in that moment, when it was made clear that THIS was beyond my ability to “fix”.

But then, as always… the love, grace and hope that I find in labyrinths was waiting for me with the final “insight”…

3. Its easier to be grounded when you are surrounded by people who love you

It was the reminder I desperately needed that I was not alone. God had intentionally placed these amazing people in my life some time ago, knowing I would need them in these moments of struggle.

I met Andrew and Mikayla in October 2019 when I hosted them through Airbnb. Guests became friends, who became family.

Just. Like. That.

Andrew & Mikayla moved to Kona in 2020, so Kona was my obvious choice for a Spring Break destination. Anticipating fun and hijinks, they both took off a week of work to explore and adventure with us! <3

In addition to orchestrating our daily adventures, they did 99% of the cooking and meal prep. We were SPOILED!

Plus, I was so grateful that Heather decided to join me on this trip. Always calm, always grounded — she was the balance, logic and peace when mine abandoned me (which was frequently!)

She was eternally good-natured about joining in on all the crazy that is Sheli (e.g. “Let’s be vegan for this trip”, followed by “Let’s hike down this really steep trail!” Then “Let’s eat ice cream at least once every day and see how happy it makes us!” And (of course) “Let’s drive all over the island looking for meditation/prayer labyrinths!”