Give thanks before or after each meal. Thank the animals or plants who give their life energy, the farmers and suppliers, and the people who prepare your food. Give thanks to your digestive system, which converts this food to usable nutrients.
Make gratitude a habit. When you go to bed at night, take a mental note of what you’re thankful for in the day that’s just ended.
Cultivating a state of appreciation helps develop humility because you’re acknowledging that you’re dependent on help from other people and spirit.
Do your work
Work is how you connect with the world around you and provide for the exchange of resources, commonly called money, that allows you to stay warm and well fed. Sometimes this Reiki Principle is stated as “work hard.”
Here are some questions to ask yourself about this Reiki Principle:
Am I honest in my dealings with my employers and clients? Am I working with integrity, or am I trying to cheat my employer?
Am I following my true calling? Many people are searching to know what their best job is. The best job is doing the utmost with what you’re doing right now. If and when it’s time to change, your inner voice or a clear message from the universe will let you know. Following the nudging of your inner voice can be scary because doing what you know already is comfortable. (You can practice self-Reiki to curb these fears; see Chapter 10.)
Am I honoring myself in my work? Working hard doesn’t mean abusing yourself. Knowing when to work late and when to rest is part of the art of living.
Am I using my gifts and talents? Work is more than paid 9-to-5 employment. You might also volunteer, raise children, and keep a home. You may have many different skills and abilities to use at different times and situations. For example, you might be a gifted musician and play gigs on weekends.
Be kind to others
The ultimate test when practicing a spiritual life is acceptance of and love for yourself and others. Being kind acknowledges that spirit is present in every living being. I had the opportunity to visit Japan for a scientific conference before I studied Reiki. One thing that impressed me was that people I passed in the street bowed to me, and I bowed to them. I was told that the concept behind this practice is that “the spirit in me sees the spirit in you.”
Practice random acts of kindness. This great concept couples the act of compassion with humility. You need not tell anyone what you’ve done. An act of kindness can range from letting someone go ahead of you in the supermarket line, giving an anonymous gift, or maybe adding payment on expired parking meters.
Listen to people. Showing love for others is giving them what they want, not what you think they want.
Start by being kind to yourself. You can’t really love others if you don’t love yourself. By loving yourself, you also demonstrate to others how you expect to be treated.
By practicing this and the other Reiki Principles, you begin to see all beings as manifestations of spirit. Even if you have petty disagreements with someone else, being kind means practicing from the deeper knowledge that love is behind all people, even if they’re not aware of it. The funny thing about cultivating loving thoughts is that they have a way of growing and making the world a place filled with love and light.
Incorporating the Reiki Principles into Your Daily Life
Upon reading the Reiki Principles earlier in this chapter, you may wonder what’s next. The principles are deceptively simple, but it takes effort to consistently live by these principles day in and day out. Spiritual growth is a lifelong process.
SAYING IT IN JAPANESE
The Reiki Principles were originally intended to be chanted in Japanese in the morning and in the evening.
For the purists out there who want to hear or say the Reiki Principles in Japanese, check out www.reiki.org/learn-usui-principles-japanese. Soon you’ll be able to say the Reiki Principles in Japanese by yourself!
Some teachers may ask you to make a promise to uphold the Reiki Principles before or after receiving an attunement, which opens you to the Reiki energy. (See Chapter 7 for more about attunements.) It’s up to you to decide how and when you will use the Reiki Principles in your life.
Remind yourself of the principles by reading them silently or aloud and thinking or writing about each of the five Reiki Principles at least once a day. (Learn to recite them in Japanese by consulting the nearby sidebar “Saying it in Japanese.”)
Post a copy of the Reiki Principles in a prominent place in your home or office.
Some Reiki people use the Gassho meditation (see Chapter 9), putting the hands in a prayer position in front of the heart, when reciting the Reiki Principles.
The more time and effort you put into the Reiki Principles, the more peace and serenity you’ll find.
Sharing Additional Versions of Reiki Principles
Here are two other Reiki Principles from other versions that deserve some mention.
Just for today, be humble
The principle “be grateful” is sometimes interpreted as “be humble.” I like this version because it
