This Journey has spanned a total of 47 years as of Easter Sunday 2020. In stating that, this journey is not all about me. I believe it is about all of us as a collective race of Maori in the Hokianga whose spiritual belonging spans back more than 1050 years when Kupe first landed on these shores. The intent of this book is to reach out to those of you who find yourself in the same situation I was in. You are not alone.
These spiritual journeys have been taken by our people for many, many, generations and we have all heard the stories passed down from our Tupuna. When I look back at my own life, I see the scared 7-year- old boy, the out of control teenager and even the wild twenty something year old. I embrace them and hold on to their memory because they were all the vehicles I used to get to here. I am proud of my heritage and I for one don’t want to forget who I am or where I have come from again. Never stop telling the stories of our people, our Tupuna do not want us to forget them.
I thank my Tupuna for guiding me and gifting me the knowledge and understanding that I have now embraced in order to reconnect with my higher self. Finally, I would like to thank you for allowing me to remain as me, as I was never wanting to lose sight of the me that began this journey. The me that started this journey serves as my anchor and gives me a sense of just how far this Waka called life has taken me.
Should you find that you need to use some of what I have described to help you to move on from where you are, be my guest. That is the intention of this book, to help others. Use it as often as you need to help with what you need. Just remember to relax, let go and trust and do not be afraid to tell your story. It may be the key to unlock someone else’s prison. You are not alone on your journey; you just need to learn how to recognise the rest of us and be open so that we can recognise you.
Ka Kite