In 2008 I had a life-changing epiphany. I was blessed with a rock solid core understanding that “Love” for ourselves and others was the primary ingredient in all that we do if we ever wanted to be truly happy.
My observation of others and myself was that at some level our personal misery came from a huge disconnect. We lacked love in our lives, for ourselves or others.
Many people, including myself, had lost the ability to live from a heart-centered way of life. We became trapped in our stories and perceptions and we became prisoners in our own lives. Unable to embrace life fully and live with compassion for ourselves and others. We had lost the magic of life.
Thankfully, I was gifted that fateful day with “Neil, you need need to live from your heart, you need to Live the Way of The Heart.” When this epiphany washed over me I was driving a car on a very busy highway. It took all the concertation I could muster up to get myself safely over to the shoulder and parked. Before a wave of love and joy filled my entire body. It was an incredible experience, a true gift.
Later that same day I found myself talking to a Kanji Master. I have to smile at the way fate interjects. Who finds themselves randomly talking with a Master the day of an epiphany? All I can say is, “Truth is stranger than fiction!”
Definition:
kan·ji/ˈkänjē/noun
- a system of Japanese writing using Chinese characters.
As I told the Master of my epiphany he excitedly expressed, “I need to Live the Way of The Heart.” Then he graciously offered me the characters, Shin Dao. He sent me his artwork at no charge. The artwork we still use today for the Shin Dao.
SHIN DAO, TRANSLATED FROM JAPANESE KANJI,
IS
HEART WAY
OR
THE WAY OF THE HEART.
After my epiphany, it took me a few days to be able to articulate without becoming a babbling fool what it was I had experienced and share the overall message of my epiphany.
I present to you, The Shin Dao
The Shin Dao is a Path to Loving Who You Are and What You’re Doing with Your Life.
The Shin Dao is a Movement from intellectual, Mind-based living to Compassionate, Heart-based Living.
The Shin Dao is a Philosophy that fosters Wholeness, based on four guiding principles and twelve tenets.
The Four Guiding Pillars of the Shin Dao:
- Develop Your Body
- Inspire Your Mind
- Open Your Heart
- Elevate Your Spirit
Experience the Magic of Life, by living the 12 tenets:
- Connect with the Earth
- Let Go of Your Busy-ness
- Celebrate the Present
- Seek Meaning to Your Life
- Embrace Life, Embrace the Sacred
- Love Freely, Love Deeply
- You Affect Others
- You Never Walk Alone
- You Are the Light
- Celebrate Life’s Little Joys
- Your Body is a Temple
- Go in Peace
