Beliefs are a fascinating aspect of our visible/invisible world.  I had two big wake up realizations walking on fire.  The first time I walked on fire. I went to watch others do it not believing that I could or would walk on those hot ashes myself. The fire walk started by burning a huge pile of cut up timber and it took hours for it to burn down into a pile of ashes that were then raked into a long trail 6 to 8 feet across and 10 to 12 feet long. I looked at those red hot coals and thought, hahaha, not me.

The trainer was first to walk slowly down that red hot trail and we were all glued to his experience. He never flinched and he showed us his feet, he didn’t get burned.  The next two fire walkers were children, a little girl about 7 years old and her brother 9 years. They ran down the red hot coals holding hands. The exhilaration was shining on their faces. At the end of their walk  they both showed us their  their feet to prove that they didn’t get burned.

Wow, I told myself, if 2 little kids can do this, surely I can. I realized at that moment how much my beliefs were connected to seeing what I desired to do … acted out for me .. to make it real, to make it visible. I  waited until I heard a voice within me and felt a visceral feeling in my heart say “okay, it’s time, we can do this,” then I felt ready and did  walk on those hot coals.  and I didn’t get burned.It was an awesome experience.

My second biggest lesson that day was watching their 16 year old sister.  It would be her first time to walk on fire too. She watched her siblings run down that red hot bed of coals and obviously thought (as I did) that if they could do it, she could also. So she ran down the bed of coals …  but she burned both of her feet quite severely. She didn’t wait to hear the voice within, she listened and acted from a “voice of competition.”

My next big lesson came at my 3rd fore walk. it was mostly women and the man inspired to create the fire walk. When it was taking perhaps too long for women to start walking on the fire he walked up to 2 women and offered an arm to each one. They moved their attention from listening to their inner voice to listening to his voice. They both got burned. Our inner/ outer awareness of our attention is very important.

My biggest lessons about belief are:  Take time to ask questions of my inner voice, listen for response  and before I take action.