3 Ps

What principles define how you live?

I’m dedicating this post to my best friend Wendi whose birthday was this month, but who passed away far too soon. I miss her everyday.

She and I bonded over our individual quests to somehow figure out life. We read, we studied, we signed up, we listened. After her diagnosis, when things really didn’t make sense and only bits and pieces of things we’d learned could be applied, she found the Three Principles.

Together we drove up to LA to listen to a guy named Michael Neil. She had researched this and I hadn’t. I came along as her skeptical side kick. We arrived at the same time and met in the parking garage, and even rode the elevator with, the featured speaker, Michael himself. This sort of Seinfeld moment/serendipity was a common Wendi thing. Years later we would all laugh at that first encounter. She said something like, I have your same credentials, I could do what you’re doing. He sort of chuckled in his good natured way and agreed, even though the first part of our conversation was about how we barely understood what these three principles even were.

Wendy did become a trained Three P coach, a good one. Here are the principles:

1) There is an infinite intelligence that runs things. Sun comes up, acorns turn into oak trees, herds get to water holes after they fill with seasonal rain. The day changes every year, but somehow the animals know. There’s an energy and an orchestration and we are all part of it.

2) We have the ability to become aware of ourselves. We can come out of our own thoughts and notice ourselves thinking. I think it’s called being conscious or maybe conscious awareness.

3) Everything is thought. Everything we see or hear or are in any way aware of, started as thought and remains in the category of thought. We experience as thought. Thought is a creative substance from which everything originates

As our day in LA progressed, there was a conflict Wendi was on her phone trying to straighten out. It had to do with one of her kids and it was getting her agitated. That, on top of what sounded like a lot of talking in circles about these elusive principles.

At some point I raised my hand and was answered simply. I somehow let go of my thoughts and I got a tiny glimpse of what they were trying to explain. It was an experience of calm understanding and peace around a topic I had had concerns about for years.

Wendi got nothing. She was still involved in the heated argument with what ever coach and was further angered that she still didn’t know what the 3 Ps even were.

Wendi being Wendi, only doubled down on her study. She went to an island in Washington to learn more. Eventually she earned certification and became really good at helping people through major life events by explaining these principles.

Michael will tell you that the principles aren’t complicated, we all have a knowing of them and like gravity, they just are. I think he’s the one who said it’s like putting a glass of sand and water swirled together down. If it gets a chance to settle, the water like our thoughts will become clear.

I googled ‘principles’ for this prompt question before I remembered. You know that stage babies go through where they drop everything and watch it fall? Experts say they are learning about gravity and trying it out. I might be still in that phase with these

Just like things always fall down (never up), these principles do prove themselves over and over to me. Maybe like the baby I’m still wondering if there might be an exception ? Or sometimes I just forget and have to be re reminded…

Anyway, sorry this is so long. Enjoy your Monday. If you’re curious about these 3 Ps, Michael Neil is on youtube or you can google him.