Introduction: From Fear-Based Living to Freedom-Based Living
Imagine this: You are about to do a live video for your business. Your heart is beating fast. Your hands are shaking. A voice in your head whispers: "What if I say something stupid? What if people judge me? What if I fail?" This was me exactly one year ago. I was trapped in what I call a “fear-based mindset”—constantly worried about what could go wrong, focused on lack, and afraid to be truly seen, a classic symptom of the fear of freedom.
Then I discovered Ho'oponopono, an ancient Hawaiian practice of forgiveness and reconciliation. Through this simple but deep practice of healing, I began a transformation that shifted me from that fearful place to what I now call a “freedom-based mindset”—a place of trust, abundance, and personal peace. In this blog, I will share exactly how you can do the same, focusing on overcoming fear.
What Does "From Fear-Based to Freedom-Based" Mean?
Let's break down these two mindsets simply:
A Fear-Based Mindset looks like this:
-
Constant worry about what might go wrong
-
Feeling like you are not good enough
-
Believing that there is not enough to go around (not enough money, love, opportunities)
-
Avoiding risks and new opportunities because of fear of freedom
-
Needing to control everything and everyone
A Freedom-Based Mindset looks like this:
-
Trusting that things will work out
-
Knowing your inherent worth and value
-
Believing in abundance and possibilities
-
Being open to new experiences
-
Feeling a deep sense of personal peace and security inside, regardless of outside circumstances
The good news is that you can shift from one to the other. It is not about pretending your fears don't exist. It is about healing them at their root. That is where Ho'oponopono comes in, offering a path for overcoming fear.
My Personal Story: How I Overcame My Visibility Fear
I have always been a quiet person. When I started my coaching business, I knew I needed to be visible online to attract clients. The thought of posting on social media, doing live videos, or even sharing my opinion made me feel physically sick, a true fear of freedom. I was afraid of criticism, of saying the wrong thing, of being judged as not knowledgeable enough.
I tried everything—breathing exercises, positive affirmations, visualization. While they helped a little, the core fear remained. Then, a mentor introduced me to Ho'oponopono. She explained that my fear was probably not just about the present situation, but a "memory" replaying from my past—perhaps from childhood or even beyond.
She told me: "You need to clean this memory for true healing. Not fight it."
So, every time I felt that familiar clutch of fear in my stomach—when I scheduled a live, when I wrote a post, when I even thought about marketing—I would stop and repeat the four simple phrases of Ho'oponopono:
"I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you."
I wasn't saying this to anyone in particular. I was saying it to the Divine, to the universe, to the memory causing the fear inside me, as a form of meditation. I did it with no expectation.
The first few times, nothing dramatic happened. But after a week or two, I noticed something. The idea of going live felt a little less heavy. After a month, I could schedule a live video without a panic attack, a major step in overcoming fear. After three months, I was not only doing lives regularly but actually enjoying the connection with my audience!
The fear didn't vanish overnight, but it lost its power over me. I was shifting from a mindset of fear ("This will be terrible") to one of freedom ("I am safe to express myself"), achieving a new state of personal peace. This personal victory is what inspired my workshop on overcoming fear and why I am so passionate about sharing Ho'oponopono with you.
What is Ho'oponopono? The Ancient Hawaiian Secret to Peace
Ho'oponopono (pronounced ho-oh-pono-pono) is an ancient Hawaiian practice of reconciliation, forgiveness, and healing. Traditionally, it was a group ceremony where family members would come together to resolve conflicts, with the help of a elder or kahuna, to restore harmony, balance, and personal peace. The word itself roughly translates to "to make right" or "to correct an error”.
The version of Ho'oponopono that I practice, and that has become famous worldwide, was adapted by Morrnah Nalamaku Simeona, a Hawaiian healer, and later by Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len. Dr. Hew Len's story is particularly powerful. He famously used Ho'oponopono to heal an entire ward of mentally ill criminals at the Hawaii State Hospital, a profound demonstration of collective healing.
How did he do it? He would look at each patient's file and then repeat the Ho'oponopono phrases, cleaning on the memories and errors he saw within himself. As he cleaned his own connection to these patients, they began to heal. This story perfectly illustrates the most important principle of modern Ho'oponopono: We take 100% responsibility for everything we experience in our reality, which is the first step to overcoming fear.
The Four Magic Phrases: Understanding the Ho'oponopono Mantra
The heart of the modern Ho'oponopono practice is a simple but profound mantra made up of four phrases:
-
I'm Sorry
-
Please Forgive Me
-
Thank You
-
I Love You
When you say "I love you" to your fear, something amazing happens. The fear, which is a contraction of energy, begins to dissolve in the expansive energy of love, facilitating deep healing. You are not fighting it; you are loving it into transformation, a powerful method for overcoming fear.
How Ho'oponopono Actually Works to Reprogram Your Mind
You might be wondering, "How can saying these words change anything?" The practice works on several levels—spiritual, mental, and even scientific, offering a unique form of healing.
The Spiritual and Mental Mechanism
Ho'oponopono is based on the idea that our subconscious mind is filled with memories or data from the past. These are called "errors" or "programs”. These programs run in the background of our mind, like software, and they create our perceptions and experiences, including the fear of freedom.
For example:
-
A memory of childhood poverty can create a program of "scarcity" in your adult life.
-
A memory of being laughed at can create a program of "fear of public speaking."
Whenever you have a strong negative reaction to a present situation, it is likely because an old memory is being triggered. Ho'oponopono does not analyze or dig into these memories. It simply cleans or erases them. You are asking the Divine to dissolve these old programs so you can return to a state of zero, or blank slate. From this clean state, you can receive inspiration and live in freedom, not from the past, achieving genuine personal peace.
The Science Behind the Practice
While Ho'oponopono is a spiritual practice, modern science helps explain why it's effective for healing and overcoming fear.
-
The Science of Forgiveness: Research has shown that forgiveness is strongly linked to better mental and physical health. It can reduce stress, anxiety, and even symptoms of depression, contributing to personal peace.
-
Neuroplasticity: Your brain has the ability to form new neural pathways throughout your life. By consistently repeating the Ho'oponopono phrases, you are creating new, positive pathways in your brain, weakening the old pathways of fear and the fear of freedom.
Your Simple Guide to Practicing Ho'oponopono Today
The beauty of Ho'oponopono is its simplicity. You can do it anywhere, anytime, and no one needs to know you are doing it. It is a form of moving meditation.
The Basic Practice: A Step-by-Step Guide
-
Notice a Problem: Whenever you feel a negative emotion—fear, anger, sadness, stress—or find yourself in a difficult situation, simply notice it. Acknowledge, "There is a memory replaying here that requires healing."
-
Silently Repeat the Phrases: In your mind, begin to repeat the four phrases. You can say them in any order. Direct them not at a person, but at the memory, the feeling, or the situation itself.
-
Let Go of the Outcome: Do not try to force a certain feeling or result. Just keep repeating the phrases. Trust that the cleaning and healing is happening on a deeper level.
Practice Tip: Weave Ho'oponopono Into Your Day
You don't need to sit in meditation for hours to practice Ho'oponopono (though that is wonderful too). You can make it a part of your daily life, a constant practice in overcoming fear.
-
While commuting: If another driver cuts you off, instead of getting angry, clean on the memory of rush and frustration.
-
Before a meeting: If you feel nervous, take one minute to clean, a quick meditation for overcoming fear.
-
When checking your bank account: If you feel a pang of anxiety about money, clean on the memory of scarcity and the fear of freedom.
The more you clean, the lighter you will feel, and the closer you will be to personal peace.
Advanced Technique: The Hypnotic Ho'oponopono for Deep Healing
For deeper, more stuck patterns of fear, you can try this powerful guided visualization, adapted from hypnotherapy techniques. This is perfect to do just before sleep as a deep meditation for healing.
Find a quiet place where you won't be disturbed. Sit or lie down comfortably. Close your eyes.
Take three deep breaths. Imagine yourself on a beautiful, peaceful beach. See the blue sky, feel the warm sand, hear the gentle waves, a scene of perfect personal peace.
Imagine taking a stick and writing the words "I LOVE YOU" in the sand. Now, in your mind, write your own name under these words. Then, write the names of anyone else you wish to send love to.
Watch as a gentle wave washes over the sand, taking the words and the names with it back into the vast ocean. Imagine this ocean is the universal consciousness, delivering your message of healing.
This process is incredibly powerful because it engages your subconscious mind through visualization, allowing for deep emotional release and overcoming fear.
How Ho'oponopono Transforms Fear into Freedom
Let's get specific about how this practice directly addresses and dissolves the fear of freedom.
The Anatomy of Fear
Fear is often based on one or more of these core "programs":
-
The program of "I am not safe."
-
The program of "I am not enough."
-
The program of "I will be abandoned."
-
The program of "There is not enough."
When you practice Ho'oponopono in a moment of fear, you are not fighting these thoughts. You are not saying, "Go away, fear!" which would be resisting it and making it stronger. Instead, you are embracing the fear with love, a profound healing gesture. You are saying to the memory causing the fear:
"I'm sorry that this memory of danger is inside me. Please forgive me for holding onto it. Thank you for the opportunity to clean it. I love you."
By loving the fear, you are integrating it. You are acknowledging its presence without letting it run the show, a key to overcoming fear. You are cleaning the program at its root.
Real-Life Success Stories: Ho'oponopono in Action
Hearing how others have used this practice can make it more real. Here are two stories from my workshop participants (names changed for privacy).
David's Story: Overcoming the Fear of Pricing
David was a talented healer but struggled to charge what he was worth, a financial fear of freedom. Every time he sent a proposal to a new client, he would feel anxious and lower his price, fearing they would say no. He was operating from a deep program of "I am not valuable enough."
We worked on a specific Ho'oponopono practice for pricing. I asked him to open his price list and, whenever he felt that anxiety, to repeat the phrases. Within a month, David reported a shocking shift. Not only was he able to state his prices with confidence, but he also attracted two new clients who happily paid his full rate. By cleaning his internal sense of worth, his external reality reflected it back, a true healing of his money mindset.
Maria's Story: Healing a Broken Relationship
Maria had not spoken to her sister in five years after a big argument. The pain and anger were still fresh. She wanted to reconcile but couldn't bring herself to make the first move, a relational fear of freedom. We used the hypnotic Ho'oponopono technique as a nightly meditation.
Every night, she would visualize her sister on the beach. She would write "I AM SORRY" and "PLEASE FORGIVE ME" in the sand with both their names and let the waves take it. She did this without expectation. After two weeks, her sister texted her out of the blue, saying, "I was thinking about you. I miss you." They are now slowly rebuilding their relationship. Maria cleaned her side of the memory, and the entire relationship dynamic shifted through the power of healing.
Deepening Your Practice: Building a Freedom-Based Life
Ho'oponopono is a journey, not a one-time fix. Here is how to make it a part of your life for lasting personal peace.
Creating a Simple Routine
-
Morning Cleaning: Before you even get out of bed, take two minutes to say the phrases. Clean the day ahead of you, a mini-meditation to start the day.
-
Evening Cleaning: Before you sleep, clean the day that has passed. Release any stuck emotions or events. This will help you sleep better and maintain personal peace.
-
Trigger Practice: Commit to using the phrases every time you feel a negative emotion, a constant practice in overcoming fear.
Conclusion: Your Invitation to a Lighter Life
From fear-based to freedom-based living is not a far-off dream. It is a practical, achievable shift that begins with a simple decision to clean. Ho'oponopono offers you the tools to stop being a victim of your circumstances and to become the conscious creator of your life, a path of profound healing.
You don't have to believe in it for it to work. You just have to do it. As Dr. Hew Len often said, "The main thing is to clean, clean, clean," through prayer, meditation, or silent repetition.
Your freedom from the fear of freedom and your journey to personal peace is on the other side of that cleaning. Start your healing today by embracing the practice of Ho'oponopono and commit to overcoming fear for good.
🌸 About Neeti Keswani
Neeti Keswani is the founder of Plush Ink and host of the Luxury Unplugged Podcast, where luxury meets spirituality. As an author, storyteller, and self-improvement coach, she helps conscious creators and professionals align with purpose, identity, and abundance through mindset transformation and emotional healing.
Her mission is to empower people to live with intention, authenticity, and joy — blending inner work with outer success.
Connect with Neeti:
🎙️ Luxury Unplugged Podcast — https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/luxury-unplugged-podcast-where-luxury-meets-spirituality/id1551277118
📖 Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/keswanineeti/
💼 LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/neetikeswani/
🌐 Plush Ink — https://www.plush-ink.com