In today's world, the emphasis often seems to be on convenience. Much of the newer technologies stand out based on how much more convenient they make tasks than older technologies. Modern society may have become acclimated to shortcuts, and this can often carry over to elements of our personal lives. The things that we want in our lives, we typically want in the most expeditious and easiest way possible.



The search for the easiest and most direct path often carries over to more personal issues, such as self-improvement or an improved quality of life. On the other hand, beliefs remain in place that for certain things shortcuts don't exist, and only committed effort over the long haul will show results. In fact, there's a tendency even to criticize methods or a mindset that looks for a quick or easy solution to resolving situations.

One particular problem solving technique however not only embraces the notion of easy solutions, but is quite proud of it. The ho'oponopono problem solving method is often described by its enthusiasts as the simplest and least resistant way to change one's life for the better. This way of describing ho'oponopono is appealing to some, but raises suspicion among others because it claims to bypass something many people think is inevitable: hard work.

The practice of the ho'oponopono form is generations old. In the traditional ho'oponopono form, whole families would converge and participate in conflict resolution. Traditional ho'oponopono required every individual connected to the dispute in some way or other to be present during dispute resolution, and for someone to take a leadership role and guide the entire process. An updated form of ho'oponopono claims to have altered the ho'oponopono process to involve only an individual and the source of all creation, or God, or however one prefers to refer to such an entity. While ho'oponopono does embrace the notion of a higher source and connecting to it, ho'oponopono isn't any form of organized religion.

Practitioners of ho'oponopono state that ho'oponopono does demonstrate positive results without the need for great effort, though the results don't necessarily occur in a timely fashion. When the positive results from practicing ho'oponopono happen isn't predictable, but according to ho'oponopono's dedicated following, the positive results are assured to occur. While ho'oponopono is certainly not absolutely accepted, it does have a core of dedicated followers and its notoriety is growing. While ho'oponopono's claims haven't necessarily been documented in some impartial, experimental way, the claims do exist, and people are willing to testify to their legitimacy.