26 May Aloha Your Future

Aloha!

Aloha from Honolulu, where I’ve spent the past three weeks as my mom continues her journey in hospice care. ❤️

As I meandered along Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki recently, as the Hawaiian sun spread its gentle warmth and the gusty island breezes rustled the palm leaves overhead, I encountered an unexpected pearl of wisdom.

A radiant young island wahine, basking under the cerulean Hawaiian skies, clutched a bag adorned with an inscription as clear and peaceful as the gentle waves lapping the shore:

“Don’t Trip on the Past.”

Isn’t that a mana’o (thought, idea) we could hold dear in our hearts?

The word “Aloha” dances with duality. It warmly ushers in beginnings with ‘hello’ and softly closes chapters with ‘goodbye’. But, this beautiful word also harbors another profound meaning – ‘love’. It invites us to consider our own pasts with a lens of affection and understanding.

It implores us to ‘love’ our past, to appreciate it for the wisdom it has bestowed upon us, to warmly acknowledge it for the strength it has instilled in us. Yet, with the same breath, Aloha encourages us to know when it’s time to bid this past farewell, to ‘let it go’, allowing ourselves the freedom to move towards the future unburdened.

Thus, through the spirit of Aloha, we learn to love our past and know when to lovingly let it go.

As we navigate our life’s holo holo (journey), we each weave our unique kapa (cloth) of memories, experiences, and lessons that shape our being.

Sometimes, however, we might trip over these threads of the past, tangling ourselves in a labyrinth of regrets and resentments.

We’ve all performed this familiar hula: replaying old mistakes, our minds spinning like a never-ending auana (modern hula). Such trips can stir up turbulent waves within us, threatening to anchor us away from reaching our full potential. It’s time we change the rhythm.

But how do we sidestep these stumbles and inspire ourselves towards a future that gleams as bright as the Hawaiian sunrise?

• Aloha Your Past: Our past is like our kūpuna (elder), always present from the start. Let’s greet it with aloha, a warm hello. Accept these memories for what they are – unique pieces of your life’s beautiful kapa. Without them, we wouldn’t be the strong, resilient ‘ohana we are today.
• Shape Pain into Power: Each stumble, every misstep, offers a call to learn and grow. What ‘ike (wisdom) do these past trips want to share? Once you uncover the wisdom hidden beneath the surface, give a warm aloha, a goodbye, to the remaining pain, allowing it to be swept away by the Pacific tide.
• Craft a Bright Future: The best way to avoid tripping over the past is by carving a brighter future. Dream as boundless as the Mauna Kea sky, set your goals in tune with the rhythm of the waves, and envision a future as inspiring as a Hawaiian sunset. Each step towards this future transforms the past into a soft whisper carried away by the trade winds.

Stumbling over the past may feel like an inevitable part of our holo holo, but it doesn’t have to be. By offering aloha to our past, turning pain into power, and etching a bright future, we can turn every trip into a graceful step in the hula of life.

Here’s to your journey of growth and purposeful strides towards the horizon!

Sending warm aloha and light,