Aloha mai kākou, and Aloha to the month of August!
Are you someone who adopts a value of the month? As you probably know, I’m a big fan of doing so, for culture-building organizationally, and as a habit of self-coaching: Value Your Month for One — You.
“Values equip us;
they are a source of renewable energy, grounded in what we truly believe in.”
Let’s give some Aloha to August, shall we?
Ua ola loko i ke aloha.
Love gives life within.
“Love is imperative to one’s mental and physical welfare.”
ALOHA is the value we are currently working on within our #AlohaIntentions program hosted by Ke Ola Magazine, within which we devote two months time to each value immersion:
- Series Kick-off: Aloha Intentions: Ke Ola Series 2
- July 1st: Aloha ~ “for real.”
- We will revisit Ho‘ohana, the value of worthwhile work, on September 1st.
As quick review, our “Aloha Attentions” are the five actionable verb phrases: Living with Aloha, Working with Aloha, Speaking with Aloha, Managing with Aloha, and Leading with Aloha.
For an Aloha reboot in the month to come, I turned to Mary Kawena Pukui’s ‘Ōlelo No‘eau, Hawaiian Proverbs & Political Sayings. We find that ALOHA is truly a testament to love in these proverbs.
Ua kuluma ke kanaka i ke aloha.
Love is a customary virtue with man.
“Man encounters love daily.”
He pūnāwai kahe wale ke aloha.
Love is a spring that flows freely.
“Love is without bounds and exists for all.”
He manu ke aloha, ‘a‘ohe lālā kau ‘ole.
Love is like a bird—there is no branch that it does not perch upon.
“Love is an emotion shared by all.”
and;
He ‘ohu ke aloha, ‘a‘ohe kuahiwi kau ‘ole.
Love is like mist—there is no mountaintop that it does not settle upon.
“Love comes to all.”
A aloha wale ‘ia ka ho‘i o Kaunuohua, he pu‘u wale no.
Even Kaunuohua, a hill, is loved.
“If a hill can be loved, how much more so a human?”
He ali‘i ka la‘i, he haku na ke aloha.
Peace is a chief, the lord of love.
“Where peace is, there love abides also.”
He ali‘i ke aloha, he ‘ohu no ke kino.
Uttered by Hi‘iaka in a chant to the sister of Lohi‘au.
“Love is chiefly, an adornment for the person.”
He ‘e‘epa ke aloha, he kula‘ilua.
Love is peculiar; it pushes in opposite directions.
“Love goes two ways—to love and to be loved.”
I ho‘okāhi kāhi ke aloha.
Be one in love.
“Be united in the bonds of affection.”
Kama ‘ia ke aloha a pa‘a i loko.
Bind love that it may remain fast within.
“Be a person who knows love.”
O ke aloha ke kuleana o kāhi malihini.
Love is the host in strange lands.
“In old Hawai‘i, every passerby was greeted and offered food whether he was an acquaintance or a total stranger.”
‘Ono kāhi ‘ao lū‘au me ke aloha pū.
A little taro green is delicious when love is present.
“Even the plainest fare is delicious when there is love.”
There are many lessons within the poetry of these sayings, and much coaching for we who are managers seeking to create and foster places of Aloha at work.
These proverbs aren’t about romantic love; they speak to our basic sense of belonging and worth. Thus, I think they help us better understand how we can make love’s common sense and grace part of the workplace, and without any touchy-feeling squirming whatsoever.
In each of our Aloha Intentions, we recognize that the Aloha Spirit resides within us, and within every other person we will encounter, as ALO, their presence, and HA, the very breath of their life. When I read these proverbs collectively, they strongly evoke our 9th Key Concept for me, the unlimited capacity of Palena ‘ole.
In these sayings, I read of life-giving, of virtue in character, of emotion as one’s right, of human dignity, of peaceful environments, of adornment as the demeanor of Aloha presence. I think about reciprocity, about unity and harmony, about generous hospitality, about nourishment through work, about sense of belonging, and about intention.
I read of so many avenues we can take with experiencing Aloha, and offering those experiences to others, becoming better as we do so.
What do you read within them? What do they affirm for you? What do they inspire you to do?
May your August be filled with Aloha.
Value your month, and within Aloha you will value your life.
Rosa
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As always, beautiful words, beautifully written!
Much to process, think about and do! Thanks, Rosa ❤️