‘Imi ola: We are meant to be Seekers

‘Imi ola is “to seek life.”
Our purpose in life is to seek its highest form.
Fourth in Series Two on Managing with Aloha | By Rosa Say

It’s time for ALOHA woven into our autumn of 2016.

Finishing well, and Leaping ahead

At this time of year, my thoughts tend to go in two different, yet very complementary directions. With one, I think about finishing well. With the other, I think about getting a head start on the New Year to come.

It just so happens, that our #AlohaIntentions value for the months of November and December frames these two complementary directions perfectly: Our value is ‘IMI OLA, subject of chapter 3 in Managing with Aloha, which is “to seek life.”

You will find my kick-off essay published on RosaSay.com:
‘Imi ola: We are meant to be Seekers

Self-coaching with Value Guidance

Before you click over to read it my essay, take a moment to ask yourself a simple question: What am I looking for?

As one of our Aloha Intentions, “managing with Aloha” entails two parts, self-managing our own behavior, and managing the behavior of others. If not a “manager” explicitly by title and responsibility, we manage the behavior of others by acting in full awareness of our ability to influence others.

Thus the question of what you may be looking for, asks those two things as well:

• What are you looking for, for you?
• What are you looking for, for others who surround you, those living and working with you?

Be a seeker, and support those who are your seekers.

Asking Good Questions

Asking a good question of ourselves is always a good way to start working within any value-of-the-month program.

“What am I looking for?” relates to the ‘imi of ‘IMI OLA —to look, to hunt, to search, to seek. To take notice. To observe with intent. To explore. To discover. To have an aha! moment of wonder:

My Girl Sasha Looking Good on the Street by Thomas Hawk

Wonder

To have an inner capacity that can always make room for awe and wonder is such a blessing.
To return to child-like innocence and acceptance, to be rendered speechless, and have it feel good and right, never helpless.
To not have all the answers but feel it is perfectly fine not to, to just have wonder.
~ Twelve Aloha Virtues

To ask yourself, “What am I looking for?” is to ask yourself what you hope to gain from the next two months, and to clarify exactly what it is you want to happen: The Instinctive Natural Selection of Wanting.

However ‘IMI OLA is freeing as well; it gives you the option of not having a specific answer, and simply indulging in the search, as you look for one.

To Seek, and To Ask, is to Be Open to Discovery

An answer can surprise you.

I myself have sat with the question, “What am I looking for?” for a few weeks now, for so goes publishing schedules (Ke Ola needs my essay a full two months in advance to prepare for their magazine’s printing).

Ever the pragmatist, my own answers started off logically and predictably. Then I challenged myself to keep asking: Every weekend, I have written, “What am I looking for?” atop a new journal page, then folded the page into 2 columns, “For me (self-managing)” on the left, and “For others (managing intention)” on the right.

I push myself, so each column of notes capturing my thoughts will not duplicate what I wrote the weekend before.

It’s been an interesting exercise so far, and I intend to continue it for the remaining weekends in 2016, both to finish well and to leap ahead.

Join me. Value your month, to value your life. Our Aloha Intentions seek to bring good to us, if only we let them.

Related Reading:

• Alaka‘i Managers Make Plans
• To Manage with Aloha is to Hack Behavior
• Better Person, Better Manager, Better Leader. Alaka‘i Batch 24

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