“Sometimes something resonates with you and you don’t immediately know why. Later, when the realization hits, you are astounded by the ways in which the Universe speaks to you.”
Dear Universe,
As soon as we arrived in Maui, we knew it. It wasn’t just the tropical scenery or the warm weather; it was the feeling we got when we met new people and were greeted with an “aloha.”
I didn’t give the actual word much thought. I figured it meant “hello” and “goodbye” and that was it.
But as the trip neared its ending, I noticed something.
We were in a gift shop where some locally made products carried the promise they were, “made from aloha.” It reminded me of how my daily morning cup of coffee carried the tagline, “brewed from aloha.”
On our last night there, I spotted a pretty and simple sign.
I knew we had to have it. The word aloha and the hibiscus flower would always make us think of our time in Maui. And, I had just the spot for it in our home!
As we sat at the airport waiting to depart, I found myself still wondering what this word could mean and decided to do some basic research.
Immediately something became very clear. Aloha is not just a greeting.
As I read online for answers, I realized something else right away. There is no clear definition of “aloha.” It’s one of those words that describes a feeling, a way of life, morals to live by, and so naturally there is no one set meaning.
That being said, the essence of aloha is pretty similar all around and the more I read, the more I fell in love with this beautiful word.
In Hawaii, aloha is a spirit or code of ethics to live by. It means being kind and tender. It means being humble, generous, patient and loving. I started to understand that if you live in the spirit of aloha, you are letting the very best parts of you shine.
One site explains aloha as an acronym that means this:
“A, ala, watchful, alertness
L, lokahi, working with unity
O, oia’i’o, truthful honesty
H, ha’aha’a, humility
A, ahonui, patient perseverance”
Reading on, I found that some people believe the meaning behind the word aloha is to, “To consciously manifest life joyously in the present.”
Naturally, this spoke to me! Yes! Now that is a word I can live by. For me, manifesting a joyous life is the ultimate goal of each day.
As I kept reading I saw this:
“Another translation of Aloha gives us the prime method of acquiring the Mana or spiritual influence, to use in manifesting. Breathing in the present moment. Awareness of your breath and correct normal breathing increases Mana and concentrated breathing increases mana even more.”
Or as another site put it,
“The literal meaning of aloha is ‘the presence of breath’ or ‘the breath of life.’”
It seemed the more I read, the more I understood why this word had spoken to me.
Sometimes we simply need to be reminded to be in the present, fully aware of the world unfolding around us. Often, the best way to have a mindful reset and return to the present, is to take a few deep breaths in and out.
The site continues on to say that:
“According to the old kahunas (priests), being able to live the Spirit of Aloha was a way of reaching self-perfection and realization for our own body and soul. Aloha is sending and receiving a positive energy. Aloha is living in harmony. When you live the Spirit of Aloha, you create positive feelings and thoughts, which are never gone. They exist in space, multiply and spread over to others.”
Harmony? Thinking good thoughts? Giving and receiving positive energy? Yes! This is how I try to live each day.
The more I read, the more I loved the word. The whole time we were in Maui, I had felt like it was such a bright and spiritually lifting place. Reading how this one word could embody such a moving essence, made me feel I had been right.
As I sat in the airport, sad to leave this paradise, I was even more glad I had bought the sign the night before we left Hawaii.
It was as if I knew it was something more meaningful, something that spoke to me on a soul level.
Now when I look at the sign each day, it’s not just a reminder of an amazing vacation, but it’s also become a one word mantra of how I want to live and be in the world.
Aloha.
Much Gratitude,
A
