Photo Courtesy of Dezign Horizon
A teacher of mine said, “Have hope.”
I sat in a hallway layered with lauhala mats. There were two rows of people sitting down facing each other with an aisle wide enough for two people to walk down. I was taking part in a traditional Hawaiian ceremony with around 70 men and women, and at the end of the aisle were our teachers.
Each of them spoke with profound lessons and continued to challenge their students to become leaders, stronger, smarter, and of course better looking.
But one word reached out to me…Mana’olana.
Hope.
There’s a Hawaiian saying that goes as such:
My hope lies in the future; my strength lies in the past; my survival lies in the joining of the two.
We are all looking for hope. Hope is one of the greatest assets in the world. It allows you to ho’omau, persevere, and stay motivated. It allows you to use your craziest imagination to make a difference and be an influence.
Hope is also one of the most influential gifts you can give to another. It’s part of sharing the spirit of Aloha.
Being Native Hawaiian, it’s important to remember my past and the ones who came before me. Without the past, I wouldn’t be here.
In the Hawaiian culture we believe our ancestors set the foundation and guidance. We can only hope we make them proud. And for the future generations still to come, we hope we leave behind a legacy full of influence and pride to inspire continuous hope for better things to come in life.
So what ever goal, dream, or aspiration you have, like my teacher recollected from a story, “Look out to the horizon.”
When others look towards the horizon they may just see a line or an end, nothingness.
Not you.
You see Possibilities and Hope.
Aloha and Mahalo.