Hawaiians are happy and carefree people. You just have to look at a native of Hawaii, President Barack Obama – so laid back that it is sometimes hard to believe that he has one of the toughest jobs in the world. Hawaii also consistently tops the list of states where people consider themselves the happiest, and has the least stressed citizens. Besides the beaches, the sun and the surf, what makes this place so full of happiness? Well, five reasons that can be summed up in five Hawaii slangs:
Aloha – Hello, Bye, Love
Aloha can be heard all the time on these islands. It’s the first thing you’ll hear when you arrive, the last thing you’ll say, is the way you show affection and compassion. It is a way of life, a way of doing everything with love. You eat with aloha, you surf with aloha, and you work with aloha. To live happily, you need to live with love. Nice and simple.
Ahonui – Patience
Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Everything takes time. Overcome a heartbreak, wait for the weekend, find a solution. All. And unless you have a scheduled appointment, there is no point in rushing, what you expect will not come sooner. So relax, take it easy and don’t worry.
Ohana – Family
In the movie, Lilo and Stitch, Lilo tells Stitch, “Ohana means family, family means that no one is left behind. That nobody is forgotten ”. And that’s the way Hawaiians see things; live and not live. We are all family and we should treat each other as such. The word Ohana comes from the malanga plant, oha, and expresses that we all come from the same root.
Akahai – Friendliness
Be kind and you will receive kindness. It is as simple as it sounds. If they do not respond like this, remember that kindness is precisely about giving without expecting to receive anything in return.
Pono – Justice
Be fair. With you. With the others. With the environment. With everything. You can even find this way of looking at things in the Hawaiian saying, “Ua Mau ke Ea o ka Aina i ka Pono,” or “Life on earth is perpetuated because of justice.” Just imagine how you feel when you set a personal goal and achieve it. When you help that old woman cross the street, when she plants a tree, adopts a dog, or says thank you for something. She makes you feel good, right?
Apply these words to your daily life and you will understand what it is like to live life as a true Hawaiian. Aloha!