Mana'o Mondays - Ho'ohana-Finding Purpose and Meaning in Work

A.L.O.H.A. Team Pearl!

???Our theme for this week's Mana'o Monday is?Ho'ohana??[ho'oh hah-nah].?Ho'ohana?is the value of doing purposeful and meaningful work. When we work towards something with intention, it provides a feeling of satisfaction and purpose that nothing else can.

Ho'o?=?"to do"

Hana?=?"to work with purpose or intent"

??Work can be hard. Some people work because they "have to",?some because they "want to", and others consider work to not be work at all.?Ho'ohano?is when?work aligns with your values, passion and talents- it becomes personal and has meaning to you. When this occurs, work inspires and motivates you.?

??In high school, I ran Cross Country. I was not the fastest runner on the team- in fact, when I started I hated running. I was the one who walked over ? of the quarter mile in gym class because it felt as though my side would split in half. I literally had no "experience" or "talent" to run but I wanted to participate in a sport that would challenge me physically and mentally. I worked hard every day to listen, learn and motivate myself – especially when I wanted to quit. In practices, I pushed myself to beat my personal records and squeezed out words of encouragement to my teammates as we ran side-by-side to help keep them going- even if I didn't think I had any breath left in me. I was usually at the back of the pack so keeping up was essential- otherwise everyone would have to wait for me. Usually, at the beginning of the season, there would be a lot of people on the team- by the end, about a quarter to half of the team would drop out.

??I noticed that the?"drop-outs"?would usually be the ones who complained about practices being too hard, or gossip about the coaches/ players- spreading lies and negativity. Some of us ignored them, and some listened. The ones who listened usually ended up dropping out as well. It was a cancer that would normally spread fast. Those of us who didn't listen continued to try our best and remain focused.?When our coach said to get down and do 10 burpees, we did it. When our coach said to sit down and relax, so we could mentally visualize race day, we did. When we practiced, we were focused and over time, we learned to become in synch with our bodies and minds when we ran.

??What I learned from these experiences is that it's not about the destination. It's about finding meaning in the journey. Overtime, the pain in my legs went away and it was easier to breathe when I ran. I could focus and found my groove. The hard work of running became like second nature and I found joy and peace with every step I took and every mile that passed. As I got better, I felt confident and eventually began to run with purpose and intent- for myself and my team.?Running became meaningful and an essential part of my life during my high school career.

??This is?Ho'ohana. My "work" didn't become any easier- I had to find meaning in my "work" and put in my 100%. I had to become stronger and more resilient and find my place on the team.

???There are many ways to implement this value into your life, but the most important thing is to?start where you are. Trying to do everything at once is overwhelming. Focus on the journey not the destination. In the process, here are some things to consider:

1.???Create Purpose In Your Work

Creating purpose is different from?finding?purpose. When you create purpose, you?intentionally choose the WHY?behind what you're doing—whether that be pursuing a promotion, raising your kids in loving environment, making extra money, or working towards a dream vacation. When you?find?purpose, you go through a?checklist?in your head of your reasons to work.

2.???Take Initiative

When you see an opportunity to learn and grow in your work, take initiative.?Ho'ohana?is about building others and yourself up at the same time.

Have you ever had a disagreeable co-worker or work environment? How easy is it to complain and gossip about it? Or to just quit and search of a place that would "make you happier"??While some situations are toxic, most jobs are great "except that one thing or person." What if we implemented the value of?ho'ohana?to grow and expand ourselves and our abilities to give and receive?A.L.O.H.A.?

Every person has weaknesses, so how can we use our strengths to help with the weaknesses of others??Ho'ohana?is not letting the downers of work prevent you from doing meaningful work. Instead,?take initiative and seek solutions.

3.???Be Creative

If you know that the work you currently do isn't what you want to do forever, then truly let the value of?ho'ohana?sink in by being creative.?Ho'ohana?is all about stretching ourselves to reach our dreams.?Sometimes you have to do things differently to do work that is purposeful and meaningful to you.?Search for ways to improve your work if it frustrates you and seek our new perspectives. Sometimes, we don't see our own potential or the potential of others unless we've looked at things from another perspective.

4.???Stay Positive

It is?essential?to stay positive. Work can be enjoyable when we create purpose and see it as a part of life. Finding our purpose and our "Why" in even the most mundane things can help motivate us to reach our goals.

There will always be work to do-?Ho'ohana?helps us enjoy and even love the work we do because work has purpose and meaning to us.?It is my hope that you are in the "job of your dreams" or have found purpose in your work. It is truly fulfilling and enjoyable when our values, talents, and skills can align through our work.

"E lawe i ke a?o a mālama, a e ?oi mau ka na?auao."

He who takes his teachings and applies them increases his knowledge.

With A.L.O.H.A.,

Melissa Lamerson

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The Values of A.L.O.H.A. are traits of character that express the charm, warmth and sincerity of Hawaii's people. It was the working philosophy of native Hawaiians and was presented as a gift to the people of Hawaii. "Aloha" is more than a word of greeting or farewell or a salutation. "Aloha" means mutual regard and affection and extends warmth in caring with no obligation in return. "Aloha" is the essence of relationships in which each person is important to every other person for collective existence. "Aloha" means to hear what is not said, to see what cannot be seen and to know the unknowable. (Pono Shim)

"Akahai", meaning kindness to be expressed with tenderness;

"Lōkahi", meaning unity, to be expressed with harmony;

"?Olu?olu" meaning agreeable, to be expressed with pleasantness;

"Ha?aha?a", meaning humility, to be expressed with modesty;

"Ahonui", meaning patience, to be expressed with perseverance.