What does Aloha mean?
Aloha is a value, one of unconditional love and inclusive acceptance. Aloha is the outpouring and receiving of the spirit.
Think of aloha as living from the inside out. The last 2 letters: ha, the breath of your life. You capture the very essence of who you are – no one in the world is like you! When you “catch your breath” you capture the authentic, true, real and genuine you. The first 3 letters: alo, your demeanor, the stage presence you put forth for everyone to see. All 5 letters: aloha. Does your outside match your inside? Is your demeanor a reflection of the positive good inside you, and have you captured all your born-in talents? Are you sincerely living and teaching from the inside out?
Aloha is core to all that you are and all you do. It is central to your character because it promotes an attitude that is positive, inclusive and healthy. It is critical to your teaching because it promotes honesty, integrity, trust and dignity. Without Aloha, the other values have no foundation. How can a teacher motivate excellence apart from honesty? How can a teacher foster an atmosphere of gratitude apart from a positive attitude? So, our journey begins with a heart of unconditional love.
The spirit within ~ Rosa Say
Aloha builds bridges not walls. Each act of kindness is a stone for that pathway. Someday, that student, parent and colleague might walk “across” the stones you are carefully laying each and every day. They might find their lives changed forever because of your unconditional love and inclusive acceptance.
Is there a danger in all this? Oh yes! C. S. Lewis said,
“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket—safe, dark motionless, airless—it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable…”
The first choice is yours. In fact, until you decide to live Aloha through your life, you cannot expect to successfully master anything that is to come. Step one – commit yourself to love and from that love, teach!
To encourage you to take that first step, I have some questions to ask you.
Question #1: Who are you willing to be and become in front of your students and staff?
Question #2: Using wise transparency, how willing are you to pour out your true self while embracing the true selves of others?
Question #3: How willing are you to offer your heart knowing that it will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken?
You might be asking, “Are there no easier alternatives?” Compassion is always the right yet most difficult road to travel for it requires everything you have to offer. It means to lovingly suffer alongside. Is this not a deeper definition of “Aloha”? Is your heart ready to be presented?
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