Ha‘aha‘a means Humility Laughing

Actually it doesn’t. Not exactly.

Ha‘aha‘a is indeed the Hawaiian value of humility, however the word alone does not mean humility laughing. That is my kaona about it.

The kaona of a word or phrase refers to the hidden meaning the speaker may have in choosing to say it.

Sometimes kaona hints to a long and involved story, and other times it is as simple as mine with Ha‘aha‘a.

Ha‘aha‘a ~ I think the Hawaiian word we have for humility simply looks like another very creative way to spell those Ha ha ha! belly tickles of laughter, and I love thinking about that.

May will be the month I explain it a bit more, and then some.

Photo on Flickr by tarotastic: “Is It Really That Funny?!”

Hopefully it won’t just be me! Laughter is so much better with company :)

May will be our month to talk story about whatever kaona we each may have about humility. Life is dishing up some difficult times for us right now, and I have chosen Ha‘aha‘a because of the positive expectancy it gives us. When we are humble we learn quickly and completely. We adjust however we need to, and we are okay with it.

Join me?

As we usually do, we start with the definition within Managing with Aloha, just as a start we can build on:

MY MANA‘O (what I believe to be true) About Humility ~ ~ ~ Ha‘aha‘a Humility. Be humble, be modest, and open your thoughts. Ha‘aha‘a. Have humility. Ha‘aha‘a teaches us to groom our own character with humility in respect for others. There is nothing noble in being superior to someone else; true nobility is in being superior to your previous self. Ha‘aha‘a helps us understand that no individual can satisfy every need. All in the ‘Ohana are needed. All are to be respected and supported for the talent and uniqueness they offer. Be humble, be modest, and open your thoughts. This is Ha‘aha‘a.

What about you?

When you hear the word humility, what do you think about?

Is there a difference for you when you think about humility as a human value?

Let’s talk story, shall we? As we do so, we can value our month, and value our life.

We Ho‘ohana (work intentionally) and study Ha‘aha‘a (Humility Laughing, and more) Kākou, together, for together we are stronger, together we are better (and together, we do laugh!)
~ Rosa

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If you have arrived at MWAC for the first time, ALOHA and welcome!

This is what MWAC is About, and Ha‘aha‘a is our value study of the month for May 2008.

You are warmly invited and encouraged to subscribe and become part of our Ho‘ohana Community.

Ho‘ohana with us!
~ Rosa Say
More about me here.

Comments

[Robyn]

Rosa, in my mind humility laughing is laughing at your own foibles. It takes great inner strength and humility to do that. Others join in the fun with you. Besides then you are not laughing at others. :-) That is the koana I would like to add to your beautiful post.

Thanks making May 1 very special!

[Rosa Say]

Robyn I greatly admire those who can laugh at themselves because it tells me they are completely comfortable in their own skin. But you are right, it takes great inner strength to do that... peculiar isn't it, how much bravery and strength can be needed just to be who we are.

[Patty]

..."true nobility is in being superior to your previous self."

That has to be one of the most powerful statements I've read in a very long time. Thank you so much for sharing it!

My office is full of hard-working people who run around like chickens with their heads cut off. They move frantically but effectively from one task to another. But given the pace, we sometimes mess things up. And, of course, it happens in a public way. The best part: the whole office comes together in support of that person, and, after the fact when the mistake is fixed (usually, in record time), we have a few good jokes at our staff meeting about it, and we all laugh together. It reminds us that we're human, and that our work is important but not at the expense and harm of good people.

[Rosa Say]

Patty it sounds to me like you have a very healthy workplace. Humility laughing can and does add to workplace health in a very unique way!

Thank you so much for sharing your comment, for I think what you describe is so easily achievable when a team agrees to support each other in this way of mistake-fixing. Those friendly jokes at your staff meeting do serve as a kind of cultural agreement. It is a strength to see the gems in the everyday activities of what we do, and I greatly appreciate this dose of positive reflection you have added for us here, mahalo nui.

[Karen Swim]

Aloha Rosa,

When I think of humility I think of it as embracing our imperfections, and admitting that we don't know it all, or have it all. It is the ability to submit to daily growth and learning and maintaining a healthy sense of humor about it all. I look forward to the month Rosa of learning, growing and laughing. ;-)

[Per @timage via Twitter]

@rosasay - I think humility is exhibiting strength and confidence in the process of adding value to others.

[Rosa Say]

These resonate Karen - "embracing our imperfections" and "the ability to submit...daily" Our daily actions are what add up to terrific habits!

@timage I like that! Mahalo :) strength is a word so full of kaona (storied meanings to people)

[Joanna Young]

Rosa, just catching up with my reading

When I think of being humbled it's when I come across someone else who does something or just "is" in a certain way that makes me feel awe-inspired at the way they are and who they are. When people are being magnificently human.

It's not a feeling that makes me feel small in a negative way though, more small like wow, here we all are, just imperfectly perfect people stumbling our way through, and look how magnificent that is.

Joanna

[Rosa Say]

I quite understand Joanna ---and am happy you decided to catch up with me!

Hualalai once produced a calendar where there was a value of the month printed on some stunning photos very simply embossed with the Hawaiian value and just a word or two in English translation. On the month they chose for Ha‘aha‘a they pictured a pair of our Kona nightingales, donkeys now in the wild because coffee farmers released them when times were bad and they could not care for them. The words they chose in translation were "meek" and "lowly" and that was so wrong to me, and so disrespectful to those beautiful animals, especially when I thought about the story of the Christ child and that donkey who carried his mother, Mary. For that one month I had to take the calendar down and put it away, it disturbed me so.