Nānā i ke kumu: Look to your Source, Find your Truth

Ah, I so, so love this value!

I’ll let you in on a not-so-secret confidence: I will often decide upon our value of the month based on my own needs at any given time as well. I want to work on it with you, just as we have done over the past few weeks with Ho‘ohana. I want to empathize with you, yes, however I also love the thrill of collaborative work itself, and with getting things done, and I believe that the best way to do so is with the power of value-aligned work.

I’m not totally selfish, for armed with the world view that I strive to keep close by my side, aware of the pulse of the day, I do look for needs that I suspect we may share, and those kinds of feelings are pretty pervasive currently (the special edition to my newsletter yesterday, and your reactions to it were telling).

Third, I will look for connections to the values that we have most recently learned about, and Nānā i ke kumu connects magnificently with both Ho‘ohana (September) and Alaka‘i (August). You will also find it connects perfectly with any kind of transition where we look for new beginnings, and January of 2009 is a new beginning that we will soon share universally. If you invested your efforts to designing a new Ho‘ohana for yourself in September, you may feel that you are in a new beginning right now (Bravo!) and if so, I promise you; you will LOVE Nānā i ke kumu!

Look to your Source, Find your Truth

Nānā i ke kumu is a value which brings clarity to your other values: It is a kind of lens through which you can see what most rings true for you instinctively.

The reward of Nānā i ke kumu-aligned work, is one of grounding and contentment; it helps you feel all is right in your world. The value of Nānā i ke kumu asks us to “look to your source, and find your truth” recognizing that Aloha gives us each an inner wellspring; we go to this inner well and drink from it to get healthy in our best way possible, body, mind, and spirit.

If you would like to review Aloha, I would recommend a visit here: Aloha in a Love Affair with Writing.

These are the words I want you to remember in October, making them a) Part of our Language of Intention this month, and b) Your personal affirmation. Say this with me: I will look to my source to find my truth.

Nānā means to look for and observe carefully; to pay attention to what you are truly seeing. Stop here for a moment, and think about what we just learned in September about INTENTION and ATTENTION: Color your understanding of the nānā-inspired, careful attention with the intention of your personal Ho‘ohana. I will wait for a moment as you reflect.

Review Attention and Intention in the context of Ho‘ohana HERE.

There are two meanings for kumu, both of which lend rich meaning to this value. Kumu is the word for foundation, basis, and origin, thus, ‘source.’ Kumu is also the word for teacher or guide, thus Kumu alaka‘i is an admired model, one who leads with good example (Remember our value study this past August? Alaka‘i is the value of leadership.)

Therefore, when we string these meanings together, what the value of Nānā i ke kumu says to you, is that YOU —your mind, body, spirit, your all of you —is your best possible source to respect and honor as your teacher; within you is all the personal truth you need, both source and capacity to learn.

And this is important: Nānā i ke kumu is not selfishness or ego; it is self-attuned learning and living.

When you can connect Nānā i ke kumu with your Ho‘ohana, you will have self-attuned work in your best-possible life (‘Imi ola), and you will have self-leadership (Alaka‘i). Very, very exciting stuff!

Take one step back, so we may go two steps forward

One Step Back:

Because of the timing of this week’s calendar, I do not wish to bombard you with an overly long Day One Essay today. If you have not yet taken the time to read my special message to you yesterday and the Ho‘ohana wrap-up which accompanied it, I’d like to leave the week to come with more space that will encourage you to do so. Here are those titles and links once more:

1. The Bailout Failure need NOT be Your Failure (on Talking Story)
2. Finalizing your Ho‘ohana Statement into Workable Form: To get the most out of Nānā i ke kumu, arm yourself with your Ho‘ohana.

Two Steps Forward:

We have four Tuesdays in the month of October, and this is how I am now anticipating we will spend them:

• Tuesday, October 7: Your Ho‘ohana and your Sense of Place
• Tuesday, October 14: Embracing Change and Embracing Growth.
• Tuesday, October 21: A Truth-Fed Philosophy of Leadership
• Tuesday, October 28: What are your Source-Bred Self-Respecting Essentials?

There is one more thing you can do today: Celebrate being part of the Ho‘ohana Community!

Hau‘oli la hanau elua – Happy Birthday Joyful Jubilant Learning!

Today is the 2nd Birthday of Joyful Jubilant Learning, our sister site dedicated to the lifelong learning initiatives of our Ho‘ohana Community. Click over and share in the celebration there.

We will Ho‘ohana together, Kākou.

~Rosa

Comments

[Beth Thoma Robinson]

Rosa, how fortunate I feel that you listen to your own inner wisdom in deciding on a value for the month. Your choice for October is striking such a deep chord with me!

Working as I do in a real estate office, the news of the day, of any recent day, brings all kinds of hopes and fears into the conversations we have with each other, with our neighbors and clients and prospects. The three of us who are the core of the office have just decided to write/rewrite our individual and office strategic and business plans with my coaching...and in addition we have all committed to experimenting with the rapidly proliferating tools for online social networking within the context of real estate... which means "introducing" ourselves over and over again. It is a timely reminder indeed that rather than look to bend ourselves to "the market conditions" or to anyone else's formual for success, we will be grounded in these plans only to the extent we dig for our most authentic expression of ourselves as that manifests in meaningful work.

Sorry for that mouthful. Maybe someone else has the talent to reduce that to a haiku for me.
Aloha
Beth

[Rosa Say]

It's a good mouthful Beth! So good to hear from you, and how blessed your office is to have your coaching.

In the last day or so I have sensed a subtle shift, a good one, where more of us are focusing on those inner circles of control and influence that we have. We aren't tuning out completely; we're remaining aware and connected, but we are looking within to feel that inner confidence we know will not fail us as long as we are attuned to it. It's feeling much better!

Nānā i ke kumu will help us remain so directed. Steady, grounded. Sure.

Keep us posted on how you do!

[Joanna Young]

Rosa, I so vividly remember the first time I read your writings about looking to your source. It was like being struck by a thunderbolt! So many things fell into place for me then, and it has always seemed to me the foundation of our friendship and collaboration.

I too think this one is very timely for me and can't wait to learn along with you.

I will look to my source and find my truth.

Joanna

[Rosa Say]

Joanna, I was so cheered to see your name here at this posting, for you know that I feel the same way; we do have a Nānā i ke kumu bond that grows deeper and deeper with each new day of our friendship - we will learn and explore together, and I am so touched and honored by your intention.
Rosa