Extraordinary Living

Not long after I moved back home to Hawaii, I was flipping through the TV stations, and I happened upon an interview on a local TV station called Olelo.  I have no idea why I stopped and listened, but it changed my life. 

The man that was being interviewed is a leader in the community and would soon realize that he was an amazing individual.  His name is Pono Shim.  He talked about the importance of recognizing the “AH HA” moments or Pono (harmony, balance).  If we are present in life, we can recognize the simplicity of what is being offered. I began to see that what I do in service to others and the community was changing and continues to change. It’s not about what I have to offer but what presents itself in the “opportunity” of service – the AH HA moment.

This change brought me face to face with one of the things I struggled with in the past: speaking my Truth (with a capital T) and doing so in a way that doesn’t close doors or turn people away from what I was sharing. To speak with reverence, to show someone their value instead of wanting to be valued, to help them see what they do in life. I had an awareness a year earlier that I was just spreading my opinion around, and when I saw the truth of what I was doing, I stopped.  But I also stopped talking, because I was unsure about what my truth really was.

Pono showed me that it takes courage, practice, and willingness; a willingness to go deep, to be vulnerable, and to step into my sacredness and discover the truth, which I must tell you isn't always so pretty. The willingness to be extraordinary takes courage, kindness, and compassion.

No one can do it for me, but I don’t have to do it alone. Mahalo Nui Pono Shim.