Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 22, Number 4, 1 April 2005 — A letter to Molokaʻi residents and newcomers alike [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]
A letter to Molokaʻi residents and newcomers alike
Editor's note: Trustee Colette Maehaāo offers her eolumn space to Moloka'i resident, Matt Yamashita. Trusteed 0z Stend.er alotted his space as well to accomodate the lenghth of this community letter. Aloha kākou. This month, I share with you a letter written by a young man named Matt Yamashita. After college on the mainland, Matt returned to Moloka'i and has become an active voice for his generation in the community. For those of us who've been on countless lines with picket signs, here's something to ponder. The 'Four Agreements,' and being pono. When I hear all the controversy and angry dialogue about John McAfee and other new residents moving to Moloka'i, I realize that mueh of it is due to a laek of healthy eommuniealion between all sides. I think we ean begin to solve these problems of misunderstanding without having "big beefs" if we ean all embrace four simple agreements. These agreements are explained in a short little book written by Don Miguel Ruiz called the Four Agreements. The book is based on ancient wisdom from the native Toltec culture of Central America. Like most ancient wisdom, the agreements are simple yet profound. Incorporate them into your life and I guarantee that you will spend less time being angry and more time finding solutions. The first agreement is to "be impeeeahle with your word." This means to say what you truly mean and to realize that the words you use
create the reality you experience. The ancient Hawaiian concept embraces this fully when it speaks of the mana held within language, "In language there is life, in language there is death." When we speak negative words we attract negative people and circumstances. When we speak positive words we attract positive people and circumstances. To all newcomers, please do not speak deceptively when you move to Moloka'i. Speak positive words and be honest about who YOU really are, and people will respect you for it. And, to the people of Moloka'i, we are pretty good at saying how we feel, but let's try harder to be positive with our words so that we ean build up the Pono that keeps our island alive. The second agreement is "don't make assumptions." This means don't think that you know anything outside of yourself. Everyone's reality is different, so we cannot think that we ever really understand other people or their paths. Therefore, we really have no right to judge others. Neither should we have expectations about how things or people should or might be. Not assuming also means being willing to ask honest questions and searching out answers for our selves. If you are new to Moloka'i, please do not assume that you understand the way we live or think or that we are one way or another. Try to eome only with an open mind and honest words, and the truth will reveal itself in time. And, to the people of Moloka'i, this is what we are supposed to be best at - aloha. Having aloha means not assuming, it means embracing all people with love and allowing them to be who they
are so that they ean show their true colors. When our true colors surface we understand eaeh other better and ean communicate more effectively. The third agreement is "don't take anything personally." In a small community we are often the subject of rumors or hearsay, this is because some people assume things and do not watch their words, but we cannot get angry when this happens to us. To take something personally is to lend mana to it. If you get angry about something that is untrue or said in spite, you empower the negativity behind it. This might be the most difficult to practice of the four agreements, but it is the one that will keep you free of the nastiness of others and allow you to keep yourself positive. Newe omers really need to understand that the people of Moloka'i are not necessarily mad at them as individuals (we don't really know them!). Rather, we are concerned about the impact they might have if they don't try to understand and embrace our community. Don't take it personally, our concerns about newcomers don't revolve around hate and prejudice, but stem from our knowledge of the workings of the world outside Moloka'i and our strong desire to protect and perpetuate our island culture, our tightly knit community lifestyle, our Hawaiian values, and the health and wealth of our natural resources. Ultimately, newcomers and locals alike need to make an effort to understand eaeh other's concems and perspectives without feeling threatened and angry by eaeh other on a personal level. We will find clarity and answers mueh quicker if we do
not create self-centered ego battles out of these issues. The fourth and final agreement is "always do your best." This means listen to your na'au and act in a manner that represents your best positive effort without using harmful words, making assumptions, or taking things personally. Always know that there is a better solution to be found, a clearer understanding to be had, a truer effort to be made, and make it your desire to find it. When you live on Moloka'i you are equal with everyone. More money, more fame, more success or more power doesn't mean your doing things any better than anyone else on this island. You are only as good as your actions, only as successful as the people you share this island with, only as loved as you are willing to love and only as healthy as your community and the natural environment in whieh you live ... so always do your best to be your best as a loving human being and as a humble caretaker of this island. I suppose the four agreements are basically another ancient culture's way of defining what is Pono. I just wanted to share these agreements to remind everyone of what we all already know. Pono is in all of us ... no matter the creed, color or plaee of birth. Pono is the Creator's imprint within us all ... and it is good, humble and righteous. Write the four agreements down, practice them and find the Pono within. . . then trust it to guide us to the solutions that we need.
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Colette Machado Trustee, Moloka'i and Lāna'i