17/365 - Aloha

Aloha is a whole lot more than what you think it is. Most people know that Aloha means hello and goodbye. It also means love and affection. However, the thing about Aloha is, its definition goes way beyond what you'd be able to find in any dictionary. I found a little book a while ago at Goodwill that had a perfect quote that I think sums up nicely what Aloha means. It reads, "Aloha is found in silence, lived in peace, and passed on in love." Aloha is a way of living and treating each other with love and respect. Its deep meaning starts by teaching ourselves to love our own beings first and afterwards to spread the love to others. Aloha is sending and receiving a positive energy. Aloha is living in harmony. When you live the Spirit of Aloha, you create positive feelings and thoughts, which are never gone. They exist in space, multiply and spread over to others. As you can see, Aloha means so much more than just hello or goodbye. Aloha, in a sense, in a way of life. Just writing about it right now and thinking about Aloha has put a calm over me. I can feel myself relaxing and my mind becoming clearer. Although my time in Hawaii is coming to an end, I will always try my best to live in the spirit of Aloha.

17/365
Makaha Country Club - Waianae, HI
EDIT: 05.27.09

While waiting for some photos to be ready at Long's, I found the book with the Aloha quote and here are a few more.

"Aloha resides in the quiestest room of your heart. Go there daily, sit with it, learn its ways, be still and become one with it. Then bring it out for all the world to see."

"Aloha exists beyond motives, desires, or opinions. It is sustained by love, fortified by compassion, and it expands in power and beauty as we give it away to all who come into our lives."

"The more you use your aloha, the stronger it flows through you."

"Aloha is balance, patience, harmony, tolerance, and boundless love."

"The more you are able to let aloha pour from yourself through your thoughts, wishes, prayers, and external actions, the more you brighten the world."