Kia Ora – Greetings to you all -I recently had my birthday – and throughout day I was blessed to be in the midst of experiences and people who brought more kindness warmth and joy to my being. So I felt the need to pen my thoughts on events , experiences and people who add to our wellness journey ….

I realise that each of us are a sum total of all of our experiences that we have had at different times….. The people and experiences once so close to me are far removed from how I live my life today. The current context of living in Aotearoa ( NZ in Maori) and then going through numerous changes has brought into my life – new ways of thinking and being – new people and myriads of experiences that has gone into the making of who I am today

I am grateful for what I had then and will cherish forever all that was imparted to me ….. I am twice as grateful that my cross cultural journey has seen me evolve to how I think- speak and live life today.
Speaking of the cross cultural journey …… having chosen NZ as my home, working within the educational realm, I realise the responsibility I have in embracing the bicultural component of this country. I am richer for that – and have been most fortunate to gain insight into Maoridom –through various personal and professional experiences .

My dear readers –and we in NZ also jsut celebrated Maori language week – so what I wish to share here are some Maori values that advocate for everyday wellness. It has a strong framework around connectedness….that is fundamental to wellness.

Manaakitanga – Connectedness with the self – is about nurturing the sense of self / mana and the also nurturing the mana in others –what is important to each of us …. how do we look after ourselves and how we demonstrate care for ourselves and for others …. the words we use to communicate

Whanaungatanga –Connectedness with whanau/ family – is about preserving the values of the families – how much do we each know of our family– what does family mean to us …..

Whakawhanaungatanga – Connectedness with community – is about preserving and contributing what is important for community wellness –

Rangatiratanga – value of ownership is about taking ownership and responsibility – it is to with skill building

So coming back to where I started – here is a wellbeing task for you …
Have a go at saying the Maori words…
Enjoy the richness that comes in using a value based language
Add an experience to each of the values
Take a count of the people that you meet/ met – include family and friends
Write down the learning that came with it
Count the people who helped us internalise those values at different times…..
Practice gratitude all over again !!!

Here is a gem that I came across in my learning in the past month-“ Education does not transform the world – education changes people – people change the world.” Paulo Freire

What is the most important thing in the world – He tangata – he tangata – he tangata – it is the people , the people the people ….a Maori whakaitauki / saying

For those of you , who connect to my work … nga mihi – thank you – much love and my namaskaarams

Dear readers- I am grateful to be connecting with you all today J  As I walked this morning I was reminded of some of the challenges that we as humanity are witnessing –job losses, to losing close family and friends and being unable to travel or to be with family thousands of miles away. I also pondered on my thought for today`s blog and decided to write on dialectical thinking…..  

Dialectical thinking is about exploring multiple perspectives in pursuit of solutions that work best for each of us…… The intentions to elaborate on dialectical thinking …are as follows

Firstly it is an inherent part of our wellness journey ; considering different options or views help in extending the thought process- it brings about flexibility in thinking. Such a relief when there is no need to feel stuck …. In one set way of thinking …. We get to choose what`s going to work best 🙂

Secondly , dialectical thinking- allows for acknowledgment / acceptance of the context –as a whole and urges us to go a little beyond the self –I have found that whenever there are barriers or challenges to my pathway …..The barriers seem to dissolve when I choose to change the lens with which I look at the barriers….I choose to see my barriers as potential learning points ….. And also get to work on alternative options that can transform the barriers into learning and or serving opportunities….Here are some questions that help when we get stuck???
What do I see in this – how can I make this work – what can I learn from this…..How is this going to change what is happening nowHow can I begin to feel better about this …..how can I make this work for me – how can I change this into a positive

Thirdly it encourages us to embrace change and set some goals ;  get at a bigger picture based on values that matter to us. To get to this place would involve making an audit on our strengths and making a plan …some examples…It urges us to remember that the problem is always smaller than the core of who we are – some questions that help…What are my strengths – how have I been resourceful in the past….What are my weaknesses- frailties – how do I stay away from repeating the same…..Who are the people – that have been supportive – friends- mentors –family – extended family – to work to where I want to be …..What are the agencies that I can approach. How can I preserve the core of who I am in in the midst of this challenge …..How can I make this easier for me…..as I keep on my journey

“We all live with the objective of being happy , our lives are all different and yet the same.”- Anne Frank

The positive here is no matter who we are – Our ranks or our capabilities –

Life throws punches at us at the most unexpected of times

The choices  we make,In the values  we choose – the company  we keep…

Our willingness to keep living – to give back our best selves  

To keep serving is what makes our journey a positive sustainable one !!!

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others –The Mahatma

Dear readers – hope you have had a gentle week – I did transitioning back from nearly three weeks of level 3 lockdown; I am also persuaded to share a personal experience…. So here comes… have been wanting Camellias for a while….. and was planning to buy them …..I wished for it – and thought of it no more …..

During my precious time with my youngest – to my surprise there was not one – but 5 Camellias waiting to be given away….. It seemed that my wishes for a Camellia tree came back to me in plentiful abundance.

I still cannot stop smiling ……

 So here are my thoughts ….. It is fantastic place to be….. When everything around you unfolds ….. Just as how you wish for it to be….. It comes with a cost of course…..

So in saying that –

To be in this frame of mind where there is pure joy, plenty of peace and liberation means, one has to embrace unconditional acceptance of the current context.

And the cost of this “pure joy – plenty of peace – and liberation” is learning to inculcate unconditional acceptance of the context that each of us are in at different times of our lives…..

“Let us bear with magnanimity whatever is needful for us to bear.” Seneca

Embracing unconditional acceptance ….. Begins with choice

• Choosing to be kind to ourselves and remembering the serenity prayer …
• It is about choosing to smile and letting the light within
• It is about choosing to be kind even when we feel pushed  
• It is about choosing to use a positive thought and word every time we are tempted to use a callous utterance and
• It is about choosing to let go of every memory that threatens to steal our peace….

“These choices are checkpoints on our evolutionary journey, opportunities to move away from what we have been conditioned to be and towards unconditional freedom”- Eknath Easwaran- Essence of the Gita

It takes a while but with time – kindness- patience and consistency – we can all get at that place of plentiful peace and joyful abundance …..

Warm wishes from beautiful Aotearoa that is now my home