Three Steps to Make 2015 Great

Community Contributed

Opinion by Rick Baptiste

I am cordially inviting you to join me in making 2015 the best year of our lives.  In preceding articles, my overriding theme is that we are too blessed to be stressed.  I have found that whatever we focus on, more will come so let’s plant some good seeds in our garden.   Just a reminder, we will use ALOHA as an acronym to give us daily practice that we can build on and in time we will see a good garden and a blessed island.   “A” for Akahai – Kindness expressed with tenderness, “L” for Lokahi – Unity expressed with harmony, “O” for ‘Olu`olu – Agreeable expressed with modesty, “H” for Ha`aha`a – Humility expressed with modesty and the last “A” in Aloha for Ahonui – Patience expressed with perseverance.

Step one in our daily process is to focus on A for akahai – kindness expressed with tenderness.  Start your day with kindness in some way or fashion.  For example, get up a few minutes earlier and make everyone breakfast as a possibility and greet each one with a smile and a warm hug.  Step two is A for aware.  Throughout your day be aware and look for other ways to be kind and remember to add a pinch of tenderness.   When you are actively being kind then you are not complaining, explaining, or making trouble.  Remember whatever we focus on we will get more of.

Third step or third “A” will stand for apple.  We are the Molokai Farmers and we all know we cannot expect a harvest of oranges if we plant apple seeds.  Expectation is also very important so expect apples (good, blessings, etc).  In other words there will be many negative situations that will confront you and you are just the right person to pull out a few weeds in our garden through kindness with tenderness.  Keep planting seeds of Kindness each day and eventually more apples will appear.  So expect apples and again remember what you focus on, more will come.

If we follow it we reap the blessings and we will be well on our way to the very best 2015.  Here is the “Bless Molokai” store website, cafepress.com/BlessMolokai. Join me in thriving in 2015 instead of striving. All profits from Bless Molokai Store will be dedicated back to blessing Molokai.  Don’t stress, just bless.