The Meaning of Aloha, A Better Way of Life

We hear the word everywhere. From the Hawaiian Islands to the Mainland, people use the word Aloha to say hello and goodbye. The word has been turned into a movie, clothing brands, sticker, and marketing campaigns. The true meaning of Aloha is something we all long for. 

The word Aloha means so much more than just hello or goodbye. The word is a way of life. In fact, if you ask someone from Hawaii what Aloha means, you might get many different answers, from greetings to expressions. Aloha is much more than just a greeting.   

The True Meaning of Aloha

As we continue to learn more and more about the meaning of Aloha. We can dissect each letter of the word. These letters are a blueprint to live, a way to live a life that is truly amazing. The true meaning of Aloha. 

“Akahai,” meaning kindness, to be expressed with tenderness;

“Lokahi,” meaning unity, to be expressed with harmony;

“Oluolu,” meaning agreeable, to be expressed with pleasantness;

“Haahaa,” meaning humility, to be expressed with modesty;

“Ahonui,” meaning patience, to be expressed with perseverance.

How to Live the Aloha Lifestyle

Many of us that travel to Hawaii come back with a sense of Aloha. Maybe it has changed your life for the better. However, the daily ritual of working, kids, and daily stress often return. Sometimes faster than we expect.

So, how do we live the meaning of Aloha in our day to day life? 

“Akahai,” meaning kindness, to be expressed with tenderness

In order to truly live the meaning of Aloha, you need to start by being kind to all. Yes, even that co-worker, schoolmate, or family member that drives you crazy. Remember, we are all people.

Akahai means kindness. This does not just relate to those you choose or the people you like. Start your kindness journey by holding the door open for a stranger. Phone a friend or relative you have not spoken with. Drive a little differently than others. There are thousands of things you can do to start your kindness journey.

I am going to give you another example of things that I have been working on. I hope that this is something easy, that you can use as well. Simply changing the tone of your voice will go a long way. As the father of four, I have noticed that the tone of my voice is a large determining factor in the entire household. Yes, I come home from work, I am tired, but that does not give me the right to take a harsh tone with my children, wife, friends, or family.

The quest for Aloha starts with kindness. Once you can get past this, you can move to the other attributes of Aloha.

“Lokahi,” meaning unity, to be expressed with harmony

Okay, you are on your Aloha journey. You are doing your very best to be a genuinely kind person. It is time to take the next step and get involved.

As humans, we inherently want to be with other humans. This goes back to the beginning of time. Being united with a group helps us feel safe. So, get involved with the community in any way possible. Yes, I know that jobs and family come first, but it is important to get involved with others that stand for the same things as you. This is really important. 

Find that group of people that you get along with or get out and join that group of friends for a hike. Getting involved creates unity and harmony in life.  

“Oluolu,” meaning agreeable, to be expressed with pleasantness

When we look at Oluolu, we see the word agreeable. Being agreeable in life does not mean we do everything that someone asks. If we look further we find the definition – ready or willing to agree: willing to do or allow something. This reminds us to have an open mind and be ready and willing. 

By being agreeable in social situations, it will show our pleasantness, defined by the state or quality of having a pleasant or agreeable manner in socializing with others. The meaning of Aloha helps us to be better people in any situation. The ability to be willing and ready to agree will go along way with others.

Think of it like this. You are in a conversation and the person talks over you, never agrees, and never listens. They have a preconceived theory or idea and will not even listen to your point of view. This person has shown up to defend, not ready or willing, definitely not pleasant. The conversation goes nowhere, and maybe even the relationship. 

So, be ready to do or agree first, but remember, this does not mean you have to agree all the time. 

“Haahaa,” meaning humility, to be expressed with modesty;

If you look around, we have a lot of things. These things sometimes control us. We want to look good to our boss, friends, and family. When your brother gets a raise and a bigger house, you need to do the same. 

This lifestyle is not sustainable. A bigger house, faster car, or more stuff are not going to make you a better person. These are just things that we think make us look better, more successful to others. 

Humility is to be not proud or haughty: not arrogant or assertive. For a lot of us, this is going to be difficult. The reality is, the world does not see humility as an important characteristic in a person, but it is important to achieve the Aloha lifestyle. 

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

“Ahonui,” meaning patience, to be expressed with perseverance.

If you are going to join the Aloha movement, this last step can be super hard. We all want instant gratification. We want everything now. It is the American way, not the Aloha way. 

Think about it, we place an order online and we expect it to arrive at our door in less than 2 days. Yes, 98% of us are guilty of this. We also let instant gratification get the best of us. This is why that project at home is still not complete. 

If you are going to truly live the meaning of Aloha, you are going to have to learn to be patient and know that the hard work is going to pay off. Patience and perseverance go hand in hand. 

Patience – the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.

Perseverance – persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.

If we look at these two definitions, we find that Aloha is not about instant gratification. In fact, it is the exact opposite. We need to know that finding Aloha is not going to happen overnight, it is going to be a long journey to truly achieve Aloha. 

The Meaning of Aloha

As you see, the meaning of Aloha is much more than just a greeting, a movie title, or a clothing brand. Aloha is truly a way of life. It is the quest for a better life, a more meaningful life. Aloha makes us a better person or the person we want to become. 

One final note. I want to be 100% clear that Aloha does not mean weak. Nowhere does Aloha mean you give in, give up, or get pushed around. Aloha simply is a better way to live your life. 

Here at Hawaiian Island Clothing, we celebrate every Aloha Friday by wearing an Aloha t-shirt. Join us!