Tina Marie Garcia (RA) RS 78939, eXp Realty

Category: Live A Life You Don’t Need a Vacation From

How to Live Aloha

To the mind of a mainlander, it’s easy to believe the “Aloha Spirit” is a feeling that can only be experienced while relaxing on an island vacay.

However, if you are fortunate enough to call Hawaii home, then you know aloha means so much more than a warm hello or a heartfelt goodbye. It symbolizes a sense of love, compassion, and peace within yourself. It is how you show kindness to others while bringing more light, hope, and positivity into this world.

To the Hawaiian culture, aloha is a way of life and can be practiced from anywhere your heart desires— here are different ways for you to live with more aloha.

  1. Support Local 

Aloha begins with a community, and Hawaii’s main motive is working together in supporting local farmers, business, and creatives. This kind of loyalty is what keeps their culture alive and economy thriving. Show your hometown some love by visiting local farmers markets or getting your “OM” on at a community yoga class.

  1. Savor Every Sunset

In a place like Hawaii, everything stops for the sunset. It’s a special moment in time where life is put on pause as the sky becomes painted in tinted hues of pink and gold. Part of aloha means showing appreciation for the natural wonders of this world, and the sunset reminds us to give a little gratitude at the end of every day!

  1. Ohana Over Everything

With family comes an unconditional kind of bond that reminds you what really matters in this life. To Hawaiians, family is not only those related by blood but all who share a common sense of love and compassion for one another. Open your heart to aloha by spending more time with the people who encourage, support, and appreciate you for all that you are!

  1. Respect Your Land

Beach cleanups and sustainability efforts are the norm for island locals. They understand how important it is to keep the ecosystem healthy and thriving for future generations. Show a little aloha to wherever you live by taking great care of your environment, and great pride in your land.

  1. Show Your Shakas

Hawaii’s infamous shaka salute is aloha in action! This universal sign is used to spread love and good vibes to all. It’s the islands way of saying thank you, best wishes, or I’m sorry I just cut you off on the H-1. Make a conscious effort to put more positive energy into the world by sharing your smile and showing your shakas!

By now, your mainland mindset has been challenged by the truth— aloha is more than just a saying, it’s a spirit that lies within us all. You don’t have to be from the islands to embody aloha, we have the ability to bring that spirit to life through the choices we make, the love we give, and the way we treat the world around us.

How do you live aloha?

10 Ways to Get More Involved With Your Community

In this modern day, a community is much more than a group of people living in the same area, it’s a sense of belonging. We all need a community to lift us up when the going gets tough and support us in everything we do. Being apart of a community fuels us with purpose while inspiring us to make a difference.

However becoming apart of a community can be slightly challenging. It takes conscious effort and endless commitment to giving any way that you can. You have to step out of your comfort zone and think out of the box. Although it may be intimidating at first, once you get more involved with your community, you will feel empowered by the people around you, while bringing more good into the world.   

Here are 10 ways to start become more involved in your community and begin surrounding yourself with a tribe of uplifting individuals. 

  1. Participate in a Cleanup 

Cleanups are not only an impactful way to prevent pollution, but they also connect us with like-minded people wanting to make a difference in the community.  Working together towards the common goal of making the neighborhood a better place, leads to a cleaner, more close-knit community — now that’s what I call a win, win.

2. Shop at the Local Farmers Market

Once a week local farmers, artists, and musicians come together to share their goods with the community. Farmers markets are a perfect way to connect directly with the source of your produce while helping boost the local economy. Show your support by shopping at your town’s farmers market once a week. 

3. Find a Community Yoga Class

You don’t have to sign up for a high-end studio to gain the benefits of yoga. There are plenty of passionate and well-trained teachers offer donation based classes as a way to give back. You can find flyers at your local health foods store, or even try visiting your neighborhood park and keep an eye out for a group of yogis. 

4. Read Books at the Library

Volunteering to read at the local library is both rewarding and inspiring. Reading to the children of your community helps shape their lives for the better while bringing the fun back into story time for you! With an endless supply of books at hand, there’s no better way to share wisdom and joy with others. 

5. Donate to an Antique Shop

Antiquing is a business that thrives off of local donations and offerings, help keep your local antique shop booming by giving away any items that you no longer need. Chances are you have a lot of clutter in your home, and you know what they say, one mans junk is another treasure. 

6. Drop into a City Council Meeting

What better way to become involved with your community than by understanding what is going on within your community. City Council holds open meetings to inform the public of changes happening in the city, as well as listen to any concerns local residents may have. Become a voice in your community by attending a meeting, asking questions and speaking your mind.

7. Visit a Local Brewery

With craft beer in high demand, breweries are becoming a big part of the community. Not only do brewers use local ingredients to brew their one of a kind beer, but they also bring the neighborhood together by hosting different events, festivals, and tastings. Next time you are headed out for a night on the town, grab a beer at your local brewery.

8. Run for a Cause

Participating in a run that raises awareness for a cause is a meaningful way to get involved with your community. Even if you don’t enjoy the sport of running, doing it for a charity that is important to you is enough motivation to cross any finish line. From cancer research to children’s programs and military support, there are plenty of reasons to run! Check local listings and search for upcoming runs in your area.

9. Volunteer at an Animal Shelter

Most pet shelters are always looking for individuals to help with community outreach. These volunteers help distribute flyers, attend tabling events, bag dog food, perform data entry work and more. You can also give your time by stopping in to show the animals a little love and compassion. 

10. Be a Leader

If you are still having trouble finding ways to get involved with your community, then it’s time to step up and be a leader. Chances are there are people just like you, yearning to make a difference but not really knowing where to start. By organizing your own community event, or meet-up will bring the right kind of individuals into your life, and together you can build a community that supports, inspires and uplifts each other. 

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