'Oia'i'o

Aloha kakahiaka e nā hoa aloha! Aloha Kalikimaka! Christmas greetings to you all, Morning Mana'o listeners. Today's word is 'Oia'i'o and it is one of my favorite Hawaiian words. Literally it means truth. 'O ia ka 'oia'i'o. That's the truth. 'Oia'i'o kāna 'ōlelo. What she says is true. It can also mean genuine, real, authentic. 'Oia'i'o nō kēia. This is for real. I love this word because it reminds me to be true to who I am, true to what I believe in. Sometimes we become who we think people want us to be. We live and act in a way that is socially acceptable. This can cause us to lose track of our values, virtues even the very essence of who we are. 'Oia'i'o means to live a life of honesty, integrity and truth. 'Oia'i'o comes when we can first accept ourselves for who we are - the good and the bad, our strenghts, our weakeness, our shortcomings. When we honestly accept who we are we can have realationships and interactions with others that are meaningful and genuine. Instead of hiding or covering up, we live a life of transparency and authenticity. Denial is dangerous, but the truth will truly set you free. Free to live your best life. A pure life of 'oia'i'o. Tomorrow we'll discuss the Hawaiian word for pure and purity, but today, may we all focus on living a life of 'oia'i'o. Aloha nō, a hui hou.