In Hawaiian culture, the Native people have often relied on specific concepts that, when followed and appreciated, lead them to lives of contentment.  The concepts include: Mana : is the spiritual energy of power and strength that both people and objects possess. It is a life energy that people can influence; the choices made can either strengthen mana or take it away. Living a life of meaning, being modest, building and maintaining relationships and giving back to others or

In an article entitled "In Denmark, Empathy is Taught As a School Subject That Kids Must Learn From a Very Young Age" and featured on Thinking Minds , we read about the Danish belief that teaching empathy to children in school is just as important a life lesson as math or science. From the article: In 1993, empathy classes became mandatory; children aged 6 to 16 are taught how to cultivate kindness in themselves. The children during the empathy classes are asked to share any

Yesterday's post defined the Japanese concept of Ikigai, which means 'reason for being.' In today's post, we explore 10 Rules of Ikigai brought to us by authors Héctor García and Francesc Miralles in their book entitled “IKIGAI: The Japanese Secret To a Long and Happy Life.” Stay active; don't retire. This is about finding value is our lives outside of when our professional lives end. It is about the activities we choose that allow us to bring purpose into our lives. Take

Ikigai is a Japanese concept that means 'reason for being.' It combines the Japanese words 'iki' which means life , and 'gai' which means value or worth.  In an article entitled "Ikigai Explained by a Neuroscientist" and featured on IkigaiTribe , we meet Ken Mogi. He explains that in Japanese culture, there is a belief that the world is made of many small things which are valuable in themselves. Ikigai is the pursuit of day to day purpose and happiness: When we are in the

In a recent article entitled "Lanark first in Canada to adopt Icelandic model for reducing teen social harm" by Elizabeth Payne and featured in the Ottawa Citizen , we read about a group in Lanark called Planet Youth Lanark who have signed a five year agreement with the Icelandic Centre for Social Research and Analysis. The article features some interesting facts about Iceland's program to reduce substance abuse among their youth: after the induction of the program in the

I came across this lovely South African tradition: "In certain regions of South Africa, when someone does something wrong, he/she is taken to the center of the village and for two days he/she is surrounded by his tribe, while they speak of all the good he/she has done. They believe that each person is good yet sometimes we make mistakes, which is really a cry for help. They unite in this ritual to encourage the person to reconnect with his true nature. The belief is that uni

In our last of a series of posts celebrating the Seven Grandfather Teachings of First Nations People, we add Truth to the core values of wisdom, love, respect, bravery, honesty and humility: " Truth: is to know all of these things. It is said that in the beginning, when the Creator made man and gave him the seven sacred laws, the Grandmother Turtle was present to ensure that the laws would never be lost or forgotten. On the back of a Turtle are the 13 moons, each representin

Today we add humility to our Seven Sacred Teachings of the First Nations People: " Humility: Humility is to know yourself as a sacred part of the Creation. Symbolized by the wolf, humility is about being humble and not arrogant. The expression of this humility is manifested through the consideration of others before ourselves. In this way, the Wolf became the teacher of this lesson. He bows his head in the presence of others out of deference, and once hunted, will not take o

The fifth core value that the First Nations People speak about in the Seven Grandfather Teachings is Honesty: " Honesty: Honesty also means “righteousness”, be honest first with yourself – in word and action. Long ago, there was a giant called Kitch-Sabe. Kitch-Sabe walked among the people to remind them to be honest to the laws of the creator and honest to each other. The highest honor that could be bestowed upon an individual was the saying "There walks an honest man. He

Continuing our series on the Seven Sacred Teachings of the First Nations, today we look at Bravery: " Bravery is to face foe with integrity . Symbolized by the bear, he teaches us courage. The Bear provides many lessons in the way it lives, but courage is the most important teaching it offers. Though gentle by nature, the ferociousness of a mother Bear when one of her cubs is approached is the true definition of courage. To have the mental and moral strength to overcome fear

Continuing our exploration of First Nations' Seven Sacred Teachings, we add respect to wisdom and love: "Respect: To honour all of the creation is to have respect. Symbolized by the buffalo, no animal was more important to the existence of Indigenous families than this animal, and its gift provided shelter, clothing and utensils for daily living. Native people believed themselves to be true caretakers of the great herds, and developed a sustainable relationship with the buff

Continuing our exploration of the Seven Sacred Teachings of First Nations we look to their second core value as a way to acknowledge the importance of human conduct and how that relates to our well-being: " Love: To know love is to know peace. Symbolized by the eagle, the Eagle was chosen by the Great Spirit to represent the belief that to feel true love is to know the Creator. Therefore, it is expected that one's first love is to be the Great Spirit. The Eagle can reach th

In the First Nations community, they teach the Seven Sacred Teachings. Also known as the Teachings of the Seven Grandfathers, they incorporate  core values that they deem to be imperative to human conduct. Let's explore each one in terms of not only how they are viewed traditionally, but how we can apply each one to ourselves in a holistic and therapeutic sense. " Wisdom: To cherish knowledge is to know wisdom. Symbolized traditionally by the beaver, it is the example of th