Ho’omanawanui means to bear or endure for a long period of time. In essence, ho’omanawanui is patience. It is being able to persevere well through our various seasons in life.
“Ho’o” – means to do or be
“Manawa” – means time, season, date, or a period of time
“Nui” – means big, great, or large
Ho’omanawanui is to do or be something for a long season, time frame, or date.
There are many examples of things that take a long time to complete or that feel never-ending: raising children, working towards retirement, building a business, completing a creative project, strengthening a relationship, and so forth.
Ho’omanawanui is the attitude of going through these long seasons of life with grace and patience. It is doing and being well during long periods of life, especially those that don’t seem to have an end date.
A similar value to ho’omanawanui is ho’omau, meaning to endure well and persevere.
*While ho’omau teaches us to diligently endure through life’s trials, ho’omanawanui teaches us to bear for a season… meaning to be patient through the hardships.
The Summer Projects
Growing up in Hawaii, my family was so poor that people in our church and neighborhood offered physical services to us, such as spaces they weren’t using. For example, the people who lived in the lot next to ours didn’t live in their home the full year. They only came around during the winter, so they offered to let my family stay in their house.
I call it a house, because it wasn’t a home. It was a shack in the middle of the Hawaiian woods, a shack that had each piece of wood carefully nailed by hand.
The shack didn’t have running water or electricity. We took showers in the backyard pool (which collected water from the copious amounts of rain in Hilo), and used the bathroom in a little makeshift outhouse, swarming with mosquitoes and an occasional cockroach.
Not idea at all.
Another family felt sorry for us and let us use the bathroom in their barn so we could shower with hot water. They also let us use the free space in their barn for our extra belongings—all of which could not fit in the shack we lived in.
Because we were indebted to these people for using their space and resources, my little sister, Esther, and I got assigned to make the payments.
When I say “payments,” I mean big summer projects. One of our projects was to stain the whole exterior of the shack we lived in. The other project was to organize the knick knacks in the barn, where our moldy boxes and belongings sat.
We got volun-told to do these things, and they were big projects.
Getting through the projects
In the summer between one of our school years, we set up the scaffold and stained the house. We did this everyday, stopping only for bathroom breaks and to eat lunch.
Because we were so poor, we just drank a lot of water and ate the occasional bag of pretzels our mom bought us.
Instead of dwelling on how long these projects took, and how tiring they were on our bodies, we, instead, focused on the positives.
We blasted the radio to the tunes of Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, the Fray, and Nickelback. We made up stories to write in the future. I thought I could “stain” my hair green, so we experimented secretly and I ended up cutting some hair off!
In this long, tiring period of our lives, at least we had each other.
We can’t always control our circumstances.
My sister and I had no option but to contribute, since we knew very well our neighbors and fellow church members were offering their spaces and services free of charge.
But we controlled what we could.
It was a long summer, but I look back at it with delight because I grew closer to my sister and enjoyed that time with her.
With ho’omanawanui, we control what we can: our attitude and our outlook.
There are seasons in our lives that seem to go on forever, but when we give ourselves permission to look for the positives, we can make these seasons bearable, even enjoyable.
Here are some other ways to live the value of ho’omanawanui.
Be patient + positive
Do you find yourself rolling your eyes (internally) when someone talks forever? Or when you’re waiting in a line at a grocery store? Or when faced with a circumstance outside of your control?
I’ve learned that we GROW THE MOST in the times that we feel stuck. Sometimes I hate that this is true… but we don’t usually grow or learn in the comforts of life. We grow in the difficult time, when things are inconvenient or uncomfortable.
When we feel stuck in a situation that we don’t like, we have the opportunity to be more creative, try new things, and test our willpower.
When we look at our obstacles as opportunities to learn and grow, we not only help ourselves… we help others too!
How would being a little more patient help a child? A spouse? Or even yourself?
Remember that challenges are events in life, not life itself.
Yes, there are many inconveniences in life, but when we deal with them patiently and positively, these inconveniences can strengthen us in ways we never imagined.
Eliminate selfishness
Like the previous tip suggests, try to exercise a little more selflessness. When was the last time you seriously pondered who could use your help? Or the last time you prayed and asked God how you can serve someone?
When was the last time you sincerely thanked someone for what they did? Or the last time you felt genuinely happy for someone on social media (or in real life) for their successes?
When you’re driving or getting ready for the day, are you asking God how you can help?
Ho’omanawanui encourages us to be selfless. Of course, we still need to take care of ourselves, but we can find GREAT joy in our seasons of life by serving and thinking of others.
Celebrate the little wins too
Going to high school in Hawaii, we had a lot of pa’ina, which is basically a little party with food. I guess most people might call it a potluck.
The funny thing about pa’ina is that we didn’t even have HUGE things to celebrate… we had pa’ina for completing a section in our English classes, or completing a math quiz (on a random day), or just because it was someone’s birthday. It didn’t have to be huge.
And the same is with ho’omanawanui. When we practice patience, a difficult task for many of us, we should celebrate the wins!
That one time you replied calmly to your child? Win!
The moment someone cut you off on the road but you quickly took control of your emotions? Win!
Being kind to yourself when all the things on your list don’t get done? Win!
There are so many wins in life, and if we take the time to celebrate them, we can actually become more patient! Acknowledging our efforts is a HUGE win!
Oh, and you don’t have to have a formal “pa’ina” to celebrate your little victories, but, as a Hawaiian, I always encourage food! 😛
Final Thoughts
I hope that you can find happiness in the periods of life that last a long time. When we implement the value of ho’omanawanui, we can make even the longest + hardest challenges a little lighter and sometimes even more delightful.
With love + joy,
Leialoha
P.S. The correct pronunciation for ho’omanawanui is “Ho – o – mana- va – nu – ee“ 😉
Let’s hear it from you!
How do you live the value of ho’omanawanui in your life? Let’s hear it in the comments below! 🙂
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