She Lives Aloha

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Hawaiian Word of the Week: maka'u

Fear or “maka’u” (pronounced: mah-kah-oo) can’t be so debilitating…and so stupid at times. We become so wrapped up in the anxiety and trepidation of something it becomes all consuming. It’s October after all and with Halloween just around the corner, the sense of maka’u is heightened with scary costumes, horror movies, etc. 

But maka’u can have a deep emotional impact when the maka’u is more tied to worry and it brings a heightened sense of what is happening around you…or even inside you. I spent the last week in maka’u of something that didn’t happen…..an entire week of sleepless nights and extreme stress because I felt nothing but maka’u. Now, as I sit and write this Mindful Monday e-mail/blog, I wonder why I put myself through that maka’u. In the end, it didn’t help me, and if anything made me emotionally and physically tired.   

How and what makes you feel maka’u?

(And truthfully, I’m not a fan of feeling maka’u, so outside of the candy, Halloween isn’t my favorite holiday.)

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