Matariki is an awesome time for us to evaluate our past year, and to plan ahead for the next year. I've created my own suggestions for different ways we can do this.
The fact that we are Maori and have this strong connection to te taiao should not be taken for granted. Let's embrace this beauty and use it to grow.
There's some beautiful celebrations going down all over Aotearoa.
Firstly, I wanted to acknowledge that 2022 is the first year which Matariki is being recognized as a public holiday for Aotearoa. A step in the right direction, in my opinion.
We can seize this opportunity and use it to our advantage by evaluating and planning so that next year can be better than the last!
I love reflecting. Research has shown that those who reflect have the ability to see some of the good behaviors they have that they should continue - but, also some of the not so good ones which they aim to stop.
As Elbert Einstein Says:
“I must be willing to give up what I am in order to become what I will be.”
Here are the 4 areas which I like to reflect on:
Taha Hinengaro:
This area for me is about my mental health. Mental health plays a huge role in the trajectory of our life. Many Maori suffer from mental health problems, so I know I am not alone when I say that I have dealt with some of my own.
When evaluating my taha hinengaro, I like to approach it with these questions:
On a scale of 1-10, (1 being depressed and 10 being over the moon happy), How do I feel on the average day?
On a scale of 1-10, (1 Being Ugly, Unkind, Horrible, 10 being beautiful, intellegent, helpful), How do I think about myself (self image)?
On a scale of 1-10, (1 being in bed / at home all the time, 10 being enjoying life, being productive) How do most days play out for me?
I think that these questions can overall show how my mental health has been/ is. If the total number of all of these 1-10's combined is less than 20, here are some ideas to improve this in the upcoming year:
Counselling, Therapy, Support Services.
Meditation
Opening up to friends / Whanau
*I am not qualified in anything in life so please speak to a qualified professional if you are struggling.
Taha Wairua:
Tihei Mauri Ora - Behold there is Life! Māori believe the sneeze of life, the mauri, was breathed into the body and created humankind. The combination of the physical body and the mauri created the wairua - a living soul. While mauri is the intrinsic power that brings life, wairua allows us to relate to others.
We are all born with taha tinana (our body), taha hinengaro (our mind), and taha wairua (our spirit); these are integral to shaping every person. Taha wairua relates to the unseen and unspoken energies. For some people, wairua (spirituality) is about having faith and religious practices, for others it's an internal connection to the universe or the sacred.
Hauora wairua describes our spiritual health. Spirituality is a broad concept, but in general it includes a sense of connection to something bigger than ourselves - hence our opening whakatauki here: as we look to something bigger, like the sun, the things that have burdened us become more manageable, the shadows fall behind us.
Māori believe all things have wairua as well as a physical body; from the earth, to people and animals. It is believed that before man was fashioned from the elements of the earth, he existed as a spirit and dwelt in the company of the gods. When a person dies their physical remains are interred in the bosom of Papatūānuku (Mother Earth), but their spirit lives on and travels the pathway of Tāne to be with the gods that created them. (For more information read Tikanga Whakaaro: Key Concepts in Māori Culture)
For me, my wairua is what connects me to the other realms of life. It's really important that your wairua is in good spirits because one which is heavy has the ability to drain you and distract you from the kaupapa you want to be connected to.
Here are some of the things which uplift my Wairua:
Waiata: Singing or listening to others sing / create music
Karakia: At home with my kuia or going to a whare karakia
Mirimiri
Helping others
Volunteering
Spending time with old people / young people
Giving gifts/ time/ energy
Saving for my future
Reading Books
Whanau Time
Travel / New Experiences
Education
Here are some of the things which don't help my Wairua:
Toxic relationships
Consumer Debt
Gossip
Addictions
Mean People
Comparing myself
I like to do 1 thing from the list that builds my Wairua, every single day; and, I like to not do anything on the list that's not good, ever!
Taha Whanau:
Taha Whanau is super super important to me! I believe that the success of an individual is representative of the support behind them - their whanau.
I like to measure how my taha whanau is going with these 3 indicators:
How much time am I spending with Whanau?
Do I have strong relationships with my Whanau?
Are there any mamae relationships with any members within my Whanau?
I also like to include friendships in this section.
Taha Tinana:
Taha Tinana is always the weakest of all of these sections & this is due to generational trauma, health issues, addictions, and more.
The only way to stop these cycles though, is to grow above them!
These are the areas which are going well with my physical health:
No longer vaping
I have been more physical this past year (gym)
These things are not going so well:
Poor nutrition
Still not exercising consistently
Lack of self care
Endometriosis - Pain
Kidney Problems
Let's Celebrate!
Have a drink, Go out for kai, Spend some time in the moana!
Some of the most successful people I know preach balance as being one of the keys to success.
Especially is success doesn't come much for you then it's important to show gratitude for the success you have. Here are some cool things to be grateful for:
Shelter
Kai
Whanau
Health
Water
Clean air
It's a privelge to have these things. There are so many people who do not have these.
I like to celebrate the wins I have had in the past year, celebrate the successes of Whanau, and celebrate another year of life.
Here are some different ways you can celebrate:
Taking a break from everything and just having a relaxing day on the couch.
Going out with friends.
Going on a date with your special person.
Cooking a Kai at home for whanau.
Cooking a Kai at home for yourself.
Going on a hikoi, connecting to te taiao.
My life is generally quite busy so I'm treating myself to a day on the couch to binge watch netflix shows. Whatever works for you though is great!
Planning ahead is one of the biggest parts for me. I love setting new goals and intentions!
I made a podcast about setting goals. Here's a link for it:
Vision is everything when it comes to setting goals. Having goals that we are passionate about gives us something to look forward to each and every morning when we wake up. Not having goals is an excellent recipe for average living. I like to dream big and be persistent to achieve it. Luckily, building wealth is very similar to this, it's about setting big goals and then putting in consistent mahi to achieve it. The podcast episode above speaks about setting three types of goals when it comes to money. These are:
Income
Savings
Investing
Income is at the top because it's super important. Without sufficient income, you won't be able to save or invest as much. My goal this year is to increase my income so that my savings and investments can grow!!
Income can come from different things. Some people trade time for money, others trade service/ supply and others learn how to crack the system and make passive income. Passive income is the true goal but it normally requires money to do so.
You can make passive income in the real estate market, stock market, or even by running your own business.
Again, my goal this year is to work on mastering my Podcast and Blog, build a name for my brand and create it in to something which is helpful and accessible to Maori.
"Maori Millionaire is on a mission to empower Maori to become financially independent" was the original motto of Maori Millionaire but I'm working through my own evaluations to see what kind of kaupapa best fits for the company.
Setting Intentions during Matariki:
Last years intentions went well. This year I will be setting new ones to continue my journey of self development.
Everything good starts with a plan. I love planning out my intentions, goals, budget, things like this!!
It's way easier to track progress when you have physical evidence of where you have been.
Here was my last financial update. I'll be updating you with a new one for the end of this Maori year!
The most important thing to remember is that (according to Elbert Einstein: “You never fail until you stop trying.”