Indigenous Epistemology, Well-being Strategy, Reflective Insights, Community Hauora David Hovell Indigenous Epistemology, Well-being Strategy, Reflective Insights, Community Hauora David Hovell

REFLECTIVE INSIGHT #026 - THE SACRED ORDER: SAFETY, FUN, AND PURPOSE

A Simple Rule for Life

Here is a deep truth that has been sitting on my heart lately, especially when I look at the heavy challenges facing our beautiful home in the North. This wisdom actually came from my youngest child, who was only eleven at the time. It is a incredibly simple rule of thumb for life, a hierarchy of basic human needs that our modern world constantly gets twisted:

  1. 1. Be safe.

  2. 2. Have fun.

  3. 3. Do what you are here to do.

The major hurdle we face today under the constant pressure of a cold, demanding system is that we frequently swap numbers two and three. We put the "grind" before our joy, and by doing that, we severely damage the very spirit, the wairua, that fuels our actual purpose in life.

1. Safety First

The very first step can never be negotiated: Be safe. In my ongoing research, I talk a lot about building the Economic Pā. Historically, the pā was a secure place of defense, shelter, and storage that ensured the long-term survival of the family group.

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