When one is trying to jump into the uncomfortably cold ocean, there cannot be any doubt as any hesitation could prevent the jump all together.
Today the UP Wayfinders crew experienced a day of fun, learning, and most importantly, humility. We spent this lovely day enjoying the tropical weather that New Zealand has to offer. Our time at our new home for nine days has already been utilized and enjoyed by all members of our group to the fullest of our abilities. Whether it be going for a dip in the ocean next to our residence, engaging in multiple games of Frisbee, or opening our mind to Maori traditions, this location is sure to offer excitement.
Our first event of the day came after lunchtime, where we were part of the Maori community in which we welcomed a local Auckland school for a day of culture. Going through the entrance ceremony a day earlier on the visiting side held a much different view. We were able to be a part of a community and a tradition which had existed for thousands of years. The Wayfinders crew soon found ourselves alongside the school children as the men and boys learned the Haka, a warlike chant often performed on the world stage at professional sporting events. The women and girls learned the “Ko Ihu te Waiora”, a traditional female led song. We then were given the opportunity to perform our new song in front of a captive audience of our peers.
When one is learning a new language for the first time, it is better to jump into that sea rather than hang around the edge. When our host Tiaki came into our home in the evening for a lesson in the Maori language, we all jumped in. Some of us were fast to pick up this new dialect, instantly making connections between our language and theirs in a fully immersive language exercise. However, some of us faced a lesson in humility as we struggled piecing together a language not normally heard in our home on the other side of the Pacific. Struggling with this language made me realize how small we are, while we are the center of our western world, the Maori see themselves as short term caretakers of this planet. Introductions start with our mountain, our river, our home, and we conclude with ourselves. Auntie Rangi, a strong and loving matriarch in the Maori community gave us some grandma wisdom and discussed current issues the Maori community face in Raglan.
Today was a lesson in failure, in order to grow and develop as better leaders, we must be able to actively try, and in some cases, fail. However the great Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck asserts that failing is just another way of saying “not yet”. Every member of the UP Wayfinder group has talents and weaknesses, this trip allows us to be able to both strengthen our talents and develop our weaknesses. We went back to our years as young schoolchildren today, learning to fully embrace learning without fear.
In order to be successful in any aspect of life, one must be willing and able to seek mistakes in their daily life and jump back into the surf with the excitement of schoolchildren, eager to learn about a world much different than their own.
-Andrew Huitt