“Connection is why we’re here. It’s what gives purpose and meaning to our lives.”

~ Brene Brown

The recognition came as gracefully as the breeze that sailed across the tranquil lagoon we were anchored in. Wavy strips of clouds mirrored the sea’s rhythmic roll. Pareos and swimsuits swung from the lifelines like peaceful prayer flags. Perched atop the bimmini, we swayed to the evening’s silent hymn, synchronized with the pulse that gently rocked the boat back and forth. There, within nature’s orchestration, it all made sense. 

“You’re a connector.” The words slid right off my lips. Her eyes softened with the acceptance of being seen. 

We had spent well over a month together, rarely leaving a forty foot floating radius of each other’s presence. We had sailed across the ocean and surrendered ourselves to the guidance of the wind. We had gone from acquaintances to allies within the audacious arena of voyaging.  

During this time I witnessed her genius, her spark, her aptitude to diffuse tensions and smooth out frayed edges. I noticed the coherence when she was around and the dissonance when she was absent. She inspired smiles, like a drop of light-heartedness that rippled across the room, and always left a wake of high morale. 

She’s a part of the crew, our hanai ohana (Hawaiian for “adopted family”), a vital part of the collective. And her contribution is integral, irreplaceable, invaluable. She’s First Mate, an experienced sailor, a water-woman, a creative conduit for visual content and a ringleader of ludicrous group activities. But beyond roles and titles and talents, she’s a connector. 

In the Hawaiian language, there’s a word for this innate sense of being: kuleana. While it has layers of meaning and contextual definitions, my favorite interpretation is “divine responsibility or purpose.” 

We all have a kuleana. We all have a purpose. And our responsibility is to live in alignment with it. To embody it. Unlike obligations or the old paradigm sense of responsibility, our kuleana is our light to shine, rather than our weight to bare. Our kuleana comes easy because it is natural. It is inherent. And its expression fulfills our life experience, like a sunrise illuminates a horizon. 

By being her uninhibited self, her kuleana fills and illuminates us all. Because when she’s living in alignment with her authentic self, we all receive the gift of her signature; we all feel connected.