Moai: Connected for Life

In Okinawa, it’s customary to form close bonds within local communities, and for many these bonds become part of their ikigai. 

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Moais (模合, Mo-ai) are social support groups that form in order to provide varying support from social, financial, health, or spiritual interests. Moai means "meeting for a common purpose" in Japanese and originated from the social support groups in Okinawa, Japan.

 

From the book “ikigai”, moai has its origins in hard times, when farmers would get together to share best practices and help one another cope with meager harvests. 

 

These connections of friends provided support for each other during tough times emotionally, encouraging one another to be the best they can be individually, and also collectively as a group with a common purpose. 

 

I feel when God puts certain people in your life, and moai is formed, no matter how long between the times you see each other nor how much time has passed, when you get together, there is a core connection that reacts to each other. We are spiritual beings, and the spirits are not really bound by time, just the physical body. 

 

Meeting with truly connected friends brings impact. Something always changes for the better, the world is a brighter place because of people like you connected to people like me, making each other shine in our own special ways. 

 

When we are together it is truly an ichigo ichie, which loosely translates to one time one moment (once in a lifetime), the cultural concept of treasuring the unrepeatable nature of a moment.