Kwento Kwentuhan

Stop and Smell the Plumerias

Liza A Pierce of “A Maui Blog”

It is past mid-year 2022. Summer is almost over and soon autumn will be here. Based on the proverbial “stop and smell the roses” encouragement, I would like to ask you (Hawaiian style), “Have you stopped and smelled the plumerias” lately?

Stop and Smell The Roses

Although it is impossible to find exactly where the phrase first originated, Mac Davis sang a song by the same title in 1974 with these important admonitions:

Hey Mister Where you going in such a hurry Don’t you think it’s time you realized? There’s a whole lot more to life than work and worry The sweetest things in life are free and there right before your eyes

You got to stop and smell the roses You’ve got to count your many blessings everyday You’re gonna find your way to heaven is a rough and rocky road If you don’t stop and smell the roses along the way.

The expression “stop and smell the roses” is not just about flowers or nature but an encouragement to live life with a deeper gratefulness for the world around us. It is a reminder to slow down and take notice of the people and events of the day, to be present in every moment, seeing beyond the ordinary. It means consciously directing your mind to be aware and attentive to the present moment to be able to experience and enjoy more of the world surrounding you.

Here in Hawai‘i, we are surrounded with beautiful nature and loving people. People from all over the world come to Hawai‘i to enjoy a vacation. For those of us who live here, however, sometimes we forget to stop and enjoy where we live. With the cost of living so high, many of us have two or even three jobs. We whisk from one job to another without “stopping to smell the plumerias” so to speak.

Relish and savor the good times and the good things in life. Gratitude and appreciation are keys to a happy life. An effective way to practice gratitude and appreciation is to “stop and smell the plumerias.”
Photo: Liza Pierce

The Hustle Culture

We live in a fast-paced world that is often crazy busy. This is now what we call “the hustle culture.” Hustle culture teaches us there’s always more: more money to make, a bigger title or promotion and a higher wall to climb. Hustle culture means constantly working. It means devoting as much of your day as possible to working—hustling. There is no time out or time in at work. Work is done in the office, outside the office, at home, at coffee shops—anywhere. And in a world constantly on the go and equipped with the tools to achieve that, working constantly on the go is very possible.

Even though the “hustle culture” might be equated to “being hardworking” and on the surface might be perceived as a good thing, it can be toxic. We humans need rest. We need to take time to “stop and smell the plumerias.”

Stop and Smell the Plumerias

Before I end this column, I want to ask you again, “Have you stopped and smelled the plumerias” lately? If not, I encourage you to do so. Take time to reflect on the positive aspects of our lives, value our family and friends. Relish and savor the good times and the good things in life. Gratitude and appreciation are keys to a happy life. An effective way to practice gratitude and appreciation is to “stop and smell the plumerias.”

Liza Pierce of A Maui Blog is an Interactive Media enthusiast. She started blogging in 2006 and she loves talking story online and spreading aloha around the world. She’s been living on Maui since 1994 and considers Maui her home. A wife, a mother, a friend…and so much more. She loves Jesus; Maui Sunsets Catcher; Crazy About Rainbow; End Alzheimer’s Advocate. Her life is full and exciting here on the island of Maui. Liza is currently the Digital Media Specialist with Hawai‘i Life Real Estate Brokers. She is the author of the book Maui 2021 and Beyond.