One Wish

(FANTASY) – Holokai has a golden coin that, when he casts it into the magical well, will grant him a single wish by their god, Ekewaka. In fact, all the children on the islands are born with these coins. It’s an amazing miracle, yet Holokai is stuck and unable to think of a wish. His friends and everyone his age have already cast their coins into the well and Holokai is afraid he’ll never think of a wish. However, an accident will force Holokai to come to terms with what he wants and move beyond the events from his past that are holding him back. With the help of the energetic and quirky, Ekewaka, Holokai will face his deepest fears and long-held pain.

Listen – Read – and Check Out the Takeaway Idea Below…

Listen to the Podcast Episode:

Takeaway Idea for One Wish

I hope you enjoyed this story. I hope it made you feel for Holokai, laugh with Ekewaka, and even make you think of what your own wish might be, given a coin of your own. 

Well… what would you wish for? Let’s really do this. You can’t wish for more money, but nearly anything else. Have an idea? If not, pause this and take another minute…. 

Alright, now that you have your wish in your head, before you throw your coin into the metaphorical well, let’s take a closer look at Holokai’s journey. By the end of this, you might just end up changing your wish…

In the story, there were many things that Holokai discovered in order to feel confident and excited to make his wish. For me, though, there’s one idea, one discovery, that overshadows the rest.

I’ll let Ekewaka take over for a second. Here’s what she said:

“…is a life made from just one single wish?”

No. No, it’s not. 

Life is made of more than one wish. It’s obvious, but what is that one question we tend to ask kids and students all the time?

“What do you want to do when you grow up?” 

Perhaps we could find different interpretations of this question. However, we know that when this question is asked, we’re looking for a simple career answer. The real question is, “What career do you want to pursue when you grow up?”

I think we place a heavy weight upon this question, and when we meet someone new, small talk eventually falls upon the question, “What do you do?” And we’re not looking for an answer like, “Oh, I do a really good stretch twice a day. That’s one thing I do….” No, it’s all about that career, about our work. That is undoubtedly important, but life is made of more than this one area.

What you want to do when you grow up is a near-impossible question for many to answer, and it certainly was for me. I’m not doing anything I said I would do when I grew up. Zero. I’m not an astronaut. I have not cured cancer. Yet, I am doing what I want to be doing. But is that all that matters? Having a good answer to the question of, “What do you do?”

My proposition is that maybe we ask ourselves—and ask others—different questions to call attention to the rest of life, like, “What brings you happiness in your day?”

Is that too deep of a question for small talk? Probably, but maybe we should stop talking small.

What about, “How do you want to live your life?” “What do you want a day to look like for you?” Or, “How important will health and fitness be in your future?” Let’s paint a bigger picture, not just a career picture.

What about Holokai?

Even though Holokai’s wish was about his career, his life wasn’t changed all that much. He had already created a life he enjoyed (if we remove the stress he had to make a perfect wish!). He already enjoyed fixing things, or the work of it, and his lifestyle around it. Adding to his knowledge and skills (his wish) just propelled him forward but kept his life more or less the same. He had his aunt and uncle, his friends, and even his clients seemed special to him. His days would be spent creating and fixing in a similar way he’d repaired things before. The point, again, is that he’d already made a life he enjoyed beyond just his career.

If we remember that life is made of more than one wish, we can remove the pressure of needing to find that one single career path that we’ll pursue for our entire life’s journey! If we do this, we also leave space for a life with multiple career paths and hobbies that may become more than hobbies later on. We leave room for growth and for change. We send the message that change is okay. 

Also, as we keep in mind the many wishes life leaves for us to make, we remember that life is more than just our career. So, as we pose questions to our kids, our students, and to ourselves, we can phrase our questions differently to explore the many facets of a person and of a life. 

Questions like this…

What does a day-in-the-life of you look like? Or, what do you want it to look like?

How do you maintain such great friendships in your life? 

What brings you joy in your day? 

How many hours do you work in a day? 

How many hours do you get to play in a day? 

We can get creative with our questions and be free with our desires. It’s okay to want what you want, to want something different from others, and even to question what you want. It’s our life… it’s your life. Fill it with your desires.

And now, when you think of casting your coin into the well, you know the secret. Throw in as many coins as you want. Imagine your whole life. Wish for everything. Leave no area unimagined. 

Well… has your wish from the beginning changed at all? Maybe not, but hopefully, you’re thinking of adding more to it. 

Have a great month, everyone! See you all soon.