Ancient wisdom for today
Dr Tom Mulholland is an Emergency Department Doctor and GP with over 25 years’ experience in New Zealand. He’s currently a man on a mission, tackling health missions around the world.
One of the upsides of being a professional speaker on the international circuit is that you get to meet other inspirational speakers. I first met Ngahihi -o- te -ra Bidois (the rays of the sun) in Singapore at a big HR conference. His ta moko strikingly complemented his sharp suit. He was introduced to me as the Face of New Zealand and New Zealand Speaker of the Year. I listened to his korero to me intently, knowing he was unaware that I was a Kiwi. After a while, I responded in my limited te reo Maori, at which he cracked up laughing and said: ‘‘Bro, you’re a Kiwi!’’ We have been friends ever since. I caught up with Ngahihi while in Rotorua last week, where we were testing for type-2 diabetes and heart disease at Mitai Maori village. It seems we can all learn something from Ngahihi’s kaupapa of Ancient Wisdom, Modern Solutions. The modern solution I saw in Mitai village was employing many whanau to tell tales of ancient wisdom and culture and the place was packed with tourists from all over the planet. As a Kiwi with partMaori children, I learned a lot. The vibe was very special. A few warning lights around diabetes and possible heart disease went off, and the show and hangi in the evening was truly something to be proud of. To see such a large extended family performing together and how proud they are of their place in the world something we can all learn from. Wisdom has been around as long as we have as a species and while no wifi was not a problem until very recent times, relationships with each other
Everyone on the marae is equal and Ngahihi's observations of ancient wisdom state that no one makes it on their own and great leaders are surrounded by great people.
and the land we occupy have been.
Ngahihi says hongi is a sign of unity and sharing the breath of life. Everyone on the marae is equal and his observations of ancient wisdom state that no one makes it on their own and great leaders are surrounded by great people.
This is certainly the case at the Mitai Maori village, a place that is as calming as the forest and fairy springs that it is immersed in.
Whatever your ethnicity, we can learn from our ancestors and ancient wisdom. Epictetus lived in Greece in the 1st century AD and was a slave. He had many quotes such as, ‘‘No man is free who is not master of himself.’’
He then influenced the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, who said: ‘‘Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.’’ I suspect this is true of our divided opinions on celebrations such as Waitangi Day, how you feel about your neighbour and even Donald Trump.
These ancient philosophers inspired modern psychologists, such as the late Albert Ellis, who have influenced me and my books on Healthy Thinking. I was mindful of these ancient wisdom teachings as I drove the ambulance north to park on the Treaty Grounds to experience Waitangi Day this year.
I knew we would share our knowledge of how to be well and good and in return, receive many teachings ourselves.
In the words of Aurelius and, I am sure, Ngahihi, ‘‘When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.’’