Feel good Friday – by knowing who you are, because you know your background – making Matariki marvelous with 9 things to do in welcoming the day.

It is all about understanding, your understanding, of all things maori,  especially if you have maori blood. Why? I have always believed that when you know where and what you have decended from, you have the ability to navigate your life a bit easier.

The reason, when you know and understand the behaviours that exist within your familiy background, you then have the ability to decide and navigate how you want your own life to be, going forward. This helps you to feel good, even on a Friday!

But first, you have to know and be able, to go back. Which brings me to this next bit, my own knowing and ability to speak in te reo maori - are you ready?

Ko tenei toku awa ( this is is the river that I am affiliated to, (the Whanganui river), in Whanganui, New Zealand)

As you can see, it was a nice and calm enough day, to take a photograph - in the maori world, this is the starting point of my families turangawaiwai (the place you decend from). I now believe, that at the basic level of identity, we all have one. And when you decide to start immesing yourself in your culture, you will care more about your life, and the marvoulus moments that you create. Today is matariki day in Aotearoa, meaning New Zealand is having a public holiday from the normalities of life.

Here are 9 ways you can feel good about getting involved in matariki: It is all about maori kupu (words) korero (talk), waiata (song and dance), karakia (prayer) and kai (food), oh and tangata (people) and turanga wai wai (the place where you have decended from.

The day started at 4.30 am. This is what my ancestors would have done, not only to pretect themselves, but to know that they were going to be able to progress with the day. Engaging with life like this, is always about your mindset, which if not mindful how you feel, can affect mental health, and your ability to get involved, as it did mine.  You see, as I went to finish dressing myself my shoes, I realised that I would wear the wrong shoes, jacket and hat. So for next time, I need to learn to do differently.

Over the last couple of years, I have learned alot about myself, and my background. It is all about knowing and then ability. I encourage everyone to learn things about their background. Life will not be so challenging.

1: We left the whare (house), kei roto i te waka (in the car). We headed to see whanaungatanga (extended family).

2: The first thing we did was greet each person (kia ora, or tenakoe)

3: As the morning got underway, I was keen to read to everyone on the cluster of stars, in te reo (the maori language). I did. This is panui.

4: After this, (i muri nei) I got talking to someone who worked in radio, as I had an interest in this. This is korero or talking.

5: We all then headed for the food (kai) but before that, the food had to be blessed with a karakia (prayer).

6: We all, the family (whanau) got food to eat, and then sat down ( kei te noho ki te kai).

7:  Some of us discussed the cold (makariri) and how we were keeping warm. With a hat (potai) on our head, a jacket (kakahu) on our bodies (tinana), and shoes (hu) on our feet, to protect us from the elements.

8: Connecting the dots on how we are related, ancestors (tipuna).

9: And then finishing the day departing, (ka ki te ano)

I have always believed that when each one of us is in true connection to our core, because we know our identity, this leads us to having the ability of wearing our pride on our sleeves and when speaking to others about who we are. This allows us to easily be able to also celebrate the cultures of others, because we find how we are the same.