Dream of Your Soul
Our Hawai’ian word of the week is i’ini which means “dream” or “heartfelt desire.”
We learned Dream before as moe’uhane, but that was more like moi moi— or a sleep dream.
I’ini means dream as in something you want very much.
So repeat after me: Eh-inn-ee
The way you say Dream of the Soul— ‘Uhane is soul. So dream of the soul is I’ini o ka ‘uhane.
Sign Language (ASL)
The way you sign dream is make a fist and put your index finger on your forehead. Then, wiggle it out.
Practice
Let’s practice using the word i’ini. I am going to ask you a question and you answer by saying i’ini and doing the sign language of i’ini.
This is how you answer: “The i’ini of my soul,” which means, “The dream of my soul.”
Got it? Let’s practice that once, together.
Sign The I’ini of my soul. Good.
Here we go. Are you ready?
Question 1
When your dream only benefits you and no one else, for example, you want to be Instagram famous— I think that’s the I’ini, the dream of your ego. But when your dream benefits you as well as others— what kind of I’ini is that?
Answer: The I’ini of my Soul.
Question 2
When your dream is interwoven with the dreams of everyone else on the planet, what kind of i’ini is that?
Is that the I’ini of your ego? Or the I’ini, the dream of your soul?
Answer: The I’ini of my Soul.
Question 3
When your dream comes true, it makes other people’s dreams come true.
For example, your dream of building a school makes the dreams of children come true. What kind of I’ini is that?
Answer: The I’ini of my Soul.
