Ollin - The Words of Aspire (#10 of 11)

Ollin

Lesson #10 in an Eleven-part series based on Aspire by Kevin Hall

 To Order ASPIRE, Click HERE!

Are we half-baked or are we well done? 

Do we go all out or do we try with half a heart?

Are we do-or-die people or are we “also ran” people?

Ollin people go for the gold.  No half-heartedness found here.  They demonstrate keen focus, energy, and drive.  If an Ollin person somehow falls short, it won’t be for lack of trying.  Half-heartedness is truly only half of what an Ollin person gives.

They may reach the end of the charge and be exhausted, drained, spent and tired, and they may have to be carried off the field, but Ollin people give their all.  They run, they climb, they strain, and they go where no man has gone before.  Ollin people give everything for the cause.

That is Ollin.

Ollin, pronounced All-in is all of this and more.  An Ollin person puts all of his or her weight behind whatever it is they choose to do.  It’s all about go, do, strive and win.

A bit of word history:  Stemming from the ancient Nahuatl language, “Ollin” is derived from “yollotl” meaning heart and “yolistli” meaning life.  Ollin means ‘to move and act now with all your heart’.

Ollin is also connected to “opportunity”.  The root word is “port”, meaning the entryway by water into a city or place of business.  Only those who recognized the opening could take advantage of the open port.  So, Ollin people not only go and strive but they also recognize openings, passageways to other opportunities awaiting their discovery.

I love the analogy that Kevin uses here.  “When an earthquake or great storm shook the earth, the ancient Aztecs described such power by using the word ‘Ollin.’  The storm was giving everything it had and then some.”

Ollin is power.  It expresses an immense depth that conveys intense and immediate movement.  Ollin isn’t something you do part time.  You practice it every day of your life.

Confucius, the great Chinese philosopher, said, “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.”  That is Ollin.

When we practice Ollin we leave our comfort zone.  We go all out.  We get into the thick of things with total commitment.  

May we practice Ollin in the important relationships and activities of our lives.  May we be present, may we be focused, and may we be Ollin when it matters the most.

P Michael Biggs

Inspiration in Sight

One Word at a Time