From Victim to Victor: Embracing a Growth Mindset in a Moody Hawaii

How a Kona Low weather system turned chaos into opportunity and adventure

It happened for me > It happened to me.

You swap one word in that sentence and go from being a victim to being a victor. From despair to action. From a complete lack of control to empowerment.

From a fixed mindset to a growth mindset.

The story that follows is a low stakes example of putting this mantra to work.

A Kona Low weather system moved across the Hawaiian islands in late February, when my wife and I visited Maui and Kauaʻi during Mardi Gras break. This phenomenon is Winter’s version of a tropical storm or hurricane. It was the last thing a couple of native Louisianians wanted to experience in mid-Winter. After all, for us this time of year is a respite from the throes of Louisiana’s own active Hurricane Season.

Like the saying goes, there is no rest for the hurricane weary.

Because of the Kona Low, Hawaii felt and looked much different than expected. Grey skies softened the light throughout the days. Consistent, strong winds kicked up a relentless surf. Intermittent downpours drenched and muddied the landscape, and us with it. Many of the tourists on the islands sheltered in place waiting for clearings in the weather, conversely clearing the roads for commuting residents and intrepid travelers.

It was so wonderfully moody. If you can believe it, it made Hawaii more dramatic and beautiful than it already is.

The conditions in Maui and Kauaʻi made for some interesting photos

But …

The weather also forced the cancellation of our camping reservations at the Kīpahulu campground in Haleakalā National Park. It washed over bridges and shut down roads. Even Huli Huli Chicken in Hana closed because of the weather!

And perhaps the most tragic of all to our plans and expectations, the weather conditions led to the closure of Hā'ena State Park, washing away our reservations to hike the iconic Kalalau Trail along Kauaʻi's rugged Nā Pali Coast.

Was this a bummer?

Yes, of course!

But it also was an opportunity to practice acceptance, endurance, and adaptability.

“… everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

— Victor Frankl

We hiked other hikes and got lost on more than one occasion, often to our own delight. We traced swollen rivers uphill in search of raging waterfalls. We chatted with friendly locals, native Hawaiians, and happy travelers alike. We ate the freshest tuna, sipped on local coffees, and snacked on more açaí bowls in a week than in my entire life. We smiled and we laughed and we exhausted ourselves in the way normally reserved for young children at play.

On one excursion, we stood on the bow of a sail boat in the pouring rain along the Nā Pali Coast, riding the swells of the mighty Pacific alongside the crew. Dozens of humpback whales flanked our five-hour journey. The vessel pitched up and down, often violently, much to the nauseating detriment of a few unlucky passengers.

Whether we were holding onto the boat for dear life in those moments or just trying to hold onto those moments for dear life can be debated. I know the answer deep within my soul.

We felt our life and our aliveness more profoundly than ever. We stood in awe of Hawaii.

We endured — nay — we thrived in a moody Hawaii, despite all the chaos and cancellations beyond our control. If you are going to suffer the pitches of life, you could not do it in a better place.

We saw Hawaii in a much different light than expected. In turn, we saw ourselves in a different light too.

Much like other things in life, the weather can happen to you or it can happen for you. You cannot control the weather, so you may as well control what you wear for it.

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