August is Nicktoons Month! so we’ve decided to celebrate the tail-end of summer with our favorite words of wisdom from Tito Makani of Rocket Power.
Tito Makani, wisest of cartoon uncles, was the philosophical fry cook on the hit Nickelodeon show Rocket Power. He is best known for giving sage advice about growing up in the form of Ancient Hawaiian Sayings™. They usually consisted of coconut or ocean metaphors, but managed to pack in life advice on topics like family, patience, personal responsibility, and being your best self. Though we may not have understood all of them as kids, we looked back at them (for Nicktoons Month!) to see what sound advice they could offer today.
“The most important races are won in the ocean of the soul.”
We all want to get ahead, but your core values should always be righteous ones.
“Just because you can afford the modern longboard doesn’t mean you can honor the moving water.”
Money is a nice thing to have but it does not add value to your character — or your surfing skills.
“The sands of the beach must change with each new wind.”
The world is constantly changing, and we must learn to change with it.
“A crashing wave may thrill the breath but can’t replace the ocean depth.”
Fun distractions come and go, but meaningful experiences will be the ones you remember.
“He who is on the canoe is responsible for the journey, whether he has a paddle or not.”
You are responsible for the life you lead. Others can advise, assist, or even lead you astray, but only you can choose your path.
“You can paint the coconut shell, but you can’t change the milk inside.”
You can present yourself anyway you’d like, but who you really are is another matter entirely.
“The village of a chief who won’t forget the past may as well forget about the future.”
It’s good to learn from the past, but if you spend too much time dwelling on it, you won’t be able to plan for your future.
“Sometimes a little bit of nothing means a whole lot of something.”
Often it’s the details in life that mean the most.
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Photo Illustration: Eric Vilas-Boas. Images: Nickelodeon + Flickr/Dhilung Kirat