Two Powerful Words: Sawabona And Shikoba

There is a tribe in southern Africa that really has a beautiful custom with two associated powerful words. When someone behaves badly, they carry him to the middle of the village, where everyone surrounds the person. For two days, they remind the person of all the good things he has done.

This tribe also believes that every person enters the world as good and striving for security, love, peace and happiness. During our search for our place in the world, during our lives, we can make mistakes. These slips are our impatient cries for relief.

They believe that the desire to feel like special and good beings sometimes leads people to behave stupidly. They therefore gather to get the right side of things and connect with their true nature, remembering who they really are, so that they can regain their hand of truth.

When this happens, all two powerful words repeat: “sawabona”, which means “I respect you, value you and you are important to me”, to which the person responds “shikoba”, which means “so… I am good and exist for you” . This act of recognition heals the hurt of the person who did something wrong by letting him or her know that he or she is loved and valued.

In this way, this tribe with the language of love can remember that all people are special and that they are good on the inside, even though they sometimes do not act in the right way. And the truth is that with this beautiful act and simple greeting, they are sending the positive message that it is never too late or too early to be who you want to be. You do not have to decide a time when you should do or not do it, you can start whenever you want, but remember that you gain more by being patient than in a hurry.

Sometimes when we behave badly , we cry out to someone to feel valued. Yes, it is a cry for love, appreciation and compassion. If we begin to imagine that we all carry a sign with the text “make me feel important and special” , our interactions would be cleaner and tastier, and we ourselves would create a genuine interest in the people in front of us.

Emotional communication is a scarce commodity in our society. We are unable to consider ourselves or others. We live in a dangerous environment where morality, motivation and self-confidence to move forward and confront the world do not exist. The beautiful tradition of this tribe shows us the importance of educating our children in the values ​​of respect and love.

If we understand this lesson , we will go beyond being educated and kind, and present ourselves to the world with a smile as our business card, with a white flag or peace sign that will flood our day with gratitude and confidence.

In this way, we will offer large quantities of extremely interesting and emotional information when we relate to each other. The same sensitivity and consideration that we give will also inspire others, and thereby we will improve the quality and influence in our relationships.

I hope the day comes when we learn the importance of the sawabona-shikoba ritual and the meaning of these powerful words in our own society. Without exception, we are all in need of surroundings that remind us whether we are walking a good or bad path and that we are amazing beings who first and foremost have the ability to feel and be proud of ourselves. And above all to realize that when we do not behave well , we have the power and strength to start over and correct our mistakes.

Picture from Dietmar Temps.