Lokai is the brainchild of Steven Izen. When he was a freshman at Cornell, his grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimers and this moment shook him to his core. After receiving the news, he could not stop wondering how certain parts of his life seemed shattered, while others seemed so perfectly aligned. He saw the balance of being humble and hopeful. Izen wanted to put this realization into a physical form as a reminder to be humble in the highs and hopeful in the lows.
The bracelet has a white bead that contains water from the highest point on earth, Mount Everest, and a black bead that contains mud from the lowest point on earth, the Dead Sea. The clear beads between the two symbolize life and how there are high points and low points. Life is filled with these moments of joy and disappointment. Without one of these, it is hard for us to appreciate the other. Steven Izen says, "Life is about the journey, not the destination." He hopes that the people who wear lokai will learn to enjoy the journey and not just focus on destination. There is a purpose and reason for everything that happens and we choose how it affects us.
Not only is lokai a great way to remember to stay hopeful and humble, but it also reminds us to give. "If you reach a peak, stay grounded by sharing your success. If you reach a low, gain perspective by helping others." 10% of their profits goes to 13 charities. They also design special limited edition colors for their charities. Blue for Charity Water, camouflage for World Wildlife Foundation, pink for Susan G. Komen, red for Save the Children, purple for Alzheimers Association, neon for Make-A-Wish foundation, and now an ocean themed bracelet for Oceana. If you buy one of these special limited edition bracelets, lokai will donate one dollar to the organization it represents.This may not seem like much, but every single penny helps. Some of the other charities that the organization partners with are Best Buddies, Pencils of Promise, and Music Beats Hearts.
People sometimes forget that organizations like Lokai and Toms Shoes are not just made for fashion trends. They were made for a bigger purpose. Someone saw a need and wanted to do something about it. We are already extremely blessed and sometimes we take that for granted. So, the next time you go to take an artsy picture of your lokai bracelet, think about the meaning behind it and the possible lives your donation is helping.
Stay Humble and Stay Hopeful.
