Foreign Terms To Live By

This month’s Retirement Sparks
essay is educational. I’ve collected a number of foreign terms to help you live
a better life. Some will likely be familiar; most will probably be new to you.
I’ve grouped them into several categories to help you mull them over in some
logical fashion.

 

The first category presents words
that speak to being alone. Flâneur (from the French) is a person who lounges or strolls around in a
seemingly aimless way. The flâneur is said to be a cool, aloof observer
of urban society. I blogged about being a flâneur a few years ago, celebrating the
surprising findings on my own aimless walk. The notion of being an aloof
observer didn’t make it into my post, but I like that.

 

The Latin Solivagant is defined as wandering alone in solitude around the world. Sounds like a
more far-reaching flâneur without mention of being an aloof observer.

 

The
Portuguese Nefelibata
(cloud-walker) seems rather judgmental. It’s someone who lives in their own
dreams and not in conventional society. They might very well be found in Le Pays de Cocagne, an imaginary French place, based on
luxury and idleness.

 

On the
other hand, the German Waldeinsamkeit
has a more noble meaning: to be alone in nature or the woods. It’s said to be spiritual
solitude. I like the sound of that.

 

The second category is the opposite
of aloneness, with just one word that celebrates being with others. It’s the
Danish word Hygge, the warm
feeling you have when enjoying great company. I’m sure there are other foreign
words that celebrate togetherness, but I didn’t turn them up in my research for
this essay. I wonder if hygge is
where the word ‘hug’ comes from.

 

The third group talks to finding the positive in everyday
life. The Swedes celebrate Njuta,
the art of savoring the moment and appreciating everyday experiences. An
excellent example of this would be the Japanese Komorebi, when the sun goes
through the trees and the leaves filter the light.

 

The Greeks similarly value Meraki, doing something with love or soul. For them, that
translates into pouring yourself into your work. The Hindi word Jijivisha is less specific, defined
simply as an intense desire to get the most out of every day.

 

How we go about all this brings me
to our fourth category, another with just one entry. It’s the Bulgarian word Ailyak, the subtle art of doing
everything calmly and without haste. I doubt that would work for those with ADHD.

 

The fifth category is a variation
on the fourth, but it doesn’t speak to time. You’ve no doubt heard of Marie
Kondo. KonMari is the Japanese method of sparking joy by
clearing clutter. Just the notion of decluttering makes me tingle with joy. But
making it happen… well, that’s an entirely different matter.

 

The Swedish and Norwegian concept
of Lagom is a more structured way to
approach decluttering. It emphasizes achieving
balance and maintaining a harmonious equilibrium, which is integral to the
Scandinavian way of living. I don’t think a person can have lagom if their home is cluttered.

 

The final category defies
classification and has just one entry, from Germany. It is so unlike what most
of us would expect from the Germans that I just had to include it. The term is Fernweh, and it describes when you’re
homesick for somewhere you’ve never been. It sounds more like an Italian
concept to me. I’m half Italian and about a quarter German, by the way. So I’m
offending both groups equally.

 

That’s the last of the foreign
terms I turned up in my research. To help you integrate some of them into your
own life, I’ve written a Days Of the Week ditty.

 

On
Monday, do your laundry Meraki-style,
with love and soul.

On
Tuesday, do your ironing Ailyak-style,
calmly with no haste.

On
Wednesday, maximize
your wardrobe with Jijivisha mending.

 

The second category is the opposite
of aloneness, with just one word that celebrates being with others. It’s the
Danish word Hygge, the warm
feeling you have when enjoying great company. I’m sure there are other foreign
words that celebrate togetherness, but I didn’t turn them up in my research for
this essay. I wonder if hygge is
where the word ‘hug’ comes from.

 

The third group talks to finding the positive in everyday
life. The Swedes celebrate Njuta,
the art of savoring the moment and appreciating everyday experiences. An
excellent example of this would be the Japanese Komorebi, when the sun goes
through the trees and the leaves filter the light.

 

The Greeks similarly value Meraki, doing something with love or soul. For them, that
translates into pouring yourself into your work. The Hindi word Jijivisha is less specific, defined
simply as an intense desire to get the most out of every day.

 

How we go about all this brings me
to our fourth category, another with just one entry. It’s the Bulgarian word Ailyak, the subtle art of doing
everything calmly and without haste. I doubt that would work for those with ADHD.

 

The fifth category is a variation
on the fourth, but it doesn’t speak to time. You’ve no doubt heard of Marie
Kondo. KonMari is the Japanese method of sparking joy by
clearing clutter. Just the notion of decluttering makes me tingle with joy. But
making it happen… well, that’s an entirely different matter.

 

The Swedish and Norwegian concept
of Lagom is a more structured way to
approach decluttering. It emphasizes achieving
balance and maintaining a harmonious equilibrium, which is integral to the
Scandinavian way of living. I don’t think a person can have lagom if their home is cluttered.

 

The final category defies
classification and has just one entry, from Germany. It is so unlike what most
of us would expect from the Germans that I just had to include it. The term is Fernweh, and it describes when you’re
homesick for somewhere you’ve never been. It sounds more like an Italian
concept to me. I’m half Italian and about a quarter German, by the way. So I’m
offending both groups equally.

 

That’s the last of the foreign
terms I turned up in my research. To help you integrate some of them into your
own life, I’ve written a Days Of the Week ditty.

 

On
Monday, do your laundry Meraki-style,
with love and soul.

On
Tuesday, do your ironing Ailyak-style,
calmly with no haste.

On
Wednesday, maximize
your wardrobe with Jijivisha mending.

On
Thursday, do not churn; just enjoy Lagom
equilibrium.

On
Friday, let KonMari inspire you to
declutter and clean.

On
Saturday, bake and savor the day Njuta-style.

On
Sunday, rest à
la Nefelibata. Live on
clouds in your dreams.

 

On
Thursday, do not churn; just enjoy Lagom
equilibrium.

On
Friday, let KonMari inspire you to
declutter and clean.

On
Saturday, bake and savor the day Njuta-style.

On
Sunday, rest à
la Nefelibata. Live on
clouds in your dreams.

 

Don’t expect to find this
embroidered on panties, but I might get it put on a dish towel.

 

 

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