"Although they are only breath, words that I command are immortal." -Sappho
This morning, I read a super interesting linguistics paper in an anthropology journal (š¤nerd alert!) that taught me the BEST WORD EVER!The article was about the Greek language and how even though there were other ancient languages that came before it (i.e. Babylonian and Sumerian,) Greek, and two Chinese dialects, are the only ancient languages alive today. Considered by scholars to be the richest language in the world, it's Europe's oldest and has 5 million words, seventy million word types, and has existed for more than four thousand years. WOW!Because of this, there are words that we just don't have an equivalent for in the english language. I learned one of those "untranslatable" words today and it's the embodiment of everything I strive for. This is my new word! MERAKIIsn't it pretty?Say it again (meh-rah-key) It even looks cool.So what's it mean? Here's what I read:
"Meraki, a verb, or adverb, a Modern Greek word, derived from the Turkish āMerakā (Labor of love, to do something with pleasure), is applied to tasks, usually, creative or artistic tasks, but can be applied to any task at all.It means to do something with passion, with absolute devotion, with undivided attention. No matter how difficult a task, it is done with all your effort, with enthusiasm, with eagerness, with complete love; it is done with all your heart, a labour of love, so to speak.Meraki is to put your soul into something, to put a little bit of yourself into it, be it singing, dancing, or painting. Someone who loves life, lives it to the hilt, does everything with zeal, someone who lives for the moment, for the now, is often, today in Greece, referred to as a āMeraklisā. Every single thing he does, day in, day out, is done with meraki."
Right???How much do we love this??!!So now, I have a name for my life's goal. What I've been striving to be all along is a Meraklis!!
This week's act of kindness is to share your passion with the people around you. For a whole week consciously work on tapping into everything in you that fits this amazing new word. Find your inner Miraki! Share your joyous passion and enthusiasm! LIVE YOUR PASSION! This is so important, my loves. If you choose to focus on the good things and go about your day living with love and passion, you have little time left over to dwell on the bad stuff. You'll feel better. Lighter. Happier. And what an inspiration you'll be to everyone around you!! Share the love and spread the happy, darlings. Be a meraklis with me!
Tell us how it went. How did people react/respond? Use the hashtags
#reikibabieskindnesstribe #todaysplannedactofkindness and #2017anotsorandomyearofkindness so we can keep our stories together.
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