Sisu

One of my favorite Finnish concepts is the idea of Sisu.

It’s one of those cool foreign words with no direct English equivalent, but it’s an inner resolve that accepts the fact that hardship is a part of life and leans into a person’s inner resilience to still push through.

I suppose the closest word we have is fortitude. But people don’t really use that a whole lot.

I admire the way this is valued in Finland, from not letting the cold be a deterrent to chosing to walk or bike when possible.

I embrace doing difficult things for “fun.” Marathon training, traveling with small children, etc. But I think the insight we gain from “fun” challenges also help us be better prepared for the not-so-fun, inevitable hardships that come with being alive.