Have you heard about the traditional Finnish quality called sisu? The word itself is rooted in Finnish identity and over the years it has also become famous as a way to describe anything along the lines of grit, perseverance, willpower, courage and endurance. Big words right! And with only one Finnish word, you can tackle to describe them all.
1. With sisu, anything is possible -Finnish proverb
As the Finns would say “Sisulla siitä selviää”. Or to paraphrase, it simply means: With YOU in charge, anything can be done.
2. “If you can dream it, you can do it” – Walt Disney
In other words, if you have a dream, start working on it today!
3. “The secret of getting ahead is getting started” – Agatha Christie
So simple, if you started already last year, imagine everything you had already accomplished!
4. “Start with the end in your mind” -Stephen R. Covey
Totally agree! Walking in snowstorms suck, but keep thinking about that warm cup of tea once you get home.
5. Fall seven times, stand up eight – Japanese Proverb
Well, falling is inevitable. Make sure to fall often so you get better at getting up.
6. “I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying” – Michael Jordan
Exactly! Cannot repeat this enough. How do you know if you haven’t tried?
7. “Grit is the stubborn refusal to quit” -Jonah Lehrer
Once you have started, don’t give up easy. Fight for your passions. Keep your eyes on the ball! Try everything possible to reach that goal. Find your power animal, seek for your ascending star sign or find whatever means to remind you that there is nothing to stop you.
If the topic interests you and you wish to learn more about sisu, I recommend to read a wonderful book called Grit written by Angela Duckworth.
