NIKSEN (NEEK-a simple pause for sen)-(Dutch)…..I take time to do this at least two, three…..times a day…..and it works…..it’s just the mindful practice of doing nothing…..a simple pause for your mind to wander, rest and refresh…..it’s not avoidance…but a quiet space where clarity and calm naturally emerge….

FARNIENTE (fahr nee-EN-teh)-(French)…..it’s the peace that comes from idling…..a gentle, earned stillness that invites rest….without expectation…….

IKGAI (ee-kee-guy)-(Japanese)….A reason for being…from “iki” (to live)….and “gai” (reason)….it’s the quiet intersection of what you love….what you’re good at…..and what gives life meaning….

HOPPÍPOLLA (HOP-pee-poh-lah)-(Icelandic)….I love this one…..to jump in puddles….it’s just a playful act that celebrates simple joy….childlike wonder and the delight of small….unexpected moments in life…..

LYKKE (LOO-kah)-(Danish)…..Is the quiet joy of simply being content….just enjoying happiness in life’s small moments….like a warm cup of coffee, shared laughter, a nice cozy evening….you know….not seeking more….and realizing peace is enough…..

BED ROTTING (BED RAW-ting)-(English)….I still do this one…..it’s remaining horizontal in bed for extended periods of time…..if only to unwind, or read, watching your favorite shows….journaling or listening to music….

HURKLE-DURKLE….It is a 200-year-old Scottish term meaning….to lounge in bed long after it’s time to get up…..I’ll have to ask my sisters Jenny and Gwen if this is a true saying…..

LAGOM (Swedish)…..This is the art of having just enough….not too little, not too much….just the right amount to feel whole….it’s a quiet balance….where contentment lives not in excess…but in the perfect middle…..

SOBREMESA (soh-bray-MAY-sah)-(Spanish)….It’s that lingering after a meal…when the plates are half-cleared and the conversation is full….the in-between-time when the food turns to a connection and hearts stay at the table…..

MORGENMUFFEL (MOR-gen-moof-el)-(German)…..Nicole has seen this….it’s a German word for someone who does not like to wake up early….and is grumpy in the morning….aka….a “morning grouch”…..