laurasandiaGerman – a language that most people consider to be difficult to learn and speak. Living abroad, most people tell me that in order to speak German, you need to be aggressive and angry to make it sound real. But believe me, this language has some magic, too. There are some untranslatable words that carry a lot of knowledge, meaning and wonder within them – like these 8 beautiful words that will inspire you:
Genießen
I just love this word. I want to geniessen everything in this world! This word goes way more deep than just enjoying – it means you are involved with every fibre of your body in what you are doing, it means there is a reciprocity between you and the action you are doing. It goes way beyond the feeling of pleasure because you are enjoying with your body, mind and soul. It means you are completely and 100% involved in the thing you are doing, there doesn’t exist anything else. You are present. And you are enjoying this present to the maximum with all the cells in your body and neurones in your brain. This really comes from the heart.
Fingerspitzengefühl
This word is super-duper long but carries with it a very delicate meaning. Literally translated it means “feeling of the fingertips” – but really there doesn’t exist any correct translation. Fingerspitzengefühl is something you need when your friend just got dumped and is on the edge of breaking down. It is something you need when you are about to attend the most significant interview of your career.
You need it when you are about to take a very important decision, or when you want to become really successful at anything you are doing.
Fingerspitzengefühl requires you to be intuitive, sensitive, smart and attentive to every detail. It’s a skill that many leaders need to have to reach their goals. We all should develop this feeling – to act in a self-conscious, aware way.
Lieblingsmensch
I have only a handful of Lieblingsmenschen – my favourite, most precious people in this world. My sister is one of them. And my 2 best friends. And of course my partner. I just love how there exists a word for this in German – a person that is close to you, knows you inside and out, understands you blindly, is there for you in an instance &and shares their light with you. It is more than just a friend. And the fact is, we all need those people by our side. In this world, it’s hard to find someone you can really trust from your heart. Who is your Lieblingsmensch?
Fernweh
This is something I had since I was little. Fernweh is the longing for distant places – and the opposite of homesickness. But it means more than that. Many people are using Wanderlust these days, the desire to go and travel the world – but Fernweh is something even deeper. Literally translated it means “distant pain” – so you are wanting to get out of your comfort zone, daily routine & well-known habits so badly, it hurts.
And what hurts? It’s not the desire, but the pain of knowing that you have every chance, but you don’t use it.
And in that case, life responds to you, not with a sheer desire, but an inner discomfort that will inevitably force you to act. I found this word to carry a very deep meaning because I felt this calling only in those times of my life when I deep inside knew I needed to change something because I just wasn’t happy with where I am right now. Next time, don’t ignore that feeling or put it on the same level as Wanderlust – but listen carefully what meaning lies behind your Fernweh.
Geborgenheit
Do you remember this feeling you had when you were a child and crawled into your mom’s lap, snuggling & smelling this oh-so-familiar smell of home, safety, mom? You just knew that nothing bad can happen to you at this moment, there are no problems, no difficulties, just pure love and 100% trust. But it’s not just a feeling your mother can give you, any person that you let into your heart can cause this feeling inside of you – your partner, sister, best friend, even your pet. And trust me, even you yourself can – or actually should – make you feel geborgen. Because who else can really give you security, trust, protection & unconditional love? It’s YOU.
Liebeshöhle
A beautiful sentence my sister always said to me:
Create a Liebeshöhle inside of yourself, and come back to that place whenever you need to remember your light.
So a Liebeshöhle is essentially a comfortable space you yourself can design inside of you – and you can even get visual. Decorate your inner space with flowers, waterfalls and butterflies, paint it with colours & light it up with candles, sunlight and fireflies. And whenever you feel lost, sad, angry, confused or left alone – close your eyes, take a deep breath and go into your Liebeshöhle. There you will remember who you are, what you are here for and that everything is ok. Fuel yourself with good energy, positive vibes and unlimited power. Heal yourself. Then open your eyes and deal with all the situations life throws at you.
Gemütlichkeit
A beautiful word that my mother always valued a lot. If something is gemütlich, it is cosy, comfortable and feels like home. Imagine the following scenarios:
- You prepared a hot bath for yourself, it smells like red roses and rosemary, you light some candles, put on jazz music and enjoy a glass of red wine.
- It’s Christmas time, freezing cold outside and you are in your cosy warm home, the smell of freshly baked vanilla cookies fills the room, you are about to watch an old school fairy tale on TV with a hot tea in your hand, wearing your cosy socks.
- It’s summertime and you invited your friends over for a bbq, it’s getting dark and you light all the fairy lights, bring the cosy blankets and get closer together to tell each other stories.
- You just came home from work, put on your pyjama, turn on classical music, make yourself a hot chocolate and sink into your couch with your favourite book.
You see gemütlich almost always involves warmth, relaxing music, delicious smells and cosy clothes. It means coming together, it means taking time for yourself, it means enjoying and valuing this perfect moment you created for yourself.
Glücksmagnet
Are you a magnet for good luck? Your answer should definitely be YES! Glücksmagnet should be your second name. Do you want to attract good people, situations, learnings into your life? It is not true that some people are born lucky and some just don’t. We are all magnets for good luck, we are all a Glücksmagnet.
Good luck is not something you have to earn, search or naturally possess, it is a question of attitude.
You have to believe that you deserve all the best life has to give you. You have to be convinced that your life will be full of wondrous moments and joy. Only with your conviction you will attract favourable situations into your life – and live the life of those people you always envied.
Thank you for appreciating my art!
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