Why "fika" could save the world stories from the journey stories in a word Nov 29, 2022

Stories in a word 

Ordinary people have coffee breaks, but the Swedes have "fika", a collective art in taking breaks. There are certainly fewer places in the world that drink more coffee and have developed the cinnamon bun into an artform.

Could the practice save the world? Listen to...

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The Russian words "sobytie" & "razdelit" stories from the journey stories in a word Nov 26, 2022

Stories in a word 

Every culture has something unique to add to our understanding of what it is to be human and how we experience this world.

You might think that the word "event" would be a simple translation, but in Russian the word "sobytie" actually means to "co-be". Co-creation in a...

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Exploring how Swedes practice team stories from the journey stories in a word Nov 24, 2022

Stories in a word 

The Swedes have a very rich history of how they practice being in community and making sure everyone has enough. One image that often pops to mind is a circle of Vikings around a fire passing the drinking horn. Ulric Rudebeck describes his deep understanding of the old...

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What is "Hygge"? stories from the journey stories in a word Nov 23, 2022

Stories in a word 

I love language! When I think about the scene from The Matrix when Neo is offered the red pill and the blue pill, I visualise it like this:

If the red pill were all the physical prowess in the world and the blue pill were all the languages in the world, I'd take the blue...

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The Nahuatl word “apapachar” -- a truly Latin embrace stories in a word May 18, 2018

Have you ever felt embraced by a person or a place?  I have that sense about Aotearoa/New Zealand, a place I came to originally in 1983 and spent almost 30 years discovering.  I feel a deep connection to this land and she has a great sense of aliveness for me.  I call her "she"...

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Nurturing stories around the table stories in a word Jan 23, 2018

 I've been hosting an international Booksprint over the past few days.  Around 40 authors are engaged in creating a Visual Facilitation Fieldguide, with the aim of both sharing their expertise and extending the field.  While many authors are working virtually and checking in via...

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The Swedish word “lagom” — what the Scandinavians know about teaming stories in a word Dec 09, 2017

There are so many challenges to working with groups these days.  What do we know about teaming that makes sense today? It seems an appropriate time to post the the next language contribution from Sweden — the word “lagom”, which literally means “team around”....

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