Monday Motivation
Fika
Fika [fee-ka] is a Swedish noun meaning a moment to slow down and appreciate the good things in life. Many people in European countries center their lifestyle around this word and will often gather in the middle of their regular day to share coffee, tea, or bread with friends and family. However, for Swedish people this word means so much more than a simple coffee break. It is meant to be an intentional effort made to set aside time to spend quality time with those you love. It can happen at any point of the day at any place and with anyone you love. But, it is always intentional. Am I being intentional with the people I love and making time for them?
The season we are entering into is my very favorite time of year. From the tail end of October into the new year, we are bombarded (in the very best way) by events, people, gatherings, gift buying, cooking, caroling, decorating, giving, and hopefully memory making. This time is special, and it is sacred, but this time also easily becomes stressful and exhausting. I could give a hundred reasons for why I think this is, but I will just say what so many of us already know to be true. We miss the point, and we lose focus of what makes this season special. In the midst of all that the holiday season brings us, we focus more on the gift buying than people. We focus more on the cooking than gathering. We focus more on the decorating than the memory making.
I am as guilty as the next person, but for this year, what if we actually took the time and discipline to be intentional with the way we love? What if we caught ourselves in the act of losing our footing and made an adjustment to grow relationships and make memories? I want to be intentional this year because I am especially guilty of not living the fika mindset. I think we could all do better, and I am certain that we would all experience a noticeable difference in the holiday season if we made this intentional change.
Fika [fee-ka] is a Swedish noun meaning a moment to slow down and appreciate the good things in life. Many people in European countries center their lifestyle around this word and will often gather in the middle of their regular day to share coffee, tea, or bread with friends and family. However, for Swedish people this word means so much more than a simple coffee break. It is meant to be an intentional effort made to set aside time to spend quality time with those you love. It can happen at any point of the day at any place and with anyone you love. But, it is always intentional. Am I being intentional with the people I love and making time for them?
The season we are entering into is my very favorite time of year. From the tail end of October into the new year, we are bombarded (in the very best way) by events, people, gatherings, gift buying, cooking, caroling, decorating, giving, and hopefully memory making. This time is special, and it is sacred, but this time also easily becomes stressful and exhausting. I could give a hundred reasons for why I think this is, but I will just say what so many of us already know to be true. We miss the point, and we lose focus of what makes this season special. In the midst of all that the holiday season brings us, we focus more on the gift buying than people. We focus more on the cooking than gathering. We focus more on the decorating than the memory making.
I am as guilty as the next person, but for this year, what if we actually took the time and discipline to be intentional with the way we love? What if we caught ourselves in the act of losing our footing and made an adjustment to grow relationships and make memories? I want to be intentional this year because I am especially guilty of not living the fika mindset. I think we could all do better, and I am certain that we would all experience a noticeable difference in the holiday season if we made this intentional change.
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