Tag Archives: gratitude

You’re Welcome + De Nada

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I have a new job. It’s a good one.

I am grateful for the confluence of things that made it possible, not the least of which is my own hard work. But there are many others to thank and be grateful for. Making it all happen has taken up a large part of the last few months, which explains my brief hiatus from blogging. My return to writing has been cause for some rumination, and maybe some pressure (on myself) about starting the new year [new decade, new job] right.

This morning it finally hit me, as I found myself receiving a most sincere expression of gratitude from someone who, like me, lives in a fully bilingual world of Spanish and English:

DanceThis year may have started off being about gratitude, but it’s the grace in receiving where the crux lies.

I found myself struggling to respond, as I thought about the essential difference between ‘you’re welcome‘ versus ‘de nada‘. ‘De nada’ means literally ‘for nothing’ but the intention, while generally used just as ‘you’re welcome‘ is used in English, is really more of a downplaying, an expression of humility. In Spanish there is this dance we dance, this protocol of expressing humility in the face of flattery or gratitude. It is admittedly sometimes a feigned humility, but the sentiment is nonetheless there, and the expression ‘de nada‘ truly embodies that dance. It really begged the question, what does the bold, straightforward ‘you’re welcome‘ say about the English language, and it’s cultures of origin? In contrast to ‘de nada‘, it feels almost arrogant, as if assuming that the thank you is something more than just a polite expression, as if affirming that the person expressing thanks has reason be thankful. And yet taken more literally, there is beauty in an affirmation of being welcome, warmth in telling someone they are welcome. Don’t we all ultimately want to be welcome?

Simple words, so much culture embedded, so much intention to glean from language. So much that goes into receiving even simple things, like gratitude.

Bottom line, this morning I concluded I want to acknowledge my own desire to be welcome by giving what I want to receive (YOU’RE WELCOME), but I want humility too, and to dance (DE NADA).

So in 2010 I will choose both: You’re Welcome+De Nada.

Energy: To be inspired

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“The price of awareness is awareness.” From Skin of Glass

So, I’m a business person, a language person, a south american person, even (a stretch) a dance person…I suppose none of those really qualifies me to talk about ‘energy’ between people, but I think most of us -students of life- find lessons that are worth sharing from time to time.

Wishing Tree, Tokyo

Wishing Tree, Tokyo

I’ve recently experienced a radical shift in the energy that surrounds me. In a few short months I went from a quiet existence of prolonged dissatisfaction and truth be told, an oppressive and constricting energy to one of complete freedom, greater awareness of my own needs and a constant state of inspiration.

Inspiration? Yes, big word. But it’s a big, bad world and if you aren’t careful, you might find yourself racing (or sulking) through life not seeing all the spectacular people and stories that are right there, under all of our noses. Worse, you might find yourself not tapping into that unending well of good energy that is just waiting to ignite you.

While it seemed cataclysmic when it happened, this tectonic shift has lifted the fog that prevented me from looking beyond my own misguided experience and drawing from the spectacular things that surround me. All I can do is feel gratitude; gratitude for the contrast and the ugliness that sometimes has to show itself, for us to awaken to beauty. If we don’t know darkness, how can we see light? If you’ve never experienced sadness, can you really say you’ve felt deep happiness? Contrast, I contest, is what makes life worth living. Color, is what keeps us from the monotony of life lived exclusively in the grey.

When I felt I might drown, forward stepped a story about grace and keeping ones head above water under impossible circumstances. When I felt the pangs of death, death came to visit me; death of a husband, death of a child. These stories stepped up and crept into my skin, stories of surviving the unthinkable. These are the stories of my friends, my lost (and recently found) loves, my family and in some cases, my house cleaner, my architect, the chap next to me on the plane…the list goes on.

What I’ve learned? Don’t underestimate the energy you’re putting out there. Even more importantly, never doubt it’s power to bring back to you a vast and powerful fountain of goodness and INSPIRATION.

I did this recently…try it!

  1. What energy surrounds you?
  2. What are the stories that inspire you?
  3. What energy are you putting out there, and what are you getting back?
  4. Have you told the people that inspire you how grateful you are?

Peace