“Intense Eye Contact”

20. Opia / (OH-pee-yah)  Intense eye contact.  It’s a lost art. The breaking down of barriers between us begins with an acknowledgement of “the other.” Intimacy then, is a practice in understanding. And no matter how difficult or scary, we have to remember that we are human. We need each other. We are each other. Opia,

“Love of Honor”

19. Philotimo / Φιλότιμο / (fi-LO-tee-mo) Self–surrender is not a popular concept. Whether out in the jungle, or in the crevices of human nature Having a ruthless & combative spirit can be seen as a positive attribute by many, but today’s word, philotimo, flies in the face of such thinking. It’s a Greek term, and comes from

“To Walk Alone”

18. Solivagant / (SOUL-i-vuh-gaunt) A lone wanderer Meanders peacefully by. Peace of mind ensues. Can you tell I’ve been a bit angsty today? Fortunately, I’m not really alone. Solivagant comes from the Latin noun solivagus, meaning to wander in solitude. The reason I chose this word, was because I sense we don’t get enough time. Time

“To Love In Return”

15. Redamancy / (RED-uh-men-see) Urban Dictionary defines it as “love returned in full; the act of loving one who loves you.” Another “fake” word (in as much as symbols on paper are “real” to begin with) But as with each one covered – we are simply attempting to grow understanding by recognizing core ideas which have accompanied human

“To Love. Period.”

14. Agape / ἀγάπη / (uh-GAHP-aye) Another Greek term, and one you might be more familiar with.  Agape, or unconditional love, refers to the highest possible form of affection that people can either give or receive. Other types include philos,  or brotherly love; and eros, or romantic love. Way I remember this? Philadelphia is the “city of brotherly love”, and

“Create as I Speak”

13. Abracadabra / (AHB-ruh-kuh-DAHB-ruh) Magic? Something like that. According Oxford’s English Dictionary, the origin of abracadabra is “officially” unknown… but that hasn’t stopped people from taking a few good guesses. “Several folk etymologies are associated with the word: from phrases in Hebrew that mean “I will create as I speak”, or Aramaic “I create like the word” (אברא

“Deep Purpose”

12. Ikigai / 生き甲斐 / (EYE-kuh-GYE) Deep purpose, or reason for being. Ikigai is another Japanese term, meaning life alive. It encapsulates the ethos of moving in a direction that reflects a deep value placed on existence. And remember, direction is more important than destination. By seeking the deeper implications of life, one can begin to discover

“Meaningful Coincidence”

11. Synchronicity / (sin-kron-ISS-i-tee) Spontaneous? Random? Or.. a meaningful coincidence? A more recent addition to the English lexicon, and largely attributed to the late psychoanalyst Carl Jung in the 1930s. A concept arrived upon after deep and long conversations with the intellectuals of his day – from Albert Einstein to Wolfgang Pauli. So please understand,

“Golden Joinery”

10. Kintsugi / 金継ぎ / (KIN-soo-jee) In eastern philosophies, Kintsugi most directly translates as golden joinery. A practice loosely associated with that of wabi–sabi, or the practice of embracing one’s imperfections. Kintsugi also managed to transform itself into the artistic expression of ceramic repair. In Japan, after bowls break they’re pieced back together using a golden adhesive which makes the

“Wisdom Personified”

9. Sophia / σοφία / (so-FEE-yah) I think one of the more brilliant rhetorical devices we use in language, is that of personification. It allows previously dormant ideas to take on a new complexity. The human elements give texture to what was previously a hazy extrapolation. Sophia in Greek culture (you’ve probably noticed a pattern