… of an Irish mind.
The proverb Is dóchas an dochtúir do gach anó – Hope is the physician of every misery reminds of the undefeated spirit that permeates Irish culture and customs. Hope beats defeatism, hope bolsters resolve, hope works wonders. This proverb has come down to us as hope, but the word dóchas can also mean trust and […]
MoreThere is a wonderful old saying Leig an donaschundeiridh, a n-duil s’ nach d-tiocaidh se choidche – Leave the bad luck to the last, in hopes that it may never come. That is just pure optimism from the Irish psyche. We Irish often forget owing to our history that we are essentially a positive people. […]
MoreThere is the old Irish proverbial wisdom that states ‘Is feárr an mhaith atá ná an dá mhaith a bhí – Better the good thing that is than two good things that were’. It not only advocates avoiding nostalgia or sidestepping prompts to rumination but it advocates dealing with the reality of now, the positivity […]
MoreThere is the mighty proverb – Is fear leath builín ná bheith gan arán – Half a loaf is better than to be without bread. There is good eating, in pondering that. There is more than eating, in living it. Do you actually count your blessings, do you measure out your attainment/awareness, do you ever […]
MoreOne my favourite old sayings is Tuar an t-ádh agus tiocfaidh sé – Predict good fortune and it will come. Irish optimism at its best. This seanfhocail says fortune/fate is a self-fulfilling prophesy. Envisage it as good and it will come good. Start as you mean to go on. Intent can manifest destiny, intent can […]
MoreIt ever was thus but now more than ever we need to hear and acknowledge that joyous truth of a seanfocail ‘Maireann croí éadrom a bhfad – A light heart lives a long time’. Yes a light heart, a heart unburdened by the heaviness of worry and pain, a heart filled with joy and hope, […]
MoreNothing beats a bit of realism and the Irish proverb Is annamh earrach gan fuacht – Seldom is spring without cold is certainly sobering if not a genius prompt to resilience thinking. The climatic truth is that even after a long winter, the Spring still has some cold within it. The proverb reminds that while we […]
MoreThere is a great Irish saying ‘Bíonn dhá insint ar scéal agus dhá leagan déag ar amhrán – There are two versions to a story and twelve arrangements to a song’. As humans, we are the stories we tell ourselves – there is no getting away from it. It is hard wired into our brain […]
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