- First, you need to have a goal and a strong will to achieve the goal
- The goal can be achieved by a quick burst of energy
- Sometimes the situation lasts for a long time – like a slow simmer
- You get angered of the thought that you couldn’t make it and/or that you’re starting to think of giving up
- There are plenty of good things coming out of anger if you direct it the right way
- It seems like you need to have the desperate moments to grow the feeling of wanting to make it and achieve your goal
- Too much sisu without realizing you are too exhausted can cause a burn-out
Finland.fi (Peter Marten): “The introduction informs us that, linguistically speaking, the concept of sisu goes back 500 years or more. It can refer to “stoic determination, hardiness, courage, bravery, willpower, tenacity and resilience.” It’s “an action-oriented mindset.” You don’t brag about having sisu; you just “let your actions do the talking.”
How it happens
First, you need to have a goal and a strong will to achieve the goal.
The goal can be achieved by a quick burst of energy among other things like moving furniture in through a small door to a house, a job that seems impossible or finally telling someone the hard truth.
Sometimes strong will is enough, but if the situation lasts for a long time – like a slow simmer – you need to keep the goal in your mind.
Dr. Shiva must have a lot of sisu!
Too much sisu without realizing you are too exhausted can cause a burn-out.
Anger comes in handy. There are plenty of good things coming out of anger if you direct it the right way.
You get angered of the thought that you couldn’t make it and/or that you’re starting to think of giving up. This is the moment you can feel the sisu.
After getting angry, you will get the sisu back and the journey continues.
It seems like you need to have the desperate moments to grow the feeling of wanting to make it and achieve your goal.
Opinions and stories of what is sisu
“Internal entrepreneurship, I don’t give up easy and the fire of life burns inside me. The aim is to make the best of everyday life”
– Anneli –
“For me, the sisu manifests itself in such a way that when I have decided something and the goal is important enough for me, I will not give up.
If there are any setbacks along the way, I will not give up. Depending on adversity /difficulty in achieving a goal, I may go (i.e., get angry) about them and try even harder.
My second strategy is to wait for a more favorable moment and move slowly without giving up my goal.
For me, Sisu has to do with a goal that I absolutely want to achieve. It can be a big thing or a small thing, but it must be important to you now / a situation in your life when sisu steps in to help. Whether it’s raking a big yard or getting a job.
In my case, sisu can be called strong will or goal consciousness.
When I’ve given up, I’ve given up. Then the sisu won’t come again.”
-Kaarina-
“Guts or more like courage/daring. Once the goal is set and you understand that giving up is not even an option. Maybe it comes from something to fight for. Something you really believe in. Some goal.”
-T –
“…courage to completely change the field to different areas and press hard to get by. Collect themselves in the races from losing positions and rise to the top of the race. Sisu can be invisible; it’s not always beating a bog for 32 hours a day, but quietly following a chosen line.”
-Jarza-
The word sisu is hard to translate…”
“A good example of the difficulty of translating terms is the English, onomatopoetic word grit, which means sand or gravel and sounds a bit like it but is often translated directly into Sisu in psychological context. According to the original definition, the trait consists of two components, perseverance, and consistency of interests. Ability is described as passionate and determined to pursue long-term goals.”
Sisu: The Finnish art of inner strength
“The concept of sisu has no direct translation, encompassing extreme perseverance and dignity in the face of adversity. But can it be learnt?”
“‘Sisu’ in Finnish means strength, perseverance in a task that for some may seem crazy to undertake, almost hopeless. My mother-in-law experienced the bombings of the Winter War (1939-1940) when Finland was attacked by the much superior Soviet army but managed to mount a resistance to remain independent. The New York Times ran an article in 1940 with the headline “Sisu: A Word that Explains Finland”.”
Sisu will get you even through grey granite
Old Finnish sayings:
- Tenacious, relentless willpower, perseverance, indomitable; daring, courage.
- Run out of energy, but kept going with sisu
- He didn’t have the sisu to tell the truth
- The sisu fell out in the middle of the attempt
- The sisu went out, the courage let me down
- (Fierce, evil, hard) nature, temperament.
- He’s got bad sisu
- Bossing her around hit her sisu
- My sisu boiled over (My spirit stirred)
- My sisu wouldn’t let me ask for help
- Vent your sisu to work
“We all have these moments when we all need to reach beyond what we think we are capable of. At the end of physical, emotional and psychological endurance. And then we have some kind of force that allows us to continue even when we thought we couldn’t,” says Lahti. For Finns, that ‘second wind’ of inner strength is sisu.
“…Sisu gives rise to what I call an action mindset… -Emilia Lahti-
Veikka Gustafsson, (a Finnish sportsman): “Get used to pushing yourself a little bit further. I always say, if the water is not frozen, you can always go swimming. In the beginning, it does not seem very nice. But after a while you get used to it. You can push yourself into the icy water; afterwards you feel wonderful.”
“When you face difficulties, think of how earlier generations coped with them.
“Sisu clearly isn’t the only explanation for Finnish success, but Gustafsson is adamant that the country would not be the same without it. “If it had not been for sisu, I would have been speaking Russian to you,” he tells me – a reminder of the Soviet attack in 1939 when Finland managed to preserve its independence.”
Another mention of the War.
The story of our grand grandparents skiing to school
The next popular thing is to say how our grand grandparents skied ten kilometers to school and back in -25 Celsius degrees and a heavy snowfall, a wolf pack lurking in the forest, alone, of course.
After thinking or hearing that you’ll start feeling like a lazy, useless teenager, getting angry and hopefully will get your sisu back!
Here is a good goal, join as a Warrior and achieve with sisu!
