T
o help, we can look to
the origins of the word
for a little more clarity.
‘Sisus’ literally means
‘internal’, which is why it is
sometimes translated to ‘guts’
or ‘inner strength’, and is often
used synonymously with grit,
determination, and resilience.
But, perhaps better than these
clumsy attempts at translation,
there’s a popular song lyric that
I think sums up sisu perfectly:
‘When the going gets tough, the
tough get going’ – thank you,
Billy Ocean. Basically, when life
becomes difficult, your inner
strength comes out to meet the
challenge.WHAT IS SISU?
The Finns believe that everyone
has a certain amount of sisu within
them; it just may sometimes lie
dormant or be blocked by fears or
uncertainty. Of course, we all face
times or situations that are more
difficult than others. But sisu is
about facing a challenge head-on,
despite any doubt or insecurity you
may be feeling.
In Scandinavian culture, sisu
is viewed positively as the art of
courage – in fact, for many, it’s
a part of being Finnish. And it’s
not only Finland that embraces
a gritty element to their national
character; the Japanese have their
own version, ganbaru, which
means to slog on tenaciously
through rough times. And, if we
look a little closer to home, there’s
the concept of the British stiff
upper lip.
But, is it just me, or do these
concepts feel a little reminiscent of
wartime resilience? Should we still
strive for this level of resilience in
the world we live in today?In search of an answer, I spoke
to Zeenat Noorani, a resilience
and wellbeing coach.
“I believe that having balanced
elements of perseverance, grit,
and resilience allows us to
achieve desired outcomes when
facing adversity, without costing
our mental health. The key to
resilience, in order to achieve
success, is having a positive and
healthy balance in mindset,
empathy, and compassion.”
Perhaps, then, it’s the element
of compassion where modern-
day resilience comes into its own.THE IMPORTANCE OF
SELF-COMPASSION
Finnish mountaineer Veikka
Gustafsson once said: “The
biggest obstacles are between
our ears; what we tell ourselves.”
It’s often true that the biggest
challenges we face are the ones
in our own minds, which is why
combining compassion alongside
sisu is incredibly important.
Sisu isn’t about ignoring or
suppressing emotional pain,
and it’s certainly not about
continually pushing yourself to
the ends of your capabilities,
day in, day out. It’s about
acknowledging difficulties
(whether they are coming from
within your own mind or are
imposed from the world around
you) and doing what is needed to
rise above them.
“It is our own thoughts, feelings,
and behaviours which will,
or will not, enable us to reach
desired goals. We each need to
consider our own limitations
and capabilities, and reflect
on whether these bring us the
results we truly want,” says
Zeenat.HOW CAN WE EMBRACE
OUR SENSE OF SISU?
The tricky part about mental
strength, grit, resilience, sisu- or whatever you want to call
it – is that we know little about
how to build it. Although we can
all recognise what these traits
represent, the meanings and
behaviours that accompany them
can be personal to each of us.
Zeenat explains: “I assist my
clients to foster their skills in
resilience and grit through
evaluating their own behavioural
patterns, and exploring their
strengths and weakness. By
acknowledging their strengths and
weakness, clients can implement
resilience by breaking negative
patterns, and replacing these with
positive thought patterns.”
So, whenever you’re going
through a tough time, take a
moment to show yourself some
kindness. Recall moments in
your life when you embraced
your inner strength. Overcome
that critical inner voice by
remembering past times when you
exceeded your own expectations
in order to get through.
It’s not all about what you can do
yourself, or training your internal
thoughts, though. One important
factor in embracing sisu is that
it requires an action-oriented
mindset. Particularly when you’re
struggling, one of the best ways to
access support is to reach out to
others. Having the courage to ask
for help is perhaps one of the best
indicators of strength.
Whatever struggle you’re facing,
in whatever aspect of your life, you
can embrace sisu. It isn’t about
climbing the whole mountain, it’s
just about finding the strength to
take the first step.