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Description

What if grit wasn’t just willpower—but a living force inside you? In this episode, Rhonda shares the meaning of sisu, a Finnish word for relentless courage and resilience, and shows how you can claim this unstoppable power for yourself—no matter your heritage.

Today, I want to introduce you to a word that changed how I see myself—and how I keep going, even when everything feels impossible. Growing up in Upper Michigan with my Finnish relatives, I learned about sisu: a word that means grit, yes, but also so much more. Sisu is the quiet strength inside every Finnish heart, the drive to keep moving forward no matter what life throws at you.

I share how claiming sisu gives me courage, especially on those days when I don’t feel strong, tenacious, or resilient. Even if you aren’t Finnish, I invite you to find your word—a word that reminds you what lives at your core. When you need motivation, purpose, or a nudge through procrastination, call on sisu. Or find your own guiding word, and let it help you rise.

If you’ve ever wondered how to push through when you feel like giving up, this episode is your invitation to discover sisu—the power that keeps you moving, even when your spirit feels tired.

What You’ll Discover

  1. Why sisu is more than grit, tenacity, or resilience—and how it defines Finnish spirit
  2. How claiming sisu helps
  3. Rhonda
  4. keep going, even when she doesn’t feel strong
  5. The transformative power of choosing a word that represents your inner strength
  6. Simple ways to call on sisu (or your chosen word) when you feel stuck, overwhelmed, or tempted to procrastinate
  7. Why your heritage, community, or personal story can give you a source of courage
  8. A gentle invitation to claim and own your word, and let it help you keep moving forward

Key Takeaway

Sisu lives within you, whether you feel it or not. Claim a word for your inner strength, and let it remind you that you have what it takes to keep going, no matter what.

Key Quote

“I have sisu, whether I feel it or not. I have Sisu, whether I know it or not. I don’t feel it, I don’t know it in some moments, but I know I have it inside, like I know it.”

Resources

  1. Journaling Prompt: What word would you claim for yourself—when you feel like giving up, stuck, or uncertain? How does that word help you move forward?
  2. More encouragement, daily reflection sheets, and tools at fearlessliving.org

Invitation

What word will you claim for yourself—sisu, grit, warrior, goddess, or something else? Write it down, own it, and call on it whenever you need a boost. If this episode sparked something for you, send it to one friend who could use it today.

Reply and share your own experience—when have you felt your own version of sisu, and what kept you moving forward in tough moments?

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