When you are a young person, you are like a young creek, and you meet many rocks, many obstacles and difficulties on your way. You hurry to get past these obstacles and get to the ocean.

But as the creek moves down through the fields, it becomes larges and calmer and it can enjoy the reflection of the sky. It’s wonderful. You will arrive at the sea anyway so enjoy the journey. Enjoy the sunshine, the sunset, the moon, the birds, the trees, and the many beauties along the way. Taste every moment of your daily life.
Thich Nhat Hanh

Thich Nhat Hanh’s metaphor of a young creek encountering obstacles on its way to the ocean is a beautiful reminder to embrace life’s journey.

Let’s take Thich’s wisdom with us and enjoy every moment of our daily lives.

By the way, I had the privilege of spending a day with this revered Zen master, teacher and poet in Waldbröl many years ago. It was an unforgettable experience that left a lasting impact on me.

Have you had the opportunity to meet any inspiring figures like Thich Nhat Hanh?

It’s quite simple.

• Practice (with a “c”) is used as a noun in both American and British English.
• Practise (with an “s”) is used as a verb in British English, but the verb form is spelt “practice” in American English.

I have a document entitled “Easily Confused Words” that I think you might find useful.

Are there any words you struggle with?

Who would think of watching documentaries from German broadcaster Deutsche Welle to improve their English listening skills?

DW Documentary is a great place to meet fascinating people, explore far-off lands, and even get a behind-the-scenes look at the complexities of daily life. And to boost your English skills.

I started with Brides for Sale—Bulgaria’s Roma marriage market and will be watching Germany: The discreet lives of the super-rich next.

And you?

What have you found?

I still see a lot of old-fashioned expressions in emails.

What about you? Do you use modern language?

 Are there any other old-fashioned expressions that you would like to change?

Send me an email and I’ll see if I can help you.

German has many untranslatable words that are difficult to express in English.

Some examples

• Fernweh describes a longing or craving to travel and explore distant places. It can be translated as “wanderlust” in English.
• Feierabend refers to the end of a workday and the time for rest and relaxation.
• Sprachgefühl is the ability to naturally understand and use a language effectively, including its nuances, grammar, and expressions. It can be translated as “linguistic intuition” or “language sense”. 

Are there any German words you find dfficult to translate or explain? Send me an email and I’ll see if I can help.

Our first teacher is our own heart.
Native American Cheyenne Proverb

What does this mean?

Our heart is like a wise old friend who knows us better than anyone else.

It teaches us important lessons about love, kindness and being true to ourselves.

I think this proverb is telling us to listen to our heart and learn from it because it has so much wisdom to offer.

Pretty amazing, right?