About 6 months ago, Robson asked me to come on the W8 podcast with him and Wille, to tell my story – in Finnish.
About 6 months ago, I wasn’t quite sure what my story was, let alone how to tell it in Finnish. So I waited a bit until I couldn’t wait anymore, and one day called Robson to say: “I’m ready. Let’s do it.”
Robson and I have been friends for a few years now, and we share a passion for doing ‘impossible’ things. He’s an Ironman athlete who’s training triathlon after a traumatic brain injury – and pushing the limits of physical rehabilitation.
I’ve searched the recesses of my brain to learn the Finnish language, and have embarked on the even more ‘impossible’ journey of revolutionizing how we all learn Finnish. Part of doing that involves that I keep pushing my own boundaries, and expanding my comfort zone – in Finnish and life.
What can I say? We’re both brainy. 😉
So that being said, I couldn’t think of a more perfect setting to push my limits – and do my first podcast interview in Finnish – than the W8 podcast with Robson & Wille.
I do remember a time when Finnish was completely foreign to me, such a soundscape of an incomprehensible flow, and a time when (if I’m being honest) I couldn’t remember which one of the Nordic countries Finland was on a map… it was around 10 years ago.
Hyvää yötä.
Sinä olet ihana!
Pissähätä
Kakkahätä
…
The good stuff, the basics and on it went from there.
It’s fun to look back on the journey that brought me to this moment and say: wow, I’ve come a long way from only knowing how to say: Sinä olet ihana ja minulla on kakkahätä. I’m a sucker for the poop jokes, but I digress.
Indeed, I believe that it’s this act of looking back on the small steps in between that helps us take the bigger leaps.
I confess: I was nervous for this interview. It was entirely unstructured and I had no idea what we’d be talking about in advance. Thinking back on it, I can’t remember all the things we covered, all the elements of my story in there, but I showed up and trusted that that was going to be enough.
I believe if we all showed up and claimed our enoughness more and more, we’d see it clearly:
We are enough.
I am enough.
You are enough.
Click here to listen to my first all-Finnish podcast interview with Robson & Wille!
And if you’re worried you might not understand, don’t worry. Just show up! Many people have told me it’s easier to understand what I’m saying when I speak Finnish. Give a try, and see for yourself.
Sanotaan, että suomen kieli on vaikea kieli opetella.
Irina Pravet on erimieltä ja kertoo miksi. Hän on oppinut puhumaan suomea, eikä suinkaan ensimmäisenä kielenä, eikä edes kolmantena. Romaniasta lähtöisin ja Kanadassa kasvanut Irina on kielivalmentantaja, jonka tavoite on opettaa oppimaan vierasta kieltä ja kertoo millaista on opetalla puhumaan suomea Suomessa. Laita luurit korviin ja kuuntele Irinan tarina!
