Sparking Sisu: Practice Finnish Fortitude for a Happier and More Resilient Life

Since moving from North America to Finland many years ago, I’ve become fascinated by sisu, the unique Finnish concept of resilience, courage, and grit in the face of all manner of challenges. For I firmly believe that a good sense of sisu (pronounced “see-su”) holds one of the keys to living a more joyful life.

As Finland has held the title of World’s Happiest Country for five years in a row (2018–2022), according to the UN’s World Happiness Report, it’s fair to say that there’s a strong link between healthy sisu and life satisfaction.