The European Parliament — the greatest employer, and the most loving environment in my 20+ year career.
When I combine this institutional home with my deepest passion — my research, my blog (Lingua Accord), my colours — I feel myself moving closer to self-actualization, reflected in a sunnier, more open interaction with the world.
I think the right word is not happy; it is content.
In Greek, we have a word for it: ευδαιμονία (eudaimonia) — which sits one octave higher than contentment.
And we have a word for self-actualization: εντελέχεια (entelecheia) — one octave higher still.
Together, these two words act like amicable numbers (φίλιοι αριθμοί) dancing inside a magic circle — the Play Principle.
In line with my research, ευδαιμονία is nearly untranslatable. Etymologically, it speaks of receiving favorable grace from the divine, yet in practice, the closest path to reaching it is recognizing serendipity.
Life will not always offer sunshine — after all, there are four seasons. Yet if we choose to view life through the lens of serendipity, we can take shelter in knowing that the seasons do not merely repeat in a flat circle; they evolve in an upward spiral.
Despite the seasonal changes in life, you can always choose sunshine, the greatest hallmark of which is being kind
You can choose kind when Life’s wings are favorable, you can choose kind in the interaction with your own sadness , using music voice leading and wrong note re – contextualization to turn into a sunflower once more 🌻
To visualise what voice leading is , it is worth remembering Keats’ Fancy poem where he speaks of the mixing up of the seasons
. That smooth blending of contrasting seasons into one continuous drink is the poetic equivalent of voice leading—moving seamlessly between different emotional registers rather than jumping abruptly.
After all, at their core, all world religions boil down to one truth: being kind.
🎶 Listening to: Η ΖΩΗ – 4 Εποχές | J. Braga — Watch here
📖 For those who would like to explore the philosophy of serendipity, play, and The Tree of Codes, read my latest article on Lingua Accord:
👉 The Winnicott & Spielerisch Gaze – The Tree of Codes
To bring in Keats again it is worth remembering another glorious poem Ode to Psyche which relates to prepared inner Architecture in recognizing serendipity !
Poets have so much to contribute to our wonderful world…