L'arte di Arrangiarsi : The Art of Getting Along

This morning I read an interesting article in an Italian magazine. Let me re-write it for you :
"Non e' che a me vada tutto bene : e' che sono Io a trasformarlo in bene. Non vedo la vita come una strada che deve portarti a una meta. Mi sento una navigatrice. I navigatori sono innamorati del mare, del viaggio. E sanno che in ogni porto c'e' qualcosa di buono da trovare."

And let me translate it for you :

"It's not that all are going well with me : it's me who turn it well. I don't see life as a road which must lead to a goal. I feel like a sailor. Sailors are in love with the sea, of the journey. And they know that in every port, there is something good to find."

This article actually reminds me of the book that I-have-seen-in-my-mom's-bookshelves-when-I-was-a-child but recently my boyfriend suggests me to read as well : 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Based with the very strong determinations, such as to be proactive, to focus with priorities, to think win win, to understand then to be understood, to synergize and to sharpen the saw. Thanks to mom and Fei for a great book to start 2011..

Honestly speaking, living in Italy has contributed some great influence to keep both of them (strong determinations from the book and love of the sea from the sailors) in balance. One time in class, me and my teacher discussed about l'arte di arrangiarsi : dimostra molla di adattamento alla vita quotidiana. And we came up with some of explanations :

- the art of getting along which shows the art of adapting a daily life
- an extraordinary talent for survival mixed with staying grounded and true to yourself.
- do the best you can in a difficult situation
- manage to do things anyway
- with limited resources, make the most out of them
- to solve a problem even in a very unconventional way
- and so many others...

Even not all of the Italians have this laid-back character, this art is actually very famous in South Italy which the economy is not as great as the northern side but the life seems to be very enjoyful. I hope these 2 thoughts can be a good engine to start 2011.

Have a great new year! :D