Catherine Norton
It Seems

In the Russian language, кажется (kazhets-ya) translates to "It seems." кажется comes up frequently in my course and in songs, so I imagine it is widely used to soften a negative statement, like "It seems you are working hard but not getting results." Americans would say that sentence without the softener - a little more bluntly.
Learning another language helps us reflect on our own. When I thought about "It seems," it helped pull an awareness from me. And that was, "It seems I am not happy, even though I am much happier than I was in the past."
I thought about past relationships, questioned my belief that men "ruined my life," and explored why I don't date now. Aha! Thank you кажется. This reflection was helpful and shifted something within me.
I invite you to try кажется. What follows when you hold "It seems..." loosely in your mind? Does it trigger a self-truth that is useful for contemplation?
Image courtesy of the Canva pro media library.