To be a fajondilizer (noun), or not to be. No... it's not a dirty word. Say it again, 'Fah-jon-dill-eye-zer' letting the whimsical syllables roll off your tongue. Now say it again. Can you hear the spring-loaded spirit launch you into whatever you're doing? If you're lost, stay with me. I believe I've stumbled upon an approach to life that just makes it better.
Yes. It's a made up word, but hey Dr. Seuss made up 'nerd' and it caught on. Certain words tingle when you say them. They stand out, hinge feelings to your ideas, and become much more than just a word. I often use 'fajondilizer' as a test for when I meet people. Some people light up, others look at me like I'm mildly insane. When people ask me, 'What exactly Is it?' I respond with a fairly open response. You could call it a mantra, a state of mind or go whole hog and name it your approach to life. To truly fajondilize (the verb) something is to be completely elbow deep in whatever you're doing. And to commit to whatever happens next. It's to allow space for your creativity to gain traction and spark. We all need a little more of that don't we? When I first found the word (I forget exactly where it bubbled up from?), it struck me with a ferocity I won't forget. The more I use it, the more I embody it. The more I share it, the more others add to its meaning.
I fajondilize a lot of things--parenting, work, laundry, love. You name it, I'll try to fajondilize it. But if I'm honest, cooking and playing with food is my most happy place. My recent big AHA has been that I realize I'm not just cooking, I'm fajondilizing food. When I metaphorically roll up my sleeves and dig in with complete confidence, I realize I can make things happen with ingredients. I'm not a super star chef, but I'm capable of whipping up some mighty delicious food; especially if I let go and follow the language of the flavours, ingredients and how they all fit together. Like anything, when you trust and commit (aka Fajondilize), something spectacular almost always happens.
Luckily I'm surrounded by pint-sized fajondilizers who like to pull up a chair and get messy with me in the kitchen. Follow along and share our moments. Or even better, roll up your sleeves and fajondilize a part of your life.
Are you a fajondilizer? How do you fajondilize your life? Send me your story, post it to FB or Twitter and use the hashtag : #fajondilizeyourlife