Hiraeth

Hiraeth: A Longing for What Matters

There are some words that seem to hold more meaning than their translation can capture.

Hiraeth is one of them.

A deeply Welsh word, hiraeth is often described as a longing for someone, somewhere or something that is absent. It can carry elements of nostalgia, homesickness, grief and yearning.

But I wonder if hiraeth can also be a compass.

In my work as The Legacy Coach, I often invite people to pause and consider what really matters to them — particularly when they find themselves at a crossroads or entering a new chapter.

And sometimes the clues are found in what we miss.

What are you longing for?

What do you find yourself remembering?

What has been lost or left behind that still matters to you?

What did that person, place or experience represent?

Perhaps it was belonging. Freedom. Creativity. Adventure. Purpose. Connection. Being seen.

The important thing may not be the thing itself, but the value underneath the longing.

Because hiraeth doesn't necessarily mean we need to go back. Sometimes we can't. People change. Places change. We change.

Instead, our longing might be inviting us to ask:

How could I bring more of what mattered then into the life I am creating now?

This is where hiraeth connects with legacy for me.

We often think of legacy as something we leave behind. But we are already someone's legacy, and every day we are creating someone else's.

Our legacy is shaped through the values we live, the relationships we nurture, the people we influence and the difference we make.

So perhaps the things we long for can tell us something about the legacy we want to create.

Perhaps hiraeth isn't always calling us backwards.

Perhaps it is pointing us forwards.

A Legacy Pause

Take a moment to ask yourself:

What am I longing for — and what might that longing be telling me about what