FÁILTE ROMHAIBH ar ais, yes, it’s welcome back to the universe known as the Bluffer’s Guide to Irish where we will talk about goals.
No, not the type that will haunt Loris Karius for the rest of his life but cuspóirí, aidhmeanna and spriocanna - your ambitions in life.
Oscar Wilde rather unkindly called ambition “the last refuge of the failure” but many of you dear readers, like the Bluffer himself, will have cuspóirí pearsanta - personal goals in life and they will vary according to what age you are, how uaillmhianach - ambitious you are, an méid airgid atá agat - the amount of money you have, and so on.
If you were asking someone what they would like to achieve in life, you would ask them cad é ba mhaith leat a bhaint amach sa tsaol?
Younger people might tell you they want to end up with a jab maith - a good job, neart airgid - enough money, teach deas - a nice house and so on.
But of course, young people can be idealistic as well before the weight of the world falls on their young shoulders.
Síochan domhanda - world peace seems to be achievable to them while people of a certain age tend to be more cynical. Young people tend also to be tarred with the one brush, the stereotypical lie-in-bed-til-afternoon, hormonally-conflicted Kevin and Perry-alikes but most of the young people the Bluffer knows, especially those in the Irish language community, are positive. hardworking, conscientious and likeable.
They know what they want from life and most importantly, they want it for their friends and for their community as well.
For those people who have job, professional aims might be high on their minds.
Do all teachers want to be headmasters if it means doing less of what they love doing, actual teaching?
Do all doctors want to be consultants?
Ardú céime is a promotion as in fuair Niamh ardú céime sa chomhlacht - Niamh got a promotion in the company.
It’s nice to have your work recognised but then the further up the ladder you go, the further away from your original vocation you stray.
Does every journalist aspire to be an editor or does every sagart paróiste - parish priest want to be An Pápa - the Pope?
It’s unlikely but one wonders what céatadan - percentage of people feel they have reached the pinnacle of what they can achieve in life?
And what percentage of those blame outside factors - unsupportive parents, lack of money. being in the wrong social group etc. etc?
The Bluffer is lucky in the fact that he enjoys doing his job, he feels it benefits a large number of people.
He has a large number of friends and acuaintancesbut some people are less gregarious of course no matter what age they are.
For the lonely, an ambition might be something as simple as ba mhaith liom bualadh le duine deas - I’d like to meet someone nice.
Whatever your circumstances, it’s always a good idea to plan ahead with a road plan to your hoped-for destination.
Taobh istigh de - means within a time-frame as in taobh istigh de bhliain - within a year.
Ba mhaith liom na fiacha a ghlanadh taobh istigh de dhá bhliain - I’d like to clear my debts within two years.
Good luck with that one!
CÚPLA FOCAL
cuspóirí pearsanta (cusporee parsanta) - personal goals
uaillmhianach(ooilveeanakh) - ambitious
an méid airgid atá agat(un medge aragidge ataa ugut) - the amount of money you have
cad é ba mhaith leat a bhaint amach sa tsaol? (cadge ay ba why lat a wintch amakh sa teel) - what would you like to achieve in life?
jab maith(jab myh) - a good job
neart airgid(myart aragidge) - enough money
teach deas(chakh jass) - a nice house
síochan domhanda(sheehaan dowanda) - world peace
fuair Niamh ardú céime sa chomhlacht (foor neev ardoo cayma sa kholukht) - Niamh got a promotion in the company
sagart paróiste(sagart paroyshta) - parish priest
An Pápa(un paapa) - the Pope
céatadan(caytadaan) - percentage
ba mhaith liom bualadh le duine deas(ba why lum booaloo le dinya jass) - I’d like to meet someone nice
in taobh istigh de bhliain (teev istee de vleean) - within a year
Ba mhaith liom na fiacha a ghlanadh taobh istigh de dhá bhliain (ba why lum na feeakha a glanoo teev istee de gaa vleean)- I’d like to clear my debts within two years.
