I don’t know if you’re a fan of the Hulu show Alaskan Daily, featuring Hilary Swank, but if you are, you might remember hearing the Alaskan indigenous (Tlingit) word pronounced “Kawdigoo.” According to the show, it means “where the water has settled or become clear.” In the context of the show, the idea is that you need to follow the river (i.e., path) until “the water becomes clear” or the chaos falls away.

When you’re in the midst of chaos, it doesn’t seem as if anything will ever be clear. To me, kawdigoo suggests that when life is muddied up, you need keep doing the things that promote stillness and settling, if not in your environment, then at least inside of you. Those things might look different for each person, but they might include time spent outdoors, walking or other movement, prayer or meditation, and time away from your phone or TV.

As long as we continue at a frenetic pace, we are like that fast-moving river that shifts boulders and polishes stones smooth. Sure, we’re getting a lot done, but we’re not built to keep up that kind of pace. And who are we getting things done for, anyway? Ourselves or others? Becoming settled gives us the clarity we need to understand our priorities better and choose that which brings peace. Kawdigoo offers the metaphor of water becoming still to inspire us and show us how to let go of the jetsam we don’t need.