As we head into another uncertain new year in the United States, I’m reminded of the Polish phrase “Jakoś to będzie,” which means “Somehow things will work out in the end” or “we will make it.”
It’s pronounced “Ya-kosh toe ben-jay.” Click on the speaker icon to hear it.
The phrase is a way to respond to life’s challenges with optimism, rather than giving in to despair. It is a philosophy that encourages:
- Acting without worrying about the consequences
- Reaching for the impossible
- Taking risks
- Not being afraid
- Striving for change
- Letting go of things you can’t control
- Acting on the things you can
It’s fitting for a people whose country literally disappeared from the map of Europe for 123 years.
Be encouraged! Jakoś to będzie!
Sources
- Chomątowska, Beata, with Dorota Gruszka, Daniel Lis, and Urszula Pieczek, Jakoś to będzie. Live the Polish way of life, Polish 2017, English 2019, Accessed 13 Jan 2026, https://www.amazon.com/Live-Polish-Life-Jakos-bedzie/dp/8324058583 .
- Debczak, Michele, “Jakośto Będzie: Poland’s Anti-Hygge Approach to Happiness,” Mental Floss, 8 September 2020. Accessed 13 Jan 2026, https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/629812/jakos-to-bedzie-poland .
- Mecking, Olga, “The Polish phrase that will help you through tough times,” BBC, 8 November 2017. Accessed 13 Jan 2026, https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20171107-the-polish-phrase-that-will-help-you-through-tough-times
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