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Ciao! Welcome to another coffee break with me. If you're new here, I'm an Italian teacher with 15 years of experience. Today, for the weekly topic, I want to share a few thoughts on a big word: success.
No pressure. No complicated grammar. Just a little reflection over a warm coffee.
Let's begin.
What does "success" mean to me?
When I was in high school, and later during my exchange year in America, I felt a lot of pressure. Everyone around me seemed to be running.
But that race was never mine. I simply did my best, quietly. I wanted to learn, to grow, to feel confident. But being first was never my goal. Still, I felt the pressure. And I struggled with it quietly.
Maybe you have felt this too.
Then I went to university. And that's where things started to change. Slowly, I began to look inward. I started to ask myself what truly mattered to me. Not what others expected, but what felt right in my heart.
I discovered that success is not something you chase. It grows quietly inside you. It's about understanding, curiosity, and kindness. It's about finding joy in the small steps, without needing to prove anything to anyone.
So, what does success mean to me now?
It is not a trophy. It is not a perfect score.
For me, success is softer. It means being a good person. It means understanding others and helping them feel at ease. It means raising my daughters with kindness and strong values.
A little Italian for you:
The word for success in Italian is successo. But there is another word I love even more: riuscire. It means "to succeed" or "to manage to do something". It is not about being perfect. It is about trying, one step at a time.
Ce l'ho fatta! (I made it!)
Sono riuscita a parlare italiano! (I managed to speak Italian!)
The "Caffè" connection:
This is why I created "Caffè con Marina".
I don't want my students to feel pressure. I want them to feel safe. I want them to know that every small step counts.
Your success is not a perfect score. Your success is the moment you feel brave enough to say your first word in Italian. And I will be there, walking beside you.
Tomorrow:
Another word, another coffee. Until then, enjoy your coffee!
A presto,
Marina - Caffè con Marina
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