We explain. Again.
We correct. Again.
We tweak and soften and reshape. Again.
We rewrite our elevator pitch. Again. And again. And again.
Trying to make it land.
Trying to make it fit.
We say, “It’s kind of like physio, but different.”
We say, “It’s about daily life.”
We shrink it down, dilute it, make it more relatable, make it easier.
And for what?
To still be misunderstood?
Because making it smaller doesn’t make it clearer.
It just makes it easier to dismiss.
Occupation isn’t simple.
It isn’t just work or function or tasks.
It’s everything we 𝙙𝙤. How we move through the world.
What we do when we wake up, when we grieve, when we heal, when we connect and when we live.
But the word? It doesn’t always translate.
Some languages don’t even have a word for occupation the way we use it in the Western world. The closest words mean work and task.
But that’s not it.
Not even close.
So what do we do?
Do we shrink it? Rebrand it?
Try again to make it fit into a world that wants neat, easy answers?
Or do we stand by it. Own it.
Show people what it is through our doing. Through the way we practice. Through the impact we create.
Because people 𝙙𝙤 learn.
No one tried to rename Jiu-Jitsu (Japanese) to “gentle combat.”
No one watered down Reiki (Japanese) to “energy touch therapy.”
No one rebranded Ayurveda (Indian), Parkour (French), Taekwondo (Korean), Acupuncture (Chinese), Pilates (German) or Yoga (Indian).
They weren’t instantly understood. But they remained intact.
Because people took the time. They leaned in. They got curious.
So maybe we stop worrying too much.
Maybe we 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙙𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠.
Live it so 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮.
Practice it so 𝙪𝙣𝙖𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮.
Show up in ways that make people feel it before they ever try to define it.
Because words don’t always make people understand.
Seeing it does.
Feeling it does.
Experiencing it does.
And when they do – when they finally see it and feel it for the beauty, richness and depth of what it is,
We won’t need to explain a thing.
