I can hypnotize you in Portuguese. Well, maybe not yet. After three weeks of merging my passions—learning languages and calming my restless mind—I can understand and repeat more and more words and phrases. During my 15+ minutes a day, here’s what I’m hearing and saying:

I want you to concentrate on my voice. Get comfortable. Relax. One, two, three. Breathe deeply. This is the only moment. One, two, three. With each breath…more and more relaxed. Calm. Well now, we’re all part of the same universe, becoming stronger. Building immunity against coronavirus.

Still awake? Very good. Muito bem.

When this social distancing is behind us, I’ll put what I’ve learned to practical use with some of the 50,000 people of Brazilian ancestry living in Massachusetts, according to the Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers.

Until then, I’ll stick with my new routine because I’m feeling so relaxed as I listen to a soothing voice and then drift off to a peaceful, dreamless state of mind. I awake feeling refreshed, unhurried.

I still have much more to learn, for sure, before I can dazzle a native Portuguese speaker. My pronunciation could do with some polishing, for example. Nevertheless, I’ve surrendered the temptation to look up words I still don’t understand, to purchase Rosetta Stone or hunt and peck for videos and podcasts on the Internet.

Instead, and with the convergence of passions, I’m seeing many of the words I hear in my mind’s eye and can categorize them as plurals, possessive adjectives, verb conjugations. It all fits together for me. I’m building a foundation for speaking and writing Portuguese and feel good about my purpose, progress and practice routine.

What are you doing to take care of yourself? To challenge and reward yourself?

Did you know that there are more than 600,000 native Spanish speakers living in Massachusetts, according to Census.gov?

How many of these people may share your passion for yoga, dogs, fútbol, football…talking about Tom Brady?

How do you feel about all this? Not sure if you want to learn Spanish, what your goals are or how to go about it?

Friends, co-workers and family tell me I’m good listener. I promise not to hypnotize you, so why don’t we get started?

What’s your thing to deactivate fear? Music? Gardening? Crafting?

Ever told yourself that someday you’d learn another language?

If you’ve found an extra fifteen minutes a day, why not merge your stress reliever with an item on your bucket list?

Let’s put Duolingo aside for now, as fun as it can be, and confront this common fear: I’m going to learn how to say stuff in (Spanish) but won’t understand when someone responds. I’ll seize up…and then give up.

I’ve been afraid, too. Of learning Portuguese—something I’ve been wanting to do but haven’t committed to on a regular basis. I’ve told myself there’s no time. Too many other priorities and hobbies.

My new morning routine includes getting up at the same time as I did when driving to work (criminy, I don’t want to get up at 6:15ish) and listening to a guided meditation in Portuguese.

I already know what I’m getting into, right? Someone with a slow and soothing voice will direct me to breathe deeply, will tell me I’m loved, will help me surrender self-doubt and anxiety.

Oh, at first, I so wanted to understand all the words. Recalling my principle purpose, to rest my roaming mind, I’ve found that I’m not worried about figuring it all out. I thought maybe I’d be bored with the same meditation. Not so. As a by-product of this short daily practice, I’ve become more accustomed to the language’s rhythm.

About two weeks into it, and without any forethought, I started repeating some of the phrases aloud—for about ten seconds—and then refocused on listening.

This spaced learning exercise squelches my inner demon, the hellion who demands perfect pronunciation and comprehension. I gain a sense of peace, accomplishment—every day, it seems like another piece of vocabulary clicks into place—and confidence to speak with a native Brazilian.

Isn’t it about time you grab a hold on whatever it is that makes you tick and a language you want to learn?

If your thing is music, I’m confident you’ll learn to identify the words for heart (code-ah-SEWN), soul (AHL-mah) and love (ah-MODE) early on. If you’re a green thumb or crochet fanatic, you can learn that lingo, too, in a contextual, natural flow.

Not sure if this approach will work for you? Need a good listener? Please contact me for a free consultation. Let’s get started.