kevin sutton

Life’s Principles Are A Universal Language

This started as a concept to instill confidence and a sense of self worth in my daughters. The idea grew as I became aware of the bond that my daughters share with females and all peoples of this world. Power, Passion, Personality, Promise, Praise, Perseverance, Progress, Pride, Prestige, no matter the language, no matter the background these 9 traits are inherent in us all.

To that end I sought people who spoke different languages, to see if they had words that mirrored the English equivalent of the positive words.   Learning the different translations of the words was an adventure in and of itself.  The first languages I explored were Spanish and Urdu. I looked up the international Disability symbols Latin and Portuguese on the computer. I contacted a family friend in Louisiana and 2 universities to get the Creole translations. For Cherokee, I explored the Cherokee Nation website and was put in contact with their language department. Romanian, Bosnian and Igbo come from co-workers and church members, each speaking their native tongue. I went to the Japanese cultural center to receive the Japanese translations.

I utilized the services of the Language Training Center of Indiana, Indy Translations, LUNA Language Services.

I owe a big debt of gratitude for the all the language assistance that I received in putting this project together.

Some languages translate loosely but the goal was to come as close to the actual definitions of the 9 words and phrases.  The words and their definitions are color coded for effect and to spark imaginations, self reflection and conversation.

Principles of Life features a children’s book Girls…are all the above.