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    Lagom is a new lifestyle that comes out of Sweden into our homes and our lives in the hope of helping us become healthy and live a sustainable life. The Swedish word is defined as “not too much, and not too little—just right.” This ethos of moderation has a great impact on Swedish people, who believe there should be a balance in everything they do, from working hours to how many slices of cake they eat, from how much sugar to take in one coffee to the portion sizes of dinner. Now people all over the world are interested in this living philosophy. Over the past six months, the BBC reports that search engine Google has seen a steady increase in the number of searches for the term Lagom and in the last three months, the word has been tweeted over 13,500 times.

    My Swedish friend told me “asking a Swede about lagom is like asking a fish what water is. It’s part of our way of life. There’s an inner voice saying, ‘Don’t be too talkative, but don’t be too quiet or shy. Don’t build the biggest house in town and buy luxurious stuff, but don’t be poor.’”

    Lagom has inspired several companies to manufacture skin collections, clothing, and furniture based on this notion of making life easier, more enjoyable and inexpensive. Swedish furniture store IKEA, for example, has created a project called “Live Lagom” to teach people how to reduce waste, save water, and live a healthier life. The famous H&M also sells Lagom around the world. Everybody can afford to buy their products, which are functional, stylish, and nice, but not too nice. Sam and Elliott Stocks, from England, published the lifestyle magazine Lagom. “Although neither of us are Swedes, we admire Swedish culture,” says Elliott. “The philosophy of Lagom is beautifully simple; it encourages everything in moderation.”