If you’ve encountered struggle or pressure… If you’ve been wanting to raise your game, then this one is for you.

Could it be that the immense pressure is what pushes the caterpillar to break through, out of the cocoon and into a butterfly?
Indeed, the butterfly is supposed to struggle. In fact, the butterfly’s struggle to push its way through the tiny opening of the cocoon pushes the fluid out of its body and into its wings. Without the struggle, the butterfly would never, ever fly… So goes the story of the butterfly.

What is your struggle to break through?

I’ve had quite of a struggle to express myself truly. Can I be showing myself, with all my sensitivity and depth to a world that seems so threatening at times? Sharing my voice is a deep part of my purpose. It’s part of living my life to the fullest.

Who am “I” to refuse my soul’s calling…

Frankly, it is illusional to imagine that anyone might keep himself from doing so, out of fear of being rejected or for any other reason. Many times I think how important it is that people feel safe to be themselves. That, others too, find the courage to share their voice. The world is a better place with all of our gifts, hearts and minds.

The world is a better place with all of us OWNING OUR VALUE and taking our rightful place in life. Our place – it’s a given. Granted by birth. Part of the deal when we come down here.

“The kabbalists say that each one of our souls is unique, and necessary. Nobody will ever be able to do what I can do. The only thing I need to be concerned with is that my light is being revealed in this world.” Quoting Michael berg in the Spiritually Hungry Podcast.

Each person is a whole world of their own. The heart calls for it to be revealed gently, yet it is only us who can unchain our self-imposed chains. There is only one judgment that truly counts: and that is our own. The times we are in call for unconditional self-love…

Break through, dear one… We’ve been waiting for you. I have been waiting for you. And for me, too.

When it comes to sharing our voice and our gifts, there is one understanding that is more important than any other. That is what Lee Harris describes as follows:

“You are needed, and now is your time. But for those of you who only think of that sentence in terms of your service to others, we ask you to see the other side of that mirror. That sentence is also saying – you, all of you, every piece of you that needs to be soothed, nurtured, healed, brought back is needed – and now is your time. So (…) listen to that sentence again. And recognize the self-love, self healing and balance inside it.”

You may want to ask yourself: what do you need? What will hold you – while time brings more ease? While your heart finds release?
What could help you break through? What lives inside of you and wants to be revealed?

Your heart knows.

More than anything, it is time to be whole. To feel free to be all of you. To feel held to grow.
Remember… you are Loved, totally and unconditionally.

I’ll leave you with Catherine Reitman’s encouraging words to step up your game or as she calls it: to at least consider to enter the arena.
“Only you know when it’s time.”

“It’s happening!”
“It’s happening…”

It actually took me quite some time before it happened. Before I jumped. Fear, doubt, more fear. Will I jump far enough to avoid the rocks? What lies underneath the surface of the water?

But it happened. Eventually, I jumped. And all it took was a split second decision. To break through.

When it comes to life and making our dreams a reality, indecisiveness and fear are such bad counsellors. Eating away our precious time, holding us back from what we truly desire the most, yet they are necessary for growth. Sometimes, when we want to go for something, jumping is required, whether we feel ready and comfortable or not. All it takes is just one decision.

What is YOUR CLIFF? What is preventing you from jumping?

If you’re standing at the edge of a cliff, frozen, stuck, or you seemingly have nowhere to turn…
Just remember: you are actually on the verge of your best, most bright and beautiful beginning of something new. And whether your cliff is a small trial or an immeasurable challenge, overcoming it is each time suprisingly powerful.

“The darkest hour of the night comes just before dawn”, as they say. And in the words of Khalil Gibran: “one can only reach dawn by taking the path of night”.

Trust. Today, take that leap. Set an achievable goal and see what small step you can take. Open a door. Make a choice. Who knows what treasures await you?

But, please… Be gentle with yourself. Some days, dipping your toes in the water is more than enough to conquer the world.

N.B. This article has a metaphorical meaning and does not encourage nor recommend anyone in any way to literally jump off cliffs

“We wish to share with you all – that you are not alone, you have never been. We are in it together. And we shall lift each other up, higher and higher. We are indeed, as Ram Das said, and maybe more than ever – ‘walking each other home’.” – Canta com Amor 2020

Here we are, fragile, complicated, yet wonderful human beings, sharing this planet together. At times filled with challenges we think we’d never overcome, but worth every drop of sweat. When we struggle and “think” we lose the way, we can remember the only true way home is within. We can look in depth into the mirror, wake up and rise. We can breathe in, feel and know ourselves, breathe out and let go. Layer after layer, sinking inside the all-encompassing love that we are.

It can be painfully hard, but how else is the caterpillar supposed to turn into a butterfly?

Truth is, we don’t need to do this journey alone. We’re not supposed to. We can walk eachother home.

The Israelites did not survive the exodus from Egypt by backpacking alone for 40 years in the desert. They were in it together. Shoulder to shoulder. Heart to heart.
Redwood trees, also known as Sequoioideae, are the largest and tallest trees on this planet. You would think these ancient giants need deep roots to withstand strong winds, floods, earthquakes, fires and storms…, yet their roots only go about 2 meters into the earth. Instead, the redwoods’ roots intertwine. They fuse together. Redwoods actually build a strong foundation by bonding with eachother…
And have you ever seen the amazing and complex construction sites of ants? By cooperating, ants dig huge nests, use their bodies to form bridges, sew leaves together, etc… A colony of ants seems to act like the many cells of one organism.

Could it be that we human beings are more interconnected, interrelated, than we ever could imagine possible?

Kabbalah teacher Chaim Solomon said the following:
“The ultimate of every religion is: love your neighbour as yourself. Which really means, not just be good to other people. It means to truly reach the level where we have absolute certainty and clarity that you and I are the same. Just like me, my fingers are part of my body. I would never do anything to harm my fingers, because I know it harms me.“

I believe our connection with eachother is essential for us to thrive. Sharing this life is a privilege, expressing and listening from our heart and soul is a gift, helping eachother is helping us all. This who we are, this is is our human nature.

We don’t really know what is ahead of us. We never really know anything, do we? The only constant is change, as Heraclitus said already in 500 BC. What I do know is that we are the ones who choose our direction. Every single day. I also believe the covid-19 situation is not a social exile. On the contrary, this is a revolution in the most basic aspect of our human self: who we are, how do we relate to one another, and what do we want to weave together to shape our lives, our future and our planet for the better?

The choice is ours. The future is ours.

We can take this time of physical distance to get closer to our own heart. To get to know ourselves, and the ones we really care about. To share ourselves, more truly and openly than we ever did before. To make that phone call we keep postponing. To start a chat with our neighbour. To put seeds for social projects to emerge and create more goodness together.

Lonely-20, ladies and gentlemen, is as bad as a disease as Covid-19. And, although part of the medicine is having people around us physically, the true secret lies in the quality, the authenticity and depth of our relationships. In the first place, the one we have with ourselves, which directly nurtures our relationship with others.

Reach out. Unite. Together, apart. In the most creative ways. We are in this together. Let’s see what magic we can create out of this shared situation, out of our comfort zone, who knows what bright future may await us?
Because there is magic when we meet eachother truly. We remember we are all human, we are all one. We come home, together.

“We wish to share with you all – that you are not alone, you have never been. We are in it together. And we shall lift each other up, higher and higher. We are indeed, as Ram Das said, and maybe more than ever – ‘walking each other home’.” – Canta com Amor 2020

Never in my life have I witnessed something so profound and of such magnitude. A gathering of my all-time favorite musicians, medicine men and women, elders, visionaries from all continents, uniting thousands of us – the “Global Family” – to sing and pray together.
No less than 11 hours of sharing wisdom, music, love and dance. Lifting up our spirits while enjoying a sense of brother-and sisterhood – as one big soulfamily. Welcome to Canta com Amor 2020!

It was a game changer for me – and the ripple effect continues. An event with such power that the love skyrocketed until it was palpable for all of us. Have I ever seen so much beauty gather?

Actually. I have, many times. It reminded me of this feeling of oneness. A powerful, resourcing feeling of belonging with similar minded-and hearted souls alike. A precious experience I hold dear and whenever it slips back into my reality, I remember: this is why I’m here.

This is why I’m here.

Call it unity or oneness. Each time, these occasions have one thing in common: a safe place for each one to be. Free. Truly. Vulnerably. A place where masks fall, walls crumble and layers of dust are blown away with the humble presence of light, love and truthfulness.

I wonder sometimes: why is there fear behind being vulnerable? Why is there shame behind showing oneself and one’s true feelings?

I found Ram Dass’ words to be helpful:
“I had to risk being human with other people. And realized that what we offer eachother is our truth. And our truth includes all of our stuff. And the first thing I had to do was accept my own truth. I had to allow myself to be a human being. And I think I was very helped by my spook friend Emmanuel, my disembodied friend, who, when I said to him, ‘Emmanuel what am I doing on earth?’, he said ‘You’re on earth, why don’t you try taking the curriculum? Why don’t you try being human?’“

So that’s just where I’ll start. Being human.

I have a dream! I dream of people uniting and coming together as one. To gather in openheartedness with higher aspirations for the good of all. For a long time, I literally have had many dreams of living in a tribe, in community, in nature. It’s like I’m engined to feel and create social cohesion. A chip was planted in me before I came.
It just so happens that my biggest dream is at the same time my biggest nightmare. At times, I feel deeply, utterly lonely. A loneliness on a very basic human level, a desire to connect deeply and authentically with other hearts and souls.

As fragile as we can be – it is part of being human. I can go round and round this topic again, deepening it, yet each time, it comes down to the same old truth: vulnerability is a prerequisite for authentic human connection. It allows us to acknowledge our feelings and our truth to ourselves – but also lets us be SEEN by others in the totality – and fragility – of who we are. And being accepted and loved for it. Or not.

What happens if we close that door and never show our true selves?

Exactly… you get the point.

But what if we take a chance and we do?

I present to you an expert on this topic: Brene Brown, expanding on vulnerability and connection in only 20 minutes of your time, so you can lean into her humorous and touching insights and leave as a different-hearted person. There’s so much I’d want to share about her talk, as her story and research are full of presents. Then again, there’s nothing better than to get the full experience on your own. Brene Brown, on “The power of vulnerability“.

Authenticity: the most important gift we can offer ourselves. Yet there is another dimension to it: it is the most important gift we can offer to anyone else. When we allow ourselves to be who we truly are, others instinctively feel they can do the same.
Even more, when our needs for safety are met and we shine together, it lifts us far beyond our own light. It takes us to the truth of who we are as a people: ONE heart, ONE soul.
It is our uniqueness that makes this world go round. Our naked truth. But, oh… it is all the colors reflected in a diamond that create its stunning beauty.

Let us be a world where we aim for this: creating a supportive environment for meeting one another truly. Where we reveal the color of our heart and allow our true nature to be. So we can rise up together and walk eachother home.
Because there is power beyond words in unity. There is magic like no other when all the unique colors reflect in a diamond. There is healing here, for everyone involved. We are eachothers’ gifts.

Below, Canta com Amor 2020 as it was – the second part deep in the night.

March, 2020. Covid hits Belgium. It is day 3 after the quarantine announcement in Antwerp City. As I walk out the door, I notice, for the first time in a few decades, so many children playing outside… People simply enjoying a walk in the sunny weather. An unusual sight for a speed-driven society. When did we stop doing that?
I continue my way and sit down in the park. Out of nowhere, I hear two people speaking Hebrew. Not a common thing in this area, so, reminiscing the social skills of the warm and open Israeli heart, I quickly say “shalom“. Before I know it, we talk and I share about my past in Israel. Ever since I was 22, I took trips to the Land of Milk and Honey. When I was 28, I went to live there for about 3 years…

Here’s the thing, and I’ll be straightforward. This land and people taught me mountains of lessons. Maybe most of all, they taught me about brother-and sisterhood. They seem to have a natural instinct to be of help to one another. It’s not all rosy, no, but, at the end of the day, they see and care after eachother, strangers and relatives alike. Whether it’s innate in their DNA, written in the seed of their soul or a quality learned through historic survival, they feel connected. They need eachother.

No human being is an island. We all need eachother. Being in Israel reminded me of the meaning of community, of being part of a whole. Everytime I went there, different places, different people, different time, I experienced what it’s like to be a part of one larger body. I remembered that acts of kindness, generosity, hospitality and love are for free.

Disasters, tragedies, wars and viruses confront us deeply. But I believe they also give us a chance to change our ways and come closer to our purpose as human beings, as a human race. To “Love thy neighbour as thyself”, in our home, in our building, in our community. Nationwide. Worldwide… The wisdom of this sentence is a continuous journey for me and I feel I am only at the beginning. I touch the surface of this theme a little deeper in “We are all one – and we’re in it together“.

The video below by Rabi Manis Friedman reached me recently. I wish to share this with you and, whether you are atheistic, spiritual, religious, believer in aliens or anything else, it doesn’t really matter.
The ‘good way’ is the one that brings more light and love to you and the people (or aliens) around you. What matters is today, what we can learn, moment to moment, how this situation can bring us closer to ourselves and eachother. Can we see and take the opportunity to live our lives more deeply and meaningfully?

Every moment and every day is a chance for a new start.

About a week ago, I had a ticket to Milan, to volunteer in Damanhur. The situation with the coronavirus worsened in that area, and my flight got cancelled. Then, talking to a friend from Auroville, I considered returning to India. Two days later, the Indian government postponed all tourist visas until 15th of April. “When you make plans, God laughs at them”, as they say. The message for me was clear: stay put. 

Trust that Life has the best for you in store. When things don’t turn out the way you thought they would, most probably it’s for the good and in your best interest, even if you cannot see it yet.

I believe there is something far greater, far bigger, more magical, unconditionally loving, beyond anything anyone can imagine. An endless light, divine wisdom, absolute truth, loving guidance. Within us, beyond us, everywhere, everything. When I don’t know the way and I feel lost, as it happens, I return to this trust. And the way will show.

Flying on his back, my dragon brought strength and magic to my journey. A rich adventure, and mostly, a story of learning to tame my own inner dragon, conquering my fears and wildly enjoying the flight.

Yet I could not be at peace. My inner struggle was undeniably real and it was already taking long years to heal.
Today I am quarantined, like most of us. It allows me to stand still, listen within, and be more present with myself. A key part of this journey to inner peace. As well as understanding this: there is no such thing as being happy all the time. Light and darkness coexist. At least in this world, for now. There will always be contrast, in the words of Abraham Hicks. Life happens. Waves come and go. Yin and yang. “Down the rabbit hole”. I cannot control life, but…

I can be “the captain of my soul”.

Invictus

Out of the night that covers me,
black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
for my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
my head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
looms but the horror of the shade,
and yet the menace of the years
finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
how charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.

A poem by William Ernest Henley’s, written in 1875, called “invictus” – unconquerable, hanging in the bedroom of my 20-something-year-old-me, and recently discovered it was also Nelson Mandela’s favorite poem, keeping his spirit alive while in prison.

Darkness and light are part of the deal if you chose to be born here… Did we really? Did we choose? That’s what they say… Your soul jumped, eager to fulfill its life’s purpose.
Anyway…
We may walk around our whole life with visits from fear or loneliness or sadness… But we can choose to nurture ever-growing Faith and Light and Love and Gratitude to surround us in a warm embrace.

That’s how the white wolf wins. Feeding him to get stronger than ever before. That’s how we are the Captain of our Soul.

Regardless of a pandemic or a lockdown, life is a bumpy ride full of challenges. We, human beings, go through so many trials in life. Death, loss and grief, abandonment and loneliness, despair, fears, judgment, disappointment, betrayal… Each and every one has their own battles to win, their own traumas to overcome.

Just like any hardship, this time in lockdown can give rise to lots of fears, worries and restlessness. It’s not easy, but with patience, persistence, and faith, we can grow. We can start today and choose to feed our White Wolf. The more we do and persevere, the more fights he’ll win, the stronger he’ll get.

Our White Wolf will triumph. 

“But, Grandmother Willow, what is my path? How am I ever going to find it?”
“Your mother asked me the very same question.”
“She did? What did you tell her?”
“I told her to listen. All around you are spirits, child. They live in the earth, the water, the sky. If you listen, they will guide you.”
“I hear the wind.”
“Yes. What is it telling you?”
“I don’t understand.”
“Que que na-to-ra, you will understand. Listen with your heart, you will understand. Let it break upon you like a wave upon the sand. Listen with your heart, you will understand. “

But before that, there’s something that matters even more.

In life, first of all, it matters THAT you choose. And, second, it matters HOW you choose.

I wish someone told me this in school already…

Let me explain. It’s very basic, really. But to me, it matters every single day.
I find myself struggling with making choices. Out of fear. Out of worry. Out of… the need for perfection. What is best? What is right? What is good for my health and personal growth? What is best for this person? For this relationship? For my family?

What do I truly want?

Making choices gives us direction, gives us the ability to discover who we are, what we like, where we want to go, how we want to continue shaping our days, our weeks and our lives.

And then, essential to understand, why do I want it? Am I aware of my true intention? Does it come from the heart? Is it a practical mind-driven choice? Is it whispered to me through intuition? And can I stand behind my choice.

Nerve-wracking, really.

So I make “mistakes”. I choose for the wrong reasons. Few times I think “I shouldn’t have”. Then again, nothing every really is a mistake. Not if we get up and learn from them.
But, at other times, I refrain from choosing. I sit still by the water… And I miss out. This may be the only true mistake. To waste time. To be too afraid to jump in the water. Fear is holding me back, a lot. I want to give my heart the safety and desire to jump… The water may be cold…
So far, the best choices I made came through intuition and heart. From pure knowing. How I LOVE this when I KNOW and FEEL a burning YES in every cell of my being. How I love to have access to this place. Related to this, read my previous post Access your inner Conscious Intelligence – and change your life with Dr. Joe Dispenza and Abraham Hicks’ wisdom on this topic.
Still, sometimes, my mind sits in doubt and fear and is refraining from choosing. I wait by the water… Until Life chooses for me. Life is patient with me… And as I’m learning, I’m also learning to be patient with myself.

In life, it matters that we choose. That we shape our days and lives from the most truthful place within, instead of waiting for life to happen to us. Even in doubt or fear. Especially in doubt or fear.

My desire is to learn the HOW as well. Once I have chosen – how am I with this? This is easy for the choices that are made with full conviction. But for the tougher ones, when I am not full-heartedly behind them: am I able to be present with the situation, make the best of it, and even transform it into a great choice? Or am I filled with regret, desire to be somewhere else, blaming myself for this apparent “mistake”, and suffering my way through?
And I’m not even speaking yet about the long-term decisions. Studies, work, who you marry, to have a child, or any other long-term responsibility.

I don’t have a scientific matrix to calculate when, what and how to choose and probably never will. In the end, just keep walking, falling and getting back up. There is a vast space that can hold so much more than we can think of. Allow yourself to make mistakes. We are human. That’s part of the journey and that’s how we get to know ourselves. Understanding why I choose certain things, is helping me to come closer to who I am, and to trust this inner voice.

I’ll share one last thing. Having choices to make in the first place, means having options. Sometimes I’m unaware of it, but having options is one of the greatest things one can have. It means one is free.