Create space for coincidence and let people come to you.

~ Anke T., Coach in Portland, Oregon

I spend the better part of my life chasing dreams, jobs and people. Sometimes it worked out, sometimes it didn’t. Until I exhausted myself and wiped out and one of my coaches told me to stop trying so hard, because I was wearing myself out.

Being in a job for 25 years, doesn’t mean you have 25 years of exprience. It means you have the same experience 25 times.

~ Tim W., Mentor at Nike EMEA

My parents’ generation (the Boomers) used to spend a lifetime in one line of business. I thought that’s what I was set out to do, until I had a conversation with my mentor at Nike one day and he explained to me how experience works. I now believe what he said that day in his office is true for your work as it is for life.

If you wanna piss with the big dogs, you gotta lift your leg a little higher.

~ South African business partner, IBM Corporate Service Corps

I went on a project with IBM once and my South-African business partners wanted me to Tee-off from the men’s Tee-box, because me Tee-ing off from the women’s box made the game unfair, according to them. In the game of golf, as in life, you need to step up, in order to move up, is what this taught me.

Life is given to you.

~ Caroline van F., Coach in Amsterdam

Until I was thirty, I believed life was linear and it could be made through hard work, dedication and discipline. But, after a series of life altering events I turned to a coach who told me ‘Life is given’. A total life changer to me at the time. It opened my mind to the possibility there are larger forces at stake, and me, my little self, had limited influence on what happened to me in my life.

Your dreams have come true and you have a sense of magic, what if you dream up something else, could you have that too?

~ William, Psychic in Portland, Oregon

I once saw a psychic to get answers to some life questions. I had always wanted to work for Nike and once I did, I dreamed of landing a job in the US. But, once there, I thought: what’s next? In hindsight the job was never a purpose in itself, but it was the experience of having your dreams come true that made it count.

Always return to the flag.

~ Arthur van der L., my dad

I used to travel a lot. Wanted to see the world, like my dad and his parents before him. But one day we were crossing a random street, when he turned to me and he said: ‘Doesn’t matter what you do, but always return to the flag’.
At the time I didn’t really know what he meant. But after I moved around the world for a quarter century to finally return to the place where I was born, I think he meant we all have a place where we belong.

Now it’s time to find your own Leonardo.

~ Josien K., University friend

I have been a lifetime Leonardo DiCaprio fan, ever since I saw him on the big screen in Romeo + Juliette for the first time. Who knows me well, knows this. So, when my college sweetheart and I broke up, my friend said: ‘Now it’s time to find your own Leonardo’. It’s over a decade later and I haven’t found him yet, but I will keep looking 🙂

Do what you love and money will come.

~ Tom G., fellow committee member at AIESEC

I never had a big bank account, but I travelled the world, studied, lived and worked abroad and my dreams have come true. Somehow this twenty-some year old guy at University knew what he was talking about. You don’t earn money to go do the things you love. When you start doing the things you love, money will automatically come your way somehow.

I love the process of recovery and faith in one’s abilities to overcome.

~ Patrick C., Friend from Portland, Oregon

I have been sharing my recovery story with the world through various platforms over the past decade or so. And I want to thank everyone who has supported me throughout the years through liking my posts or the personal messages I received. One comment I will take with me towards the future though: I will aim to give people faith in one’s abilities to overcome.