Stories, solutions, inspiration, tips, ideas, experiences

Everyone enjoys watching those reality TV shows where a couple with a romantic idea emigrates to a far-off country to fix up a ruin. They often have no idea what they are getting into and sometimes don't even speak the language. And here I am, car fully loaded, on my way to Puglia, Italy... Planning to live there for the next 9 months, perhaps longer, and to supervise three construction projects. Fortunately, I already speak some Italian, but there will be plenty of challenges. My main question at the moment, however, is more personal: am I traveling towards something, or do I want to get away from something? On the one hand, I want to get away from the messy breakup in Amsterdam (unfortunately the conscious uncoupling did not turn out to be so conscious after all...) and recover on my land in Italy. But on the other hand I also really want to be THERE, surrounded by my olive trees, enjoying them as long as I can, and try to save them with all my energy and creativity. I want to build a new base, connect with the earth, and just BE. I want to create a place where others can also 'land'. Will you join me on this journey?

I've always been different. A loner. A thinker. I haven't always felt understood. Never really belonged anywhere. Didn't want to belong. Maybe I told myself that's what I wanted, because I didn't understand the social 'rules' and how people interact with each other. Over the years I learned the 'codes', but they always felt strange to me, like I was learning the rules of a game I didn't want to play anyway. When I tried to be like others I didn't feel happy and besides, I never managed to blend in anyway. Later I discovered how I could turn my differences and previous 'weaknesses' into my strengths. Now I can be completely my authentic self. Many special people have felt like outsiders when they were young (and often still do today). What if we no longer see our authenticity as a 'disability', but instead discover its power and learn how to use it? This Inspiration Shot gives some tips that may also be useful for the kids around us (and our 'inner child').

The past three months have been hectic. I got corona, one of my father's caretakers suddenly left, I had to deal with the end of a complicated years-long relationship, lost my suitcase with ALL my clothes and found out that my olive trees are infected with a deadly disease. In addition, I continued to have problems with people I hired through an agency and had to transfer a number of projects for the fifth time(!). Of course, there were also nice things; I bought another apartment in Italy, am in the early stages of a new relationship, and enjoyed two parties for my birthday. In the meantime, my work as a book-writing coach also continued and I helped four people to finish their books. All this while traveling through 10 countries on 3 continents, organizing 4 retreats, attending 2 conferences and supervising 2 construction projects in Italy. This was quite a lot, even for me in just three months! How do you keep your energy constant while everything changes around you? Some tips in this Inspiration shot.

How many people do you know? And how many people know you? What is the ratio between these two numbers? In my case, more people know me than the other way around. This is because for years I have put a lot of time and energy into sharing inspiration and tips in many different ways, and I have been quite visible. Recently I noticed again the power of that network that I have built. On social media, many people still look for a 'quick fix', to sell their book or new online program, for example. But that's not how it works. Just like in offline friendships, in the online world you have to invest long-term, make real contacts, look for win-win-win situations, and above all: be yourself. This inspiration shot shares some unexpected benefits of a large and loyal network.

When I was suddenly struck by Covid halfway through my writing retreat in Curaçao, I realized how vulnerable my retreats are. Fortunately, I had been able to provide a lot of added value the first days and had helped my writers get started, but I felt powerless, lying in bed with a high fever, having to drop everything instantly. A few days later, my father's new caretaker suddenly left Miami due to family circumstances. While my sister and brother took over caring for my dad, from my sickbed, I had to instantly arrange a new caretaker, something that we normally prepare months in advance. On the same day, I received a message from the new tenant of my apartment in Amsterdam saying that there was a mice infestation: I needed to solve this immediately, otherwise, she would leave. Under normal circumstances, it is already difficult to find a reliable handyman in Amsterdam, let alone from the Caribbean. Additionally, the Eastern European developer of my website had also disappeared; he had stopped working without transferring any information and could not be contacted anymore. All this had to be arranged while I was without energy, with brain fog, and without being able to talk, because I had to cough so much. I know that sometimes my life seems like a dream, but sometimes it seems more like a nightmare… So the theme of this month is: What do you do when everything suddenly goes wrong?

Throughout Covid, I got more and more questions about my lifestyle from people who also wanted more freedom (fun fact: my Digital Nomads book is more popular than ever!). The war in Ukraine makes everyone realize that you should always have a 'plan B' for unforeseen circumstances. Suppose you had to flee: where would you go? Where are fewer rules? Where do you find like-minded souls? Where is life still meaningful/affordable? What do you bring with you and what do you leave behind? Digital Nomads like me already live very light and flexible. What can we learn from the location-independent lifestyle?