Shot of inspiration

Sometimes life is like a dog: it forces you to pause, get more fresh air, and see everything from a different perspective. After months of traveling and making plans, April unexpectedly brought me exactly what I needed: rest, puppies, and ice-cold water. In this Inspiration Shot: how eight rescued puppies taught me something about grounding, why my theater show is going ahead (despite rumors), how you can benefit from my VA, and why I consider staying in one place for five weeks a mini-vacation. Oh, and I’m still looking for a catchy name for my ‘best of’ workshop series — will you help me brainstorm? Enjoy reading, and as always: let yourself be inspired!

I was supposed to take it easy... But yeah, who am I kidding? December and January 'kind of' worked out, but last month, I even drove myself crazy. Eight different places in just a few weeks, constantly on the move. But hey, it's my own choice - and honestly? I love it. Everyone’s busy, probably you too. So how do you stay afloat in all the chaos? For me, three workouts a week with my online personal trainer are non-negotiable, and I make sure to hit 10,000 steps daily, usually with an inspiring podcast in my ears. In this inspiration shot, I’m sharing my favorite ones with you, along with a few other experiences and insights.

Everything has two sides: dark and light, masculine and feminine, yin and yang, ups and downs. Life is a dance. What I learned from tango is that you have a choice: do you focus on ‘following as best as you can,’ or do you go all in and enjoy, even when things don’t go as planned? The past weeks in Buenos Aires have been a mix of disappointments and beautiful moments, both personally and in the world news. It’s all part of the journey. I used to think life should always be fun, but I’ve realized that by consciously acknowledging the difficult moments, you can appreciate the good ones even more. This month, I’d love to share a piece of my life dance with you—along with some inspiration for your own.

The new year and the solstice mark a time of transition. During a shamanic tantra retreat and local ceremonies in Peru, I learned to let go of what no longer serves me and create space for a truly authentic new beginning. This transition into 2025 feels like an opportunity to go deeper, beyond superficial resolutions. For me, 2024 was a year of abundance. Professionally, it was an exceptional year: fully booked writing weeks, coaching sessions more popular than ever, and more free time thanks to streamlining my business. This created room for personal growth, including four tantra retreats, an MDMA journey, and a San Pedro ceremony 🌵. I also treated myself to more luxury, such as flying business class. Now, my focus shifts to 2025. How can you share abundance with others? And what pain are you willing to endure to realize your dreams? I’m excited to share my insights and inspiration with you. Enjoy the read!

Nieuwsgierigheid is het tegengif van angst. Angst maakt je kleiner; nieuwsgierigheid opent je blik en brengt je naar nieuwe ideeën, ervaringen, en mensen. De afgelopen maand vond ik weer een enorme bron van inspiratie op de Dynamite Circle-conferentie in Bangkok. In deze inspiratie shot deel ik een paar van de mooiste voorbeelden en experimenten waarmee je zelf aan de slag kunt gaan.

Curiosity is the antidote to fear. Fear makes you smaller; curiosity broadens your view and leads you to new ideas, experiences, and people. This past month, I found a huge source of inspiration at the yearly Dynamite Circle Conference in Bangkok. In this Inspiration shot, I’m sharing some of the best examples and experiments you can try yourself.

Afgelopen maand stond voor mij in het teken van plekken, mensen en gewoontes die steeds opnieuw een diepe impact hebben. Of het nu gaat om het herlezen van mijn favoriete boeken, het voor de derde keer kijken van Breaking Bad, de jaarlijkse vakantie met mijn jaarclub die ik al 35 jaar ken, of het terugkeren naar vertrouwde plekken zoals mijn TinyTrullo in Puglia en bij mijn vader in Miami; er zit kracht in herhaling. Door dezelfde plekken en mensen vaker te zien, en activiteiten regelmatig te herhalen, ontdek ik telkens nieuwe lagen en krijg ik een frisse blik op wat eerst zo vertrouwd leek. Het is juist door deze rituelen dat er meer diepgang ontstaat en ik me nog meer verbonden voel met mijn omgeving en ervaringen. Herhaling laat me dieper duiken, beter contact maken en dingen zien die ik eerder over het hoofd zag. Benieuwd hoe je zelf nieuwe diepgang kunt vinden in het vertrouwde? In deze Inspiratie Shot ontdek je hoe rituelen en herhaling je leven kunnen verrijken.

A unique time is approaching; from December to June, I have nothing planned—except for my last writing week in Mallorca and, of course, my theater show! The first few months of 2025 feel like a kind of 'pre-retirement', where I can truly explore where I want to be and what I want to do, instead of following my usual (self-made) hectic travel schedule.  Until then it seems like I am busier than ever. In the coming months, I will travel to Thailand, within Europe, and Peru, from conferences to retreats. And in between I will visit my father in Miami. Every month, I’ll be hosting one of my online workshops for the very last time. These moments can be quite emotional when participants share why they follow me or talk about how long they've been my fans. I know I will really miss this. Still, my decision is firm. This month, I will write someone's book in just one week for the first time with my new exclusive 'Rapid Ghostwriting' offer. From 2025 onward, this will be my sole focus. In this inspiration shot, I’m sharing some useful and inspiring insights I've come across, which you might find helpful—whether you're planning for retirement or still in full action mode.

Inspiration and new ideas often arise from combining different elements that at first seem unrelated. A new environment, knowledge from different disciplines (interdisciplinary approach), and making connections between seemingly unrelated concepts form the basis for innovations. Curiosity is essential to be open to unexpected creative insights. During a recent Dynamite Circle conference in London, I immediately felt the creative energy of the event working on me. Surrounded by 100 innovative minds from the network of successful, location-independent entrepreneurs, and thanks to the setting, creative exercises and unexpected questions, small puzzle pieces slowly started to fall into place. It was fascinating to see an idea come to life when you are open to new experiences and collaborate with others who challenge you to think outside your usual box. In this Inspiration Shot I take you through my process and share the new idea that emerged from it, to show you how you can invite new ideas yourself.

Perhaps you are looking for shade under the sun during your vacation, perhaps you are confronted with your own dark sides now that the summer does not seem to be taking off in many places. Nowadays I actively seek out my own dark sides, during tantra retreats. And I do not avoid them in 'normal life' either. Shadow work is a type of self-development in which we focus on our dark sides: characteristics or parts of ourselves that we normally prefer not to face or share with others. Things that irritate you in others, your so-called 'triggers' are often indications of where your own 'shadow' is. Actively seeking out your shadow, exposing it and integrating it, is called shadow work. It is not therapy. So it is not a 'problem' that needs to be solved, it is discovering a part of you where some more development can be achieved. You get to know yourself even better by looking at your contradictions. In this inspiration shot I will go into this a little deeper. Dive into the dark with me, if you dare?