Landed!
Inspiration shot Februari 2026
Feet on the ground, what does that feel like?
I’m writing this from the “future”… I am literally on the other side of the world. Here in New Zealand it’s 18 hours later than Miami and 12 hours later than Europe. Where did that day go that I lost crossing the International Date Line in the Pacific? Will I ever get it back?
I have finally landed at my destination, Highden Temple; the Mystery School. My suitcase is unpacked. And for the first time in 20 years, I am staying in one place for six weeks. But before that, I had exhausted myself with an absurd travel schedule. Sounds familiar?
In this Inspiration Shot I share insights about having your feet on the ground, practical tips for the Pacific in case you ever want to travel this way, and I invite you to reflect on this question: Where are you still overcompensating before allowing yourself to rest?
Just one more thing…
Do you recognize this? You want to slow down, for example before a vacation or a retreat, so you squeeze in a hundred things in the days before. Instead of gently sliding into your new rhythm, it becomes cold turkey. As if you have to quit your drug addiction all at once.
That’s exactly what I did. On my way to this six week soul retreat, I visited 12 destinations in five weeks. In between flights, I also wrote a book for a VIP ghostwriting client in Miami. I had promised myself not to schedule anything after the retreat. And yet, at the very last minute, I still booked a November date for the writing retreat in Thailand.
Now I am letting it all go. From wanting and planning, to being and allowing whatever wants to emerge…
From surviving to living
How do I describe the energy and life here at Highden? A leap into the unknown. Magic. A soul journey. The feeling that everything is exactly as it should be. A sense that a major shift is coming, personally and maybe collectively as well.
My whole life I lived in survival mode. Hyper alert. Always busy. Productive. Always on. Two years ago I managed to step out of that. I created more space. A lighter agenda. Fewer obligations. Trying to be more and do less. But moving from surviving to thriving did not quite happen yet. There was more rest, yes. But not full surrender. Now I want to surrender for real.
Highden has a beautiful energy. It feels safe. It feels like home. And I know something is going to shift here. Could it be that next month I will finally have landed in my body? Out of my head. Simply being?
I occasionally share updates on social media and I wrote a blog about my first experiences at this Mystery School. This is only part one, to be continued…
Friction is part of it
Whenever you make a shift, some things move with you and other things break. Apparently they no longer belong to the frequency you are stepping into.
Over the past months I had to migrate my email system from ActiveCampaign to FluentCRM. A lot of behind the scenes work. Everything seemed fine on the front end… until I discovered that ActiveCampaign is now blocking all links in all emails I have ever sent. 😱 That means purchased ebooks, courses, workshop recordings, inspiration emails, everything… I am honestly very frustrated about this.
The good news is that you can always read previous Monthly Inspiration Shots on my website.
If you click a link in an old email and receive an error message, please let me know. I will make sure you get access.
Inspiration bites
BOOK TIP
Friction
Friction is part of growth. It means things are moving. Roger Dooley wrote a great book about it: Friction, the Untapped Force That Can Be Your Most Powerful Advantage.
APP TIP
Screentime
Your phone has built in app limits that help you reduce screen time. Since I turned them on, I have become much more aware of how much time I spend on Facebook and Instagram. Clearspace is an external app where you have to “earn” your screen time by doing pushups or squats.
PODCAST
Systems
Kieran Browning helped me minimize my business and simplify my systems without getting lost in technical complexity. In this podcast you will find practical tips and inspiration, even if you are not a systems person at all.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Ghostwriting book
A chef friend in Miami wanted to turn his colorful life story into a book. After one intense week of interviews, I identified the underlying themes. We combined that with powerful photography and voilà, this is the result. Follow @stillchefdavid for the Amazon launch date.
Did you know...
…that I am obsessed with food?
When a friend in Hawaii picked me up from the airport with an emergency food package and plan, we decided to explore why. I talked about my participation in the Survivor TV series, my Jewish background, and even past life stories I had traced. It became an intriguing blog about how you can uncover the roots of addictions, fears, and survival patterns in this lifetime, even if you do not believe in reincarnation.
Read more in: When Hunger Is Older Than This Lifetime.
Where is Esther?
Until mid March I am staying at the beautiful Highden estate (check out the photos), in the middle of nowhere in New Zealand, for the temple training. I am so happy in my “princess room” in the historic manor.
On my way here I visited friends in Hawaii and two Pacific islands that were new to me. The people in the Pacific are truly the kindest in the world. Big smiles and open hearts. Years ago I wrote about that in a travel story about Fiji. To my surprise, I found even kinder people in Samoa. In four days I explored the entire island by car. Read about the stunning, green, affordable, and still relatively undiscovered Samoa.
In Tonga I was a bit sick and travel tired, so I stayed in town in my air conditioned room to escape the extreme heat. I would love to return in season to swim with whales.
Back in 2003 I already visited New Zealand and called it the most beautiful country in the world. I still feel completely at home here. Summer feels like spring, exactly my climate.
Now I am going back inward to fully focus on the temple training. See you on the other side.
Inspiration in your mailbox
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