Excel

‘The source of vision is inspiration. A vision cannot occur without an idea. The source of inspiration is passion. The source of passion is your purpose in life. We humans are created with a purpose in life and each one of us is uniquely created. So everyone has a unique journey in life. The key is to find yourself in God who gave you identity.’ – Joel Giterson

Have you ever thought about what you want to achieve in life? Life is very short and it'll be over before you know it. How will you be remembered, or better said, how do you want to be remembered? This is a very deep subject and difficult to answer. I think you’ll pursue towards it if you keep working on it.

A vision refers to a desired long-term perspective. There is no end to it. However, it’s important to have goals to work towards to. This may be long or short term goals. I like working towards personal goals and a new year is a good time to start. This allows you to annually evaluate your goals and prepare yourself for a new year. Last year I had targets and unfortunately I haven’t accomplished all of them. I will do my best to achieve more next year.

Each person leaves a legacy behind. Only you determine how this will look like. The key is to find yourself in God and to attain your passion. Only then you will excel in what you are destined for.

Let 2014 be a great year!

The joy of giving

The fact that mankind continuously wants more, is in its nature. If you’re a millionaire and you can provide your needs spacious, you’ll still want more. It is in the psychology of man. I think this is partially positive, because  it ensures that you are constantly striving forward and motivated to continue. However, there is a flip side of this tale. One seeks often material satisfactions, and people are willing to sacrifice a lot to achieve it. I am convinced that it will not give you the satisfaction that you’re looking for. The moment that a matter or a way of living becomes a habit, it will no longer fulfill your gratification.

Do you ever think of others? The society is in such a state, and I think that it always has been, that people always thinks of his/her own. This is understandable, but the awareness that you could give another joy in many different ways is often absent. You can make someone else very happy, and their gratitude can give you a beautiful feeling which is hard to describe. You can help or give to another in many forms. This could be financial assistance or maybe a favour. But simply a smile or ‘good morning’ to a stranger could also be a huge pleasure. 

I think/hope that you’ve experienced the happiness and joy of someone because of your gift or service. The trick is to help another in your current situation in a creative way. And don’t forget that this has an action/reaction effect ;).

The Present

Are you the type of person who looks constantly forward or just someone who lives by the day. Are you someone who works towards a specific day, or do you enjoy each day? Do you spend your consciousness by thinking or doing? These questions are maybe hard to answer immediately. But they do describe a part of your personality.

Every day you live is a privilege and a gift from God. I think that it's good to make plans about your future (this could be short or long term), but you shouldn’t work towards a goal at the expense of whole days/weeks or months. If you look forward, you can already see the next stage which will occur on your path. Try to make the best of the present before you proceed to a next stage in your life. 

The reason that made me think about the present is the way the world is changing. And hereby, I'm talking about the way people is living. We live in an age where speed is becoming something very important and is taking charge of our lives. Speed is associated with more stress, more busyness, and less balance. There are so many things happening in our lives and I'm wondering if we live them to the fullest. It could make your live so much more various and interesting. Try to enjoy the small details of your day. For example; Coffee! When was the last time that you enjoyed a cup of coffee at home or in a cafe without keeping an eye on time? (if you don't like coffee, maybe tea?)    

Don’t forget nor dwell on the past, but do forgive it. Be aware of the future but do no fear or worry about it. Focus on the present moment. Be curious, invent, try to live your life to the fullest and try to enjoy every single thing you do today.

Skyline Amsterdam City

Travel

Have you been traveling lately?  Where did you go? Places you've been are usually pleasant memories. You see new places, meet new people and (often) get in touch with another culture. I'm trying to travel as much as possible. There is so much on this planet we don't know about: locations, people, cuisines, sights..

Try to experience new places and new things. You might find yourself with someone or/and somewhere that makes you much happier than your previous circumstance. The Earth is so vast with unique and beautiful places, why wouldn’t you want to go explore them?

Of course, there is a price tag. But there is something in the opposite for it. Besides the fact that you have a wonderful time and get relaxed, it also gives you something special which can't be bought.  You develop tremendously as a person. After a trip, you get back as another person. During a trip, you develop yourself. This can happen consciously or unconsciously. But because of the things you see and experience, your mindset changes. These are unforgettable and beautiful experiences. 

It doesn't always have to be expensive. The concept of traveling is to see new places, new people and experience new things. This doesn't mean that you have to go to another country. Have you seen everything in your own country? I live in the Netherlands, which is a small country, and I can say since recently that I've seen the major cities. If a country like the Netherlands has so much to offer, then other countries should have many more sights.  

I will close with a quote from Dalai Lama where I'm trying to keep myself stick to:

'Once a year, go to a place you've never been before'.   

Explore.

Blind angle

Scotch&Soda Barfly

One day, I was walking along the Scotch & Soda store and I didn’t had the need to go inside. Yet, there was something in me saying; go and take a look. I made my mind and finally walked back into the store. I was making a tour through the store and taking a look at the clothes. When I came near to the exit, I saw a fragrance (see photo).

As I looked at it, I got intrigued by the fly on the shell and I wanted to try it. It became clear to me that it’s a scent which I find suited to myself. It has a sweet smell which gives me a lust for life and makes me happy. Eventually I was glad that I walked into the store. :)  

What I’m trying to clarify is that you can expect something extraordinary from a ‘blind’ angle you didn’t count of. The above is a very simple example but it can apply to all aspects in life. You probably know the moments in your life that your intuition says to do that one thing, but sometimes you don’t feel like it, don’t have the strength for it, or purely out of laziness, you won’t do it.

There will come many moments into your life like something very simple as I described, or perhaps a life changer which is waiting around the corner. Try to live with an institution that you’re open for anything.  Expect the unexpected.

Self evaluation

Have you ever wondered who you are? What your characteristics are? The things that drives and motivates you? Self-knowledge is an important issue which could be meaningful for your life. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, things you like to do and things that doesn't pleasant you. It's hard to acknowledge your skills and you can't do it in one time. It’s a continuous process. Therefore, it is important to critically examine yourself occasionally. We live in an age where many people struggle with their identity. It can take a long time before someone finds out which things interests and motivates him/her. It’s a difficult and sensitive subject, but it could be of good use.

If you know your own competencies, it is easier to make choices in life. I honestly don’t know what I want to do in my career. But compared to a year earlier, I know a lot more about myself. Below are two images. One is taken in Istanbul which was taken almost a year ago and the other was recently in Antwerp. In both cases, I was in a nice lounge chilling and thinking about my skills and the things I like (which was pleasant btw).

Istanbul, 11-2012

Antwerp, 10-2013

Remarkable is that the second time was much easier. I really think that it works. My advice is to sit quietly somewhere, which could be at home, a beautiful park in the afternoon, or a nice café in the evening, and comfortably think about it.  You don’t have to do it alone. You could also discuss it with a good friend(s) (which I did). I wonder how the next session will be. 

Don’t be too critical to yourself if you don’t have a competence or interest! Do not be guided by the mass, distinguish yourself from it.

25 de Março street, Brazil

Friendship

Friendship.. It's such a priceless gift. You can have lots of friends, or a few, but every one of them has something unique. It's something you can't buy, take or even compare. It's real personal and intuitive. I really believe that its a gift from God.

Maybe (I hope) you have also that one friendship which is very special to you. You can be extremely comfortable when you're with him/her and the combination of you togheter creates something so extraordinarily that it seems strange and inexplicable. Your memmories of the occasions makes you smile immediatly and gives you a gratefull feeling that you had the honor to spend that very moment. These are moments that fills your life with beauty, grace and joy.

Be thankful for such friendships, because it's a luxury which is more valuable than all the gold you could have in this world and it is certainly rare. Most importantly: create the time and make the effort to live these beautiful moments. Because no one has the guarantee of seeing tomorrow, so enjoy as much as possible.

Augmented reality

We live in an digitized age where technology becomes part of our daily activities. People who have a smartphone can't spend a day or even a part of a day without their phones. We've become addicted to it and we can't imagine living without it any more. You're constantly conected. You can reach out to millions of people with your smartphone and you have the ability to use tools and apps to make your life a whole lot easier. I can guarantee you, that this is only the beginning of a new age. You shouldn't be suprised if cash money becomes history in ten or fifteen years. The opportunities with technology is limitless and we are making more use of it everyday. Here is a short video about augmented reality. The video speaks for itself.

Don't count your days. Make your days count!

Paris

Beautiful picture of Paris. I've been there twice. Once when I was young with my football team. Which was a lot of fun. And the last time was in the summer of 2012. The Ramadan was about to start. We had a week to do something normal (or crazy) before it started. I came home on a Saturday night from work and my brother and two friends said let’s get in the car and go to Paris! I was a bit shocked and said immediately; I'm going to bed. And my brother said one thing which turned my thoughts: Sleeping isn’t very exciting and you are already doing it every day!! A trip to Paris will give you an experience you'll never forget!!  

So we went that night to Paris and on the way there we also made a stop in Antwerp and Lille. (Lille had a very nice croissants smell in the early morning.. That was sweet). We were in Paris in the morning and after a beautiful day through the streets of Paris, we left. On the way back, we also made a stop in Brussels to eat a delicious Belgian waffle, and finally, we were back in Holland sunday morning. It was a crazy weekend but as my brother said: an experience I'll never forget.