On the edge of breakdown…
You are feeling drained? Lost and overwhelmed by all the emergencies which are coming to you as soon as you start the day? Deep down you wonder where you are going… If you are honest to yourself you know that if you don’t take a break now, you are going to burn out.
You want to feel energized, going to bed in the evening excited and looking forward to what is coming the next day. You want to be able to give life all and feel satisfied and fulfilled, no?
I hear you. At the age of 30, I too felt drained emotionally and physically. Deep down I knew I was at the edge of a nervous breakdown and needed to go back to my roots. I had lost where I came from and where I was going. Exhausted, and yet with all the power of my survival instinct I knew that if I wouldn’t take a break, something would just snap in my head…
I had been working as a religious, travelling the world in the footsteps of Mother Teresa, helping the most vulnerable people with no rest. And I had lost myself.
For more than 13 years I went from one country to the next, listen to people in distress, discovering the deep hidden drive of the human being to live. My philosophical training would nourish this research even more.
The different responsibilities in the Community varying from work projects, to the learning and development of the young newly arriving Sisters, to the responsibility for the temporal and spiritual well-being of each member gave huge insights in personal development, as well as the challenges each leader faces when cultures and characters are clashing and yet, all striving to contribute to the same goals.
I went back to Holland where the journey of healing and self-discovery took a new turn.
Trying to fit in…
Do you feel sometimes like you don’t fit in? Do you feel you have had experiences or aspirations which set you apart from the people around you? Maybe even the people you love most?
As soon as I came back, I noticed the world had changed, I had changed and I had to rediscover all the aspects of life. I had to learn, like a child, how to walk again in this world of grown-ups, which was so different from the world I had lived in.
I started looking for a job. Recruiters told me ‘there was no place for me at the Inn’ since I would just not fit their molds. Can you imagine, after these intense years of human experience and digging deep, years of study and personal and spiritual development, I felt like an alien and I was looking for ways to fit in… But soon I realized that this would not happen, unless I made it happen… Unless I learned how to adapt without losing my uniqueness and learning to tap into my own experience and put it at the service of my clients.
I decided to create my own job. My business integrated all I had learned through my philosophical studies and in the working field helping people in distress find support and their meaning in life. Now I was helping people after accidents or illness find their purpose and meaning in life when returning to work.
“Leadership starts at the heart of who you are!“
Moving beyond what you think impossible…
And yet, my desire to fit in lead me to another huge lesson in life, I ended up in a very destructive relationship. I missed signs and compromised to settle for less than my whole being was longing for.
Again, I had lost myself, yet, I kept searching for a way out. I had to take radical steps in order to break this recurrent pattern and regain confidence in life and in mankind.
And this is what I can do for you. Help you move beyond what you think is impossible. Helping you get your confidence back so you too can pretend to a life you long for. Helping you to grow as a person, as a leader in your own life in the first place.
Searching for a way to have my children grow up in a stable and more natural environment I decided to move to Ireland. It was a big leap and at times it felt like being in exile. Despite the many difficulties, not one moment have I regretted this choice. I keep discovering the beauty of the people and environment of my new home country and I am truly grateful for that.
Rebuilding…
I have been re-building step by step in the last years and did not think I would be able to create what I have done. I feel deeply grateful for all the support I have received and the actions I have taken. I feel strong, and despite the hardships, I can lovingly embrace the person it made me today. I am so proud of my two little ones, they are my drive to keep growing in love and to never give up, no matter what! They allow me to embrace the tenderness amidst the storms of life, because, let’s be honest, life can be pretty hard at times, but as long as I don’t loose sight of WHY I am doing what I do, I know I will be able to come up with new solutions and make the best out of it!
By building my business for a second time from scratch, I was able to hone in to a big desire: to work with successful but time-challenged Business Owners, Executives and Directors to support them, building that bigger vision for themselves and their business. Create that clear plan of action, step by step, increasing their performance and the productivity of their teams, so they can become even better leaders and create that culture in which each member can thrive and contribute to their best ability, without the stress and the overwhelm.
But first let me talk about something fun and personal:
- I was born in New Zealand as a daughter of expats, and as an 11 year old had already moved homes 9 times, globally.
- I am Dutch-Kiwi, living in Ireland, speaking 3 languages fluently
- I went with Mother Teresa on a road trip when I was only 12
- I love bread and cheese, and I LOVE home-made apple pie
- I would die for a bike ride to the sea, feeling the wind play with my hair!…
- My big dream is to take my kids on a camper road trip to New Zealand!
Do you want to thrive, rather than survive? Do you want to become an even better leader for yourself, your business and your team?
Just send me a message, and we will talk soon!
