Don’t get me wrong… I love my espresso.
Especially Illy!
I just believe that there are better ways than coffee to ensure the energy in my life!
If you want to feel enjoy an abundance of energy in your everyday life, do these 3 things: Continue reading
I periodically feel the need to confirm the direction of my life. Although I usually reserve my Christmas holidays for my personal long- and mid-term planning, in the meantime I also enjoy playing around with exercises on life-planning. While the results are usually in line with my existing plans, sometimes the exercises reveal new perspectives or directions for me to integrate into my way of living.
This time I stole an exercise from Michael Gelb (author of “How to Think Like Leonardo daVinci”), which seems deceivingly simple but actually challenges you effectively. The idea is to write down 100 questions on anything that you find interesting. Continue reading
Watching Sebastian Vettel win the Formula 1 World Championship has inspired me. I do not know enough about this season to be commenting on whether he deserved or not, but from the little I know he did. In the moment he was cruising the last lap right after going through the finish as the World Champion, the team radio came on. Estimate of 600 million people around the entire world has heard him cry with joy, screaming “Unbelievable” in the times he could actually grasp enough control of his voice to speak… The connection so strong that I had tears in my eyes despite the distance, despite not knowing him, despite his history and how much it took for him to achieve what he achieved today.
Genuine victory with honour, grace and authenticity. How important it is that people we look up to, whether they are politicians, sportsman, celebrities, public figures, our role models, our friends, ourselves… How important it is not only to win and prove we can compete and have enough ambition and courage to make it all the way, but also to win with honour, dignity and in the spirit of fair play. How important it is to do the thing we know needs to be done especially when no one is watching. How important it is to achieve the outside victory without suffering even worse defeat inside.
In the volatile times of today, it is every victory achieved like this that counts towards the new world we are building.
In the lives of the ones we admire the most as much as in our own lives, even in the lives of people we do not know. We face smaller and bigger battles every day, often unprepared, without ideal conditions and sufficient knowledge or previous experience to have it easy. We stand in front of these moments, when we make choices, when we speak to each other, when we stand in front of living our dreams without a drop of assurance yet with a pool of courage. In our personal and professional lives alike, one moment after another. This is where our future is being defined, this is where we build its foundations…
To win with honour, to win without losing a piece of ourselves. To take choices we are proud of for the years to come. To both win and to travel with grace, commitment and sensitivity, to acknowledge that the journey is as important as the destination.
Not because we are wrong or bad when we don’t, but because there is so much more possible for us and all alike when we do…
What does it actually mean to live a life of purpose?
Many times, we are frustrated by things that happen around us – maybe a plan did not work out, people around us don’t react the way we expect them to, all the effort we have invested in reaching a goal – just to find out once we reached it, that the imagined reward of final happiness is not coming.
Why is that?
It might be, that your goal was not real.
When growing up, we were socialized, which means that we learned the “right” way to behave. Do this, don’t do that, sit still at the table etc.
Don’t get me wrong – learning these rules is important to integrate and to become an accepted part of your family, your tribe, your society. The problem is: by the time we have grown up, all we focus on is – “gosh – what am I supposed to do now, what is the “right” way – what do people expect from me?”
Maybe some people – but does not apply to you? Yes it does,
even to you! Most of the time you think about what you think others expect from you. Don’t agree? You always do what you really want to? Wrong! You are just not even conscious about it. Want a proof? Imagine you have to do the following:
– Sing a song while on an elevator with people you dont know.
Sounds easy? Well – try it! And sing loud! Next task:
– Go shopping without a t-shirt – naked belly as you were created.
Or:
– Try picking your nose in a crowded restaurant.
If any of these examples sounded like a stupid idea to you:
Why is that? Definitely not because of natural laws. The thought of doing it is uncomfortable because we were taught differently. And that’s ok. I dont want sweaty bellies around me when I take my girlfriend to a restaurant either.
The problem is: We usually do not stop thinking about others’ expectations when we definitely should. When it is about our own future, our own decisions. What should I do after college? Which job should I apply to? Should I ask the girl I like to go out with me? Should I get divorced after 20 years because the love is not there anymore?
The key thought – too often – is: What will the others think?
Why is that? Because it is easy. You need a point of reference for your decisions. So why not take the people around you, the ones you care about and you care for?
After all, you should be able to trust them. Have to make a decision? Allright – base it on what Peter and Susan would think about you when you make your choice.
Nice idea – but it does not work. Why? Because you will never know what they would really think. You can only imagine what they would think. Even if you ask them: They might only tell you what they think you expect them to tell you. Or you are lucky and they tell you their most intimate honest thoughts about it. but even then: they still have to imagine how they would react if you actually really followed through with your decision.
What to do? Find a new point of reference.
Find yourself.
Dive deep into discovering what really matters to you. What is it deep inside you that makes you respect other people? What makes you cry? What makes you deeply moved or laugh with joy? What are your true inner values? Can they act as the anchor of your decisions?
What happened if you evaluated every important decision based on how close it is to what is really important to you?
How real would that feel like?
Would you become an outcast from society? Or would people secretly admire you for standing out from the crowd? Maybe some others would resent you for it. But one thing would be for certain: When standing in front of the mirror, you can look into your own eyes and say: “It was the right decision”. Focussing on your core values can give you that.
Don’t think it will make your life more easy. But you can make it more real.
Amazing how good everyday life can feel. For an outsider, my weekend could have seemed very normal… even boring. But for me, it was just perfect!
A big guidance for my everyday life comes from being 
clear about my values. I know what are the things I value in my life, and I consciously take time for them. This creates an everyday experience of alignment, meaningfulness and joy.
Some examples where I felt the connection between my highest values and the everyday actions during this weekend:
And the best thing is, that the everyday enjoyment is available for anybody… everyday! It’s as simple as ABC:
Please join me. The world needs people who smile everyday!
Balanced Professional 