A random Sunday morning

It was a random Sunday morning, a few weeks ago, in our little thatched-roof church, when a simple moment of soulful response brought light (literary and figuratively) to our congregation.

I am part of a community choir, and we often perform and serve at church services. On this Sunday, we performed at my local church. After the service, over a cup of tea, one of the choir members asked me casually, “are the lightbulbs in your church screw in or push in”? What a weird question, I thought; nevertheless, I asked the church warden. I gave her feedback and kind of forgot all about it. To my surprise, the next evening at choir practice, she turned up with a bag full of light bulbs for our church – 40 of them!

“When we were singing, I saw that there were a few lightbulbs not working and I counted them,” she explained, and quickly shared her philosophy of life, which, in my view, is an example of soulfulness:

My purpose in life, which I had captured many years ago, is:
“To make a difference in somebody’s life every single day.”

Trust me, I have never needed the yellow pages to go look-up or find a suitable candidate, it comes to me throughout my daily walk with God, being open and receptive to God’s guiding light to fulfil the needs of others. It gives me the greatest satisfaction that I have managed to live my daily Purpose and to help those who need it most. Sunday morning was no exception; it was as if my eyes were lifted to the roof while singing in the choir, and when there was a quiet moment, I automatically started counting the light globes that were out! So no, I did not arrive there with the intention to do any maintenance; the need was handed to me on a platter. While driving home after the beautiful service, I started planning, and when I got home, I started searching for where to buy the replacement globes. Monday morning, off to Builders to buy the globes, and when I placed the shopping bag in the boot, I smiled and thanked God for yet another opportunity to make a difference where needed most.

Her action is such a great example of the interplay between awareness and response (soulfulness) – so simple, yet so deliberate. Talking with her, she emphasised the importance of acting immediately once you have realised there is an opportunity; something I wholeheartedly agree with.

Random acts of kindness

In a season of (sometimes) madness, this is a great reminder always to be open to random moments
of awareness (opportunity) and to then act deliberately with a soulful response. Shawn Achor (The Happiness Advantage) writes about how important it is to deliberately bring the positive into the present, because our brains respond to negativity and threat first. One way to bring the positive into the present is “random acts of kindness”. These random lightbulbs are just that: an example of somebody’s random act of kindness.

We’re only human. But we’re capable of kindness, so they call us humankind.

Humankind

I still believe that people are innately kind, which this story has again proven to me. The British band Coldplay sings a song titled Humankind, emphasising this inborn kindness in a simple, beautiful way:

I know, I know, I know How we’re designed
Oh, I know, I know, I know
We’re only human
But we’re capable of kindness
So they call us Humankind

Watch the song here.
Humankind … it made me realise:

• Every moment is an opportunity to be kind.
• The journey of soulful awareness asks for a deliberate, but simple response.
• It is possible to make a difference in somebody’s life every single day.
• When I see an opportunity, I need to act immediately, even if it is in a simple way.
  

REFLECT
Think for a few moments about the things that currently keep you from being aware and from responding with kindness. Stress and strain, overthinking, pressure and speed can often rob us of this ability. Make a few notes on this.

RESPOND
Find one situation in the next week to respond to with kindness – keep it simple and don’t be too hard on yourself – even if it is a smile or a sincere thank you, or to buy a lightbulb!

Try this:
Next time you see a lightbulb, remind yourself that even you can be a kind lightbulb …

Keep sharing your lightbulbs!

Please share your creative stories or soulful ideas with me at [email protected].

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A gentle reminder to count your blessings.

I recently rediscovered the connection between gratitude and grace. The Latin word gratus serves as the stem for both concepts and suggests that, in some way, thankfulness is always connected to our experience of grace. This is why we often refer to the evening meal prayer as “saying grace”.

We live in a world where we often miss the blessings that are right in front of us. We sometimes
don’t even acknowledge that the important things we have are gifts we can be grateful for. This is because in a reactive world, we tend not to realise that we have received a blessing (especially if we
have not ‘earned’ it).

As part of my faith journey, I try to respond to the grace I receive by being grateful.

Be Grateful

Saint Ignatius, priest and theologian, developed the Daily Examen. The Daily Examen is a morning prayer rhythm with which you can start your day. It is in the second movement of this prayer that you review your day with gratitude – such a meaningful way to start each day.

In his book, Soul Keeping, author, speaker, and pastor John Ortberg says that our attitude towards gratitude influences our mood. He suggests that we test this theory: start your day by being negative towards everyone you meet and by complaining about all that you can. The next day, start by being positive and recognising all you can be grateful for. At the end of day two, compare the difference in your mood and the way you feel.

Maybe try starting with gratitude next time you meet someone …

An unknown author described the link between grace and gratitude in spiritual practice as a dance,
an attitude and an emotion. The author wrote:

Together they transform how we view ourselves: not isolated actors struggling alone but beloved
participants in an unfolding divine story.

A life of soulfulness is to be aware of the gift of life, to know what you are grateful for, and to
respond to your blessings, simply yet deliberately. Soulfulness is to constantly be aware of grace and
respond with gratitude.

Count your blessings

So, let’s count our blessings as Irving Berlin sings in his song “Count Your Blessings” … “When I’m worried and I can’t sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep. And I fall asleep counting my blessings.”

Grace and gratitude, together they transform how we view ourselves: not isolated actors struggling alone but beloved participants in an unfolding divine story.

I again realised that:
– Grace connects us all
– Important things in life are often free
– I should focus more on being grateful
– I need to be more deliberate and consider what I what I have been blessed with

REFLECT
Think about the blessings that you have in life, and pause for a few moments. Write down everything that you can be grateful for, or share them with somebody. How do you feel about
this? How can this influence your mood?

RESPOND
Write a note to someone you are grateful for, or keep a gratitude diary for the next month. Start every morning with a short prayer about what you are grateful for. Count your blessings in the evening before you go to sleep.

Try this:
Next time you meet someone, try starting the conversation with a word of gratitude.

Let’s count our blessings!

Please share your creative stories or soulful ideas with me at [email protected].

If you want to schedule a retreat day for a small group, let me know!

Make sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

I recently listened to a local radio station’s breakfast show. The hosts were talking to a guy who holds the record for a well-known mobile phone app game. He shared how he has been playing this game, year by year, progressing from level to level … and when asked why, he replied:

“It is a wonderful way to kill time.”

Why would you want to kill time?
This comment really bothered me. If you live a life of soulfulness, you would want to multiply your awareness of time and slow it down, and give life to your time.

I definitely don’t want to kill time.
Our time is consumed by busyness, speed, instant messaging, and Instagram reels, but is this really what we want to spend our time on? One of the challenges in my own life is to make my time feel slower. I want to multiply meaning in my time and give life to my time; this became a calling and a career. And no, I still don’t have the answer to how to do this, but oh, I’ll keep on trying.

One notion that helps me in being more deliberate with my time is the Greek philosophical term
Prohairesis, which is particularly central to Stoic philosophy. In 2023, after many years, I reconnected with a university lecturer of mine, Prof Daniel Louw. He told me about an autobiography that he had recently written (at the age of almost 80). The book is titled Daar is meer (There is more) and records his search for authentic Christian spirituality. In 2024, Prof Louw received the Andrew Murray prize for this enormous work of close to 700 pages. While reading Daar is meer, his reference to the Greek word Prohairesis caught my eye and stirred my soul. It describes a way to be more deliberate with my time.

Prohairesis refers to “a kind of invincibility we cultivate”. It is the Stoic idea (Prof Louw referenced
Ryan Holiday) that wants to help us towards a more meaningful life, with wise decision-making, and by having a specific mantra or mindset. Prohairesis wants us to be intentional by asking the following questions in a specific situation:

Is this really the life that I want?

Every time I get upset, do I allow a little bit of life to leave my body?

Are these really the things I want to spend my precious resources on?

I know it is not always simple to make this choice, but there are times when it’s possible to decide whether you want to invest your time in a specific action, conversation, emotional experience, etc.

Prohairesis is a Greek philosophical term meaning faculty of choice, volition, or moral purpose.

Is this the way I want to spend my precious resources at this moment?

Reclaim your ability to choose. When you get angry, when you take out your phone to scroll through another real, or have a conversation with somebody who takes too much of your energy, think about your time. Choose how you want to give life to your time. Ask, is this how I want to spend my precious resources at this moment? Don’t kill time, give life to time! This is what soulfulness is about.

Capture a holy idiom that will help give life to your time. In his book, Professor Louw also referred to the notion of a mantra or what he calls a “holy idiom” – I love this. When you ask, “Is this how I want to spend my resources at this moment?”, capture a holy idiom that will help you give life to
your time. Mine is: Don’t kill time, give life to it!

The notion of Prohairesis made me realise a few simple things.

• We need to be intentional when spending our precious time.
• We can (sometimes) choose to make time more meaningful.
• If we spend two hours each day on social media, it is a whole month out of our year.
• Prohairesis helps us prioritise and choose the life that we want in every moment.
• We should choose a holy idiom to guide our actions.

REFLECT
Use the following questions to reflect and make a few notes:
What is the life that I want?
What are the things I want to spend my precious time and resources on?
How do I again give life to my time?

RESPOND
Write down your “holy idiom” that will direct your mindset for the next few weeks – make it visible, put it on your desk, at your front door, or on your fridge.

Try this:
Next time somebody upsets you, choose how you are going to react. Are you going to waste your precious resources? Are you going to choose to give life to your time? Are you going to choose life?

Go well and remember to give life to your time!

Only 2 more spots are available at my upcoming leader’s retreat on 14/11/2025, called Christmas
in November. If you want to know more, send me an email or book your spot here.

Please share your creative stories or soulful ideas with me at [email protected].

If you want to schedule a retreat day for a small group, let me know!

Please share your creative stories or soulful ideas with me at [email protected].

Make sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

What is your normal?

Every year, I invite business leaders to join our Christmas in November Leaders’ Retreat at Zorgvliet Wine Estate. I tell them it is an appointment with themselves: take the day, leave the office, switch off your phones. At the retreat, they are encouraged to use my framework to reflect on their past year and soulfully plan for the year to come. Later, I use an exercise, the “six-word memoir” to help them capture in six words their awareness of the day. And without exception, I am excited and fascinated about what these leaders take from the day, as well as their ability to create and capture something for themselves to hold on to.

At the end of last year’s retreat, one business leader’s six words were:

“Normal is a washing machine setting.”

Wow, did these words tell a story! I reflected on this for a long time and concluded that this was a critical and humorous observation on what we perceive as normal and how linear our perception of normality is. Is there even such a thing as normal? Who decides if something or someone is normal? Do we perceive dominant ideas or our culture as normal? What about somebody who is outside of this? Hey, what if we are all abnormal?

In therapy sessions, people would often ask: “Is this normal?”. If I answer “yes”, they feel better, but if I say “no”, they feel that they (we) need to work towards normality. I always feel uncomfortable having this much power in somebody’s life. I also believe the ethical responsibility to define normality is much broader, socially dependent, and relative to the context. However, the experience and sense of normality or abnormality can make or break someone’s identity. The need to belong and to fit in, and the need to be okay, really influence our perception of normality.

That’s why, perhaps due to my critical reflections on normality, I do not want to dismiss clinical realities, diagnosis and interventions – it is valuable and important. In The Myth of Normal, Gabor Mate challenges the conventional definitions of health. He argues that what we perceive as normal is often a response to harmful and stressful environments. We want to be safe, don’t we? He talks about the pressure of conformity in modern society and how this often leads to chronic disease. He proposes self-awareness and a life of authenticity as the remedy for this.

Does what you currently experience as normal influence your well-being?

Maybe it’s important to remember that “normal” is, after all, just a washing machine setting! This six-word memoir made me think critically about my own experience of normality. It also made me decide not to always subscribe to the dominant culture of ‘normal’. I realised that I could embrace my own experience of being different and choose to just be authentic.

This notion made me realise a few simple things.
– It is okay to sometimes act outside of what is perceived as normal.
– We experience a lot of stress and doubt because of this internal conversation.
– What we perceive as normal is often harmful, and the pressure to conform is real.
– Love yourself just as you are! Be authentic, it is okay.
– The experience of normality can build or break someone’s experience of themselves.

REFLECT
Take some time to reflect on your current experience of normality and how this influences your well-being. What or who influences this experience? Make notes on this.

RESPOND
Embrace one thing about yourself that is different and love yourself for it! Write this down on a Post-it note and stick it on your fridge. Take a picture of yourself and make a hard copy of it.

Try this:
Schedule time for yourself before the end of the year to take things slower. In the spirit of our Christmas in November Leaders’ Retreat, make an appointment with yourself to reflect on the year and maybe reflect further on your experience of normality. It doesn’t have to be a day retreat, just a few hours to disconnect. Or join the Leaders’ Retreat.

Choose not to be normal and BeSoulful!

Is your work experience normal? We are looking forward to creating some space for purposeful reflection at our annual Leaders’ Retreat (one day), called Christmas in November. If you want to know more, send me an email or book your spot here.

Please share your creative stories or soulful ideas with me at [email protected].

If you want to schedule a retreat day for a small group, let me know!

Please share your creative stories or soulful ideas with me at [email protected].

Make sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

When last did you take off your shoes to walk barefoot outside?
In September 2016, author, writer and speaker Brian Draper (briandraper.org) joined me at a conference called “Shift Happens”. This was also his first visit to South Africa (and Africa) from Winchester in the UK. That afternoon, just after he arrived at my house, we went for a walk in the park close to our house, as I knew he loved nature and trees. In that moment, he did something that has been etched in my memory. He asked if he could take off his shoes to walk barefoot to the park and invited me to do the same. Having lived in the UK for four years myself, I found this quite strange and counter-cultural, because for my entire stay in the UK, I’ve never seen anybody barefoot outside, in fact, one day that I was barefoot, two strangers independently commented about it! Nevertheless, I took off my shoes and joined Brian for a long, slow and soulful walk. When we got to the park, I asked him why he wanted to walk barefoot and why it was important to him. He replied:

“When I get to a country or piece of land I’ve never been to, I want to feel the ground and earth to anchor myself and to respect the context – it grounds me.”

Recently, Zane Lowe from Apple Music met Chris Martin, Coldplay’s lead singer, in Dublin, walking barefoot on the rocks. When he asked Chris why he walked barefoot, Chris replied with his mischievous smile:

“When you are on planes a lot, it is so important to ground yourself – and it just feels nice.”

How do you ground yourself?
I sometimes take organisational teams to a labyrinth located on Rustenberg Wine Farm outside Stellenbosch, South Africa, where we would walk while practising deliberate team reflections. I always invite the group to walk barefoot, to feel the ground, to walk slowly, and to connect with themselves and with what they truly believe. These barefoot labyrinth walks are not only soothing; they are anchoring and good for everyone taking part.

On our family’s recent trip through Namibia’s dusty roads and campsites, I also tried to go barefoot as often as possible. Not just because I enjoyed it, but because it reminded me to be humble, to respect my surroundings, to look after nature, and to step away from external ego expectations and identity conclusions – those layers with which we cover ourselves to try and be someone, often someone else.

Why is walking barefoot such an important ritual, habit or routine? Because it keeps me grounded and real, it reminds me to be myself, to respect nature and to honour a holy moment. In this way, I am more open to experiencing bits of heaven on earth, in any shape or form.

In the book of Exodus in the Bible, Moses was experiencing the burning bush when he realised the moment was holy. What did Moses do? He took off his shoes. A precious moment beautifully described by the poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning:

“Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God,
But only he who sees takes off his shoes”

There are many sacred moments around us. But to truly feel those moments and be open to them,
you might have to take off your shoes.

This notion made me realise a few simple things.
– We need to know what grounds us and find deliberate ways to wake up to this.
– We experience many sacred moments.
– We shield ourselves with artificial layers to protect our egos.
– We sometimes just need to go barefoot to anchor, feel and be real.

REFLECT
Take some time to reflect on moments that ground you. Is it possible that there is something literally or figuratively that you need to remove or get rid of to be more grounded?

RESPOND
Go outside, take off your shoes and walk barefoot. Then, reflect and make some notes about what you experienced. If you feel uncomfortable or you cannot go barefoot for other reasons, try to find another creative way to ground and connect.

Try this:
Next time, when you walk outside, take off your shoes for a bit, walk barefoot with somebody, take your time, feel the ground and reflect on your experience.

Go well, be grounded and remember to BeSoulful!

If you or your team want to join me for a walk in the labyrinth, let me know!

Please share your creative stories or soulful ideas with me at [email protected].

We are looking forward to creating some barefoot (metaphorically) experiences for purposeful reflection at our annual Leaders Retreat (one day), called Christmas in November. If you want to know more, send me an email or book your spot at here.

Make sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Many years ago, somebody came to see me in my therapeutic practice and, after a few sessions, he asked me, “So is this a real relationship for you or not?” This question kept me busy for a long time. I mean, how can I engage in deep personal discussions with people about their lives and their reality if it’s only a job for me? Is it a real connection, an authentic connection, as it should be? Yes, we were rightly taught about boundaries, professionalism, and so on, but in that conversational moment, the relationship needs to be genuine, real, and connected. Growth and healing are often underpinned by relationships and belonging.

When I work with business teams, I always start the session with a reflective check-in exercise, using music and asking the group to reflect on one thing they are grateful for. Stories about people and relationships often surface when they reflect on gratitude.

Human capacity and energy, according to Neurozone, is underpinned by four foundational drivers: your sleep-wake cycle, nutrition, exercise, and silencing the mind. However, I believe that relationships influence our energy and capacity and that we cannot go without them. So, I have added a fifth driver – connection and belonging. Yes, our energy levels are underpinned by sleep, exercise, eating and silent reflection, but also by our connections and relationships.

“There is an entire industry that helps us to be better leaders, better parents, exercise better, sleep better, eat better and yet nothing helps us to be a better friend?”

(From Brilliant Minds)

In June 2024, in a video from Brilliant Minds, Trevor Noah (comedian, writer, and author) and Simon Sinek (author and motivational speaker) engaged in an insightful conversation about the value of friendship, highlighting how this important aspect is often overlooked. They discuss how real friendship is something which not only improves our mental health but also makes us more successful. Noah refers to the ability to work on a friendship intentionally, and that nobody has taught us how to nurture friendships. Simple but so true!

In Noah and Sinek’s conversation, the question arises whether we are still willing to sacrifice important things for the sake of our friendships. What is the value of real relationships, and how do you prioritise them? When it comes to friendships, it is often easy to cancel, because “they’ll understand” or in our self-care practice and our relationships with ourselves, it is easy to postpone, because “it’s just me”. But will we so easily cancel a work meeting to have coffee with a friend? Sometimes we neglect the important things in life because we think our friends, families, and ourselves will understand.

“Friends will be there for you, your work won’t.” True? Not true! This is an interesting statement from Sinek – one with which I don’t agree. I regularly interact with people in organisations where the business is truly there for its people. Soulful organisations that prioritise people over work in a balanced way, and where there are real relationships, care and friendship. I hear employees telling me that the organisation is there for them when they need it and acknowledges their lives. This gives me plenty of hope! A business leader recently told me how much easier it is to do business with friends within real relationships – it sounds like a contradiction, but it’s true!

This need is also true in our spiritual journeys. John Ortberg (author, motivational speaker and pastor) mentions, “People want to belong, before they believe, before they behave.” Ortberg highlights the common human desire to feel connected, before changing behaviours and accepting new beliefs. “There is an entire industry that helps us to be better leaders, better parents, exercise better, sleep better, eat better and yet nothing helps us to be a better friend?” (From Brilliant Minds)

So, think about it: How intentional are you with your friendships, and how much time do you spend on them? Do you prioritise friendship?

While a lot of time is spent on training people in leadership, good habits, nutrition, parenting, and exercise, we somehow assume that friendships and relationships just happen. But they don’t! This notion woke me up to a few simple things:

• How important it is to deliberately prioritise people, even when I am in a leadership role.
• How I often postpone or neglect the people close to me.
• How my sense of belonging influences so much else in my life.
• How I need to prioritise time in friendship and deliberately sacrifice for this.

REFLECT
Take a moment to reflect on the important people in your life. Write down a few names. The people you call friends or want to call friends. Pause with each person for a while. What would it look like to sacrifice something for one of these relationships?

RESPOND
Make one small decision – what would the sacrifice look like? One simple step?

Try this:

• Cancel something important to have coffee with a friend.
• Sacrifice time or meetings to be with family.
• Next time, before you easily move an appointment with a friend or family member, stick to it.
• Deliberately teach your kids how to be good friends!

Celebrate the friendships in your life, invest your time in them and be thankful for them.

Go well

Watch the conversation between Sinek and Noah here.

Do share your creative stories or soulful ideas to [email protected].
Book for our leaders retreat

Make sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

I’m writing this “nudge” while sitting on a plane, boxed in between two people. It is fascinating to observe people in public spaces, especially when you cannot get up to do something. Just sit, be present, and observe. What are they thinking about? What is true for the person next to me? What music are they listening to? Will the guy next to me think this blog is worth anything? Okay, maybe I’m just thinking too much about others? But each person on this flight represents something and is experiencing something at this very moment.

I recently watched a video conversation between Brian Draper and Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer as part of Brian’s Lent reflections. Rosemerry is a poet, teacher, speaker, and writing facilitator, and she has been posting (sharing) a poem every day on her website since 2013. That’s right; she’s been creating and sharing a poem every day for the last 17 years. Astonishing, isn’t it? Brian was very interested in Rosemerry’s ability to be so creative, from the perspective of her daily practice and discipline, as well as her capacity to remain creative for so long and to keep it going. They call the chat on YouTube “Yes to the world as it is”. Brian asked her, “How do you do it?” and Rosemerry’s simple answer is applicable to all of us and is such an important message in most walks of life today. She describes her creative practice as anchored in the following question:

“I just ask myself: Can I show up every day and tell something that is (simple) true? I choose to meet what’s here inside of me and outside of me, and the poem is a bridge between these two worlds. And saying something true is always interesting, isn’t it?” she argues.

Not interesting because it sounds good, but just because it is an exercise in (true) curiosity. She continues by talking about how people are touched by telling the truth, by somebody (or words) being authentic and vulnerable. We strip away the longing to be good or wise, because something true is infinitely interesting.

Wow! Something true is infinitely interesting; this notion is so true. Listening to this chat, I realised that the power is firstly in the practice and then in the product, not the other way around. Sometimes the process is more important than the result – Rosemerry said the poem is a by-product of the practice (the container) – to habitually show up with a blank page and be open to notice with wonder, without being intimidated. We are often intimidated by the pressure to perform, to create, to do something good, successful, or acceptable, so that we miss the truth in every moment. Perhaps it is only the practice to do that again.

Rosemerry’s answer was not only profound; it was also a lesson to me. I realised that this blog is, or should be, the same – where I share something with you that is true for me. (It’s already something, because it’s true, not because of the number of followers or likes.) So, do I trust my experience in this moment as true and valid? Or am I so busy comparing it to all the messages I get that I’m not truly present, or that I doubt the moment? These are the questions I ask myself.

Each of us can create, say, write, or picture something true, and I believe if we live with this philosophy, the truth shall prosper. In a world full of fake news and self-deceptive stories, this practice and mindset are much needed. We have the God-given ability to be true in this moment.

This message, “yes to the world as it is”, applies to so many life situations. Maybe you’re sitting in a board meeting, afraid to share what is true? Maybe you should acknowledge the truth of your current relationship? Or the truth of a habit (good or bad)? A habit, such as parenting where we often want to negate the truth. Decide to show up, notice and acknowledge what is true for you today. Or acknowledge that you can create something just by capturing what is true for you. Try it today.

After this plane has landed, each person will rush to their next appointment or task, and the world will continue to tell them half-truths, lies, and fake news. Perhaps they will even tell themselves half-truths, just as I sometimes do. Yet, each person on this plane also has the ability to make the world a truer, more authentic place. There is enough fakeness out there; let’s counter it. Thanks to Rosemerry and Brian for reminding me that I can do one creative rhythm every day by finding the truth in every moment and being there for a while … the world as it is, is an infinitely interesting place! My truth in this moment is that on my return flight later today, I’ll have a window seat!

Brian and Rosemerry’s video conversation reminded me of a few things:

• How I sometimes tell myself half-truths and miss the moment.
• How I often strive to do something good, perfect, and profound for others and then miss the simple truth.
• How, in leadership positions, we often struggle to tell the truth, perhaps because we are scared.
• How important it is to again commit to finding a simple practice (or mindset) to create and find truth in the moment.

REFLECT

What is true for you – do you trust your own experience in this moment as valid and true?
Do you perhaps tell yourself stories about yourself that are untrue?
Where in your life are you confronted with the inability to acknowledge the truth?
What is true for you while reading this blog?

RESPOND

Find one daily creative discipline to create something true. Whether it is to take two minutes to take a photo, to pray, to feel, to speak, to write, to see …

Go and acknowledge something true! It will be infinitely interesting!

You can find Rosemerry’s daily poems here or watch her conversation with Brian Draper here.

Do share your creative stories or soulful ideas to [email protected].
Book for our leaders retreat

Make sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

In a recent coaching conversation in my office, when the person sat down, I asked, “So, are you making progress?” Although I am trained to always weigh my words and think about any question, this was 7:30 in the morning. I knew the person very well, and it was really just a conversation starter (however, with hindsight, it never is).

The person looked at me and paused with a frown. “What a question!” he exclaimed, refraining from answering and smiling with a mischievous look. Our coaching conversation continued as normal.

A few days later, this person posted the following (summarised) on LinkedIn:

So, my dear friend asked me: Are you making progress? What a question! Progressing at what, I
thought? Work, health, emotionally, physically or socially? I realised that we never really measure
ourselves against any of these on a regular basis. And should we keep score or take stock? And if we
do, what is the scale of our measurement? Is it about more friends, better exercise, higher performance
levels, increased work output or improved financial security? Maybe we can use the Maslow principle,
moving up on the hierarchy of needs or measure our concept of love for our neighbour? Less focused
on ourselves, more focused on others? Eventually, love is the ultimate measurement of progress or
worth, isn’t it? This monitoring system (love) overrides all components of our progress in life!

Love is the ultimate measurement. Isn’t that beautiful? I am so encouraged by this post, where somebody deliberately responds to a question or a reflection and then passes it on. I never know where
a question will lead to; honestly, I don’t! This post reminded me of a few things:
 
– Questions are important – pause and reflect – don’t just give a quick answer.
– How do I define progress?
– It is important to reflect on progress regularly, as well as on the scale of measurement for
progress.
– What do we measure ourselves against?
– Love overrides everything.

Making progress might be a shallow ego-description and a quick answer when measured against social
norms, money, status and image. Yet, ultimately, it is so important to soulfully reflect on our God-given
ability to grow, to make progress, not to stagnate, and to keep moving. Soulfulness is about the deeper
reflection on these questions and regularly returning to it and its meaning. An idea might be to not think
about the theoretical answer to this question (are you making progress) but to reverse engineer this
from an experience…

          REFLECT
When was the last time you had the experience of positive movement, growth or flow?

Think about a practical example.

Why did this feel like progress?

Does this give you a clue on measuring and reflecting on your progress?
         
          RESPOND

Look at your diary and schedule 15 minutes once a month to ask and answer this question and measure
your progress.

Remember that maybe the simplest way to measure progress is to establish whether there is love in
your life – love for your work, love for the environment, love for the people around you, and love for God!

Love life!

Do share your creative stories or soulful ideas to [email protected].
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Jacob Collier is a brilliant young up and coming artist recently nominated for a grammy. He completely changed the landscape of music and music production in my view and one of the unique things he does is to use his live audience as a choir, unrehearsed. He will ask a segment of the audience to sing a specific note and another section to sing another note and then by gesturing (like a conductor), move them up or down in essence playing them like an instrument. When I listen to him playing the piano or conducting an audience choir I am just transported to soulful places and find so much hope and joy in the human ability to make music and to move together without practicing or rehearsing beforehand. It makes me optimistic about human potential and the innate ability to relate with music and to create.

In a recent interview with Simon Sinek on his podcast “a bit of optimism” Jacob shares two stories from when he was 2 years old. I don’t know how one remembers anything from early years, but he obviously has a brilliant mind and this impacted his purpose and being in a profound way. He remembers his mother conducting a choir and how he connects with her by conducting his audience as a choir. Witnessing her hand gestures left an imprint on him. Secondly, he remembers sitting on his mother’s lap while she was playing the violin.

“Looking up it felt like I am the violin, I am the music, I am the source of the sound”: he
described this early life experience.

In true Sinek fashion Simon captured this moment as Jacob’s original why, the source of his purpose. This early life experience influenced Jacob Collier to be an instrument, a vessel to make musicians out of others. What a wonderful analogy for me and you – to capture our true purpose and calling and be a
vessel and an instrument in daily life. I’ve learned through Jacob Collier’s audience choirs that the ability and potential are always there in each and every one to make music and to create together. We all have it – the God-given ability to be an instrument, the innate potential to be creative and create together. Simon Sinek said that creativity is about breaking and building something at exactly the same time.

So, take a moment to reflect on your own ability to be an instrument. Where you rediscover your child-like wonder in music, in art, in nature and in beauty. This is such an important part of soulfulness to never lose our ability to play, to follow our creative energy. The audience choir is a testament to this. Unrehearsed, not perfect, but following the collaborative creative energy making music together and finding your inner instrument!

Until next month
Go well

Do share your creative stories or soulful ideas to [email protected].
Look at the podcast between Simon and Jacob here or listen to an example of an audience choir here.

My favourite is his song Fix You with Coldplay’s Chris Martin.

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How did 2025 start for you?

When on holiday, music is part of my disconnect – music takes me places! It is a big part of my own renewal habit when I camp and walk on the beach – my earphones are my best companion. The music just transports me to places that is difficult to describe. 

Every year, a few songs manage to move deeper into my being and remind me of a meaningful moment. 

A friend introduced me to the group Haevn a few years ago and December I stumbled onto the song ‘Beginners’. This song touched me on so many levels and is so applicable for me to enter the unknown of a new year. This chorus keeps ringing in my head:

We are just beginners

Have some faith in the unknown

With every step, we learn, we grow

We are just beginners

Take a leap and learn to fall

Before we learn to fly at all

This is such an important mindset in life and leadership.  Part of living a soulful life is to have a stance where we realise that we are always just beginners. And that we need to learn to fall before we learn to fly.  Life is unknown, but with the faith to leap into the unknown we learn to grow, don’t we? And falling is often part of this.

David Cooperrider talks about having “the mindset of the everlasting beginner”. He describes this mindset as “to always be open to what is starting in us and around us with awe, inspiration and wonder.” Can we still be open to what is emerging (starting) around us and not just what we have done, what we have finished, what we already know and what we can capture, nail down and coin?

This mindset is soulful and really helps me at the start of a new year.  The song end with the reason “cause we’re beginners every day”. We are indeed beginners every day aren’t we?

Haevn sings about a relationship, but I do think this mindset is so important whether you are leading a team, managing life, entering into a relationship of try to practice your faith – life is unknown, have faith, take your step, learn and grow, because we often learn to fall before, we learn to fly.

Let’s learn to cultivate a beginner’s mindset, cause we’re beginners every day. And be open to what is emerging for you this year, in awe and wonder.

Take a few minutes and listen to this song and reflect on simple, but practical ways to cultivate this mindset and put something in your diary to remind you……

My you fly this year and learn along the way.

Go well