SIMPLY MPOWERING®

How have you been over the past weeks?

I had a moment of synchronicity this week. As I opened the quarterly magazine from my health insurance I read the headline "The power of music". It then continued to say: " Music is medicine for the soul - but also for the body. Music therapy takes advantage of that and uses it to help people with physical as well as psychological illnesses." 

Last week I wrote my blog and newsletter about "The magic of music". Even health insurances are starting to realise that there are many different ways to heal... 

Have you maybe taken any small steps or used the "the magic or power of music" by now? 

Speaking of small... Do you remember how small you were when you started this life cycle? 

If we ever question how much we can grow on any level and in all areas in our lives then we just have to remember how much we have grown from one tiny cell to a fully grown human.

I am still a curious child and a life long...

Some of us are experiencing the winter and others are going into the spring. 

Isn't that in itself magical? 

Yesterday I put up some Christmas decoration while watching the landscape outside turning into a winter wonderland. 

I have always loved the winter season. Many people struggle with the lack of daylight and more rainy, cold and grey days. 

It simply shows how much we enjoy the warmth of the sun and the light. 

For me however, there is something magical about those dark days when candles are lit, blankets finally get used and cups of tea or hot chocolate are being enjoyed.

Of course we can grab a good book that will add some cozy flair to such moments. 

Or we can simply listen to relaxing music, put our feet up and breathe. 

Music can change how we feel. It can make us feel more relaxed, present or happy. 

Certain music however can also cause more dissonance in us.

This seems to be connected to different frequencies. Increasingly we will...

I would like to share with you a bit more about the magic of healthy boundaries. 

You might wonder how healthy boundaries can have anything to do with magic? 

Let me elaborate here a little. Many things in my life changed for the better once I had clear boundaries in place. 

When you are able to say "no" to a situation or a person, it will open up a space where you can create more magic for yourself and ultimately others.

I have to admit though that it was at times a turbulent journey to learn how to set healthy boundaries. 

Let me briefly share an example.

The short version: After my dog and I had been attacked for the third time by the same dog and I had ended up with a torn jacket and bite marks on my arm I really had enough. 

I was so angry that I filed a police report, which for me was a very big step to take. My anger was not irrational or abusive. My anger was a very clear emotion that was saying: "Enough of allowing others to harm me...

Can we find the courage to change career paths and trust that "re-birth" is always possible?

We do not need to physically die and be re-born again to experience a new life, a new family, a new career path etc. We can choose to start something new or follow our neglected passion in any moment in time. 

This week I had the opportunity to talk to 10th graders at a career forum. My career path has not been a linear one and continues to change. I am humbled by teachers and facilitators that I have trained with and they were still sharing their wisdom at age 98, late 80ies and late 70ies. 

When we are young we try to figure out what we want to do in life, which courses to choose, what university to go to. My generation would have done the "sensible thing" and studied something that is "solid", you know what I mean. Very few would have gone into the arts or drama or similar. 

Today's youth is different. While many don't know what courses or studies to choose and are still...

Today I would like to share with you some of the resources that I use to gain clarity when the mind seems "clouded", the body restless and the path unclear. You can also apply those resources if you have bad sleep patterns, feel anxious and worry a lot, are grieving or just feel the need to gain some clarity in life, business, relationships etc and most of all want to relax. 

Before I list all the resources, you can also scroll down to them, that I use and share with my clients I would like to note some observations.

There is something fascinating about our behaviours. The majority of us are avoiding stillness. Have you ever noticed that? Why do we keep ourselves busy and distracted instead of sitting in stillness or merely observing our thoughts? How many of us allow ourselves to also physically move our emotions and let ourselves be moved by what comes from deep inside? 

Sometimes when I observe people I notice that they are permanently "running" - usually away from...

and sunsets are proof that endings can be beautiful ... 

I have uploaded a video with a reading of Herman Hesse's poem "stages". You can find it on youtube or by  clicking the above button. 

I love these quotes. They are simple yet magical and deep. Imagine to apply them to life every single day. You might say "I don't want endings every day" but as you go to bed the day ends... and as you wake up in the morning another day begins... So you are practicing it every day but maybe you never thought about it consciously. 

Maybe you could consider to end your days with a thought of a few lines of gratitude - acknowledged with awareness or written into your journal. Maybe you could start your mornings being present and giving yourself the time that you need to begin it more aware and mindful. Every morning, in fact every moment, you have the opportunity to create a new and different reality and life for yourself and your loved ones. 

I tend to wake up between...

Recently I had a conversation with a friend about "feeling at peace". It made me contemplate  when do we really "feel at peace". Many of us are exploring ways towards a more zen state in life and yet it appears that many are also living with a "false sense of peace". I am curious what it evokes with the reader, listener or viewer when they hear that phrase? 

Let us look at the difference between truly feeling at peace and keeping ourselves in a state of false sense of peace. The brain does not know the difference whether we are imagining or truly feeling it. You might then ask, so why not approach it with "fake it till you make it" and if the brain does not know the difference then "wonderful", peace is peace! Sounds good, doesn't it? Indeed this can be a helpful way. Yet that only works as long as we artificially try and keep ourselves let's say "out of trouble". We can do that for quite some time but eventually it will catch up with us. 

A few...

Today I would like to share some thoughts titled "As I began to love myself". They are attributed to Charlie Chaplin and it is said that he shared them on his 70th birthday. They hold very profound wisdom and clearly deep experiences collected over a life time. We live in a world where old people are put into homes, rarely visited and where their wisdom is "locked up". There was a time in humanity's history where "elders" were asked for advice as people knew that they held wisdom acquired over a life time. We can be "wise beyond our years" and yet life's experiences add a deeper meaning to that wisdom. 

Have you ever asked yourself if you love yourself? Have you ever asked yourself if there is maybe a part of you that feels "you are not worthy of love" - because that's what somebody used to tell you in life? You are very worthy :) Have you ever feared arguments because you felt "that's my father / my mother and I don't want to be like them" but in the process swallowed a lot...

Throughout my own healing journey as well as having worked with many clients from various backgrounds I came to understand how little all of us knew about trauma yet how much it affected every single one of us in our daily live and behavioural patterns. 

When I attended my Tamalpa life arts training in 2018 one of our teachers talked about trauma and listed experiences. She said for example: divorce is a trauma. I had never considered that. Of course it does not have to be but very often it is. 

At the end of the school year 2020/2021 the principle of my children's school made parents aware that our children might have been faced with trauma throughout COVID lockdowns and all the mask scenario. Many psychologists and therapists pointed out that the lockdowns took quite a toll on many children. 

My approach to life is one of simplicity, reflection, curiosity, compassion and healing. My healing journey was a bit like peeling an onion. Every time I thought I...

This video is available in English, German,  Croatian, Spanish on youtube. If you click on the language, it will take you to the video. The transcript is available in English and Spanish (scroll beyond the English version). You can quote this text as long as you link it to my blog and the source creator. A big thank you to my old college friends Isa and Inma for the translation into Spanish! 

As our planet is going through a lot of fear I have decided to share some practical tips on how to become aware of and liberate yourself from fears. As parents we have to assist our children in regulating their emotions and working through fears. When we are in survival mode we cannot be creative and living in fear means "being in survival mode". Many of us are working on co-creating a new world! Join us and share your creative genius with the world! 

Transcript English: 

Today, I would like to give you some practical tips on how to work...