Happy new year, dear friends and followers! Yesterday I came back from a weeklong retreat in Sweden. Instead of going to a costume party, like I did last year, I sat on my meditation cushion when the clock hit 12. Oh, and it wasn’t a clock but a gong and a deep sounding shamanic drum. My fellow meditators and me hugged each other after 3 days of silence. Quite a beautiful transition.
Every year my first post of the year contains the exercise that I will show you once again. I take a deep breath and start writing down the dreams and intentions that flow from my heart for 5 minutes, without thinking, without rehearsing and without editing afterwards. Afterwards I often peak at last years post and see if there were dreams that came true and dreams that stayed unfulfilled. Let me connect with my breath for a minute and we can get started:
- I want to be independent
- I want to be autonomous
- I want to start practicing yoga more seriously (I have a non-existent yoga practice but feel inspired by the classes I attended in Sweden)
- I want to love
- I want to share
- I want a nice house to live in FOR AT LEAST A YEAR (and preferably longer).
- Let me rephrase that: I want to find my dream house! Soon!
- I want to further develop the 100 Day Warrior program and make it even more awesome
- I want to stay close to my Warriors and contribute to a yet-to-be-born but doubtlessly amazing joint venture.
- I want to give the new aspiring Warriors an amazing experience.
- I want financial stability
- I want to grow spiritually
- I want to land a tv concept that inspires my countrymen and creates awareness of what it means to be a human being.
- I want to seduce the girl of my dreams and make her happy.
- I want to visit my spiritual teachers more often
- I want to learn new skills (in the field of coaching, speaking, negotiating and writing for instance)
- I want to create a physically and spiritually challenging adventure for myself during the summer (a pilgrimage or wilderness hike for example)
NEWS BREAK: I just received amazing, heart-warming news! The kind of news that brings tears to your eyes first and makes you jump from joy minutes later. Shall we take this as a good omen for 2015? Yes, we will take this as a good omen for 2015! Can’t disclose much other than that it’s not about a baby. Edited on 8/1 (the news is not a secret any more): Philip proposed to Marieke and she said YES! They met each other on my 40th birthday and now we were at the same retreat. And then this.. Wow, wow, wow, I am so proud, so very proud and happy. And I feel honored and grateful. Thank you for being beautiful human beings! You are amazing!
- I want to feel often like I am feeling right now: overflowing with joy
I want to inspire others- I want to build a strong tribe of Warriors
- I want us to make social impact on our country this year
- I want Basic Goodness to become more than a one man show. I would love a smart and inspiring partner who complements me and adds a whole new dimension to Basic Goodness.
- I need help
- I need focus
- I need love
- I would love a woman by my side
- I need my meditation practice to stay strong
- I need my discipline to develop further
- I need to remain clear
- I need to further work on my fearlessness (plenty of work to do still)
- I need to develop better business skills
- I need the courage to apply them
- I shall further develop my vision
- I shall give myself to others
- I shall do my best
- I shall persevere
- I shall stay true to my heart and my purpose
- I shall contribute to the growth of others
- I shall keep my heart open and my back straight
This is it! This is my list of this year. When I look at last year’s post I can conclude that the house and girlfriend situation is still unsolved, poor me. But for example wishes like ‘I shall come up with something cool to contribute to the transformation of people’, ‘I want to build’, ‘I want to succeed’ and ‘I want to empower’ pretty much came true. Also ‘I want to attain a whole new level of physical fitness’: check! And there was more. Resuming: I am happy with 2014.
I just looked back at the posts from previous years. This is what I wrote in 2011 (Bali, Indonesia), this is what I wrote in 2012 (Tel Aviv, Israel) and this is what I wrote in 2013 (Cali, Colombia). The search for love and stability is ongoing but many dreams and intentions have manifested along the way and I had more adventures than I ever could imagine. In 2011 I wrote ‘I want to live the life of a Shambala Warrior’, ‘I want to travel’, ‘I want to participate in ayahuasca ceremonies in South America’ and ‘I want to give workshops in Australia’. In January 2012 I started a journey around the world and all these things happened! I had never thought of that! And who knew then that I would give Warrior training in 2014? Not me. But I envisioned it in January 2014. I wrote “next step will be facilitating life-altering adventures while keep growing as a human being”. The then not yet fully conceived 100 Day Warrior saw the light of day in September.
I recommend trying this exercise yourself. Jot down what feels real for you, without thinking, without holding back and without letting yourself be limited by concerns about money, time and responsibilities. If you are brave enough, post your results in the comments. Regardless: I wish you an amazing and love-filled new year. May all your dreams come true!
Pics taken on retreat in Sweden. Here is another one: 
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