Man's intelligence is declining. Yes, my sister is right. Rose scarcity in the Netherlands? A kind of April 1 marketing joke to earn even more on the phenomenon Valentine's Day?

On February 11, I saw a ‘frightful’ message on the Dutch news and media site “nu.nl”. Just now, The Netherlands has to contend with a lack of roses. It (only) seems like everyone is sad about it.

The report says that due to the scarcity of roses or those buckets that contain roses, flower bouquets will turn out to be more expensive than ever before on Valentine’s day.

I still remember the potato crisis in the Netherlands. The prices of potatoes and French fries increased steadily due to a lack of potatoes. The original prices of that time, after the harvest had long been picked up again, never returned to the former level.

This ‘frightful’ message comes across as a sort of 1^st April marketing joke. The Netherlands with a lack of roses? And still, pardon me, ‘just’ before Valentine's Day? It is really to 'cry about’. Indeed, tears of laughter and unbelief. My sister, for me, is right with her remark that human intelligence seems to be declining more and more.

So, look for other (cheaper) flowers or just something else or just nothing. Nothing? Yes, you can show love in many ways and that does not mean you always have to buy a present.

After all, that entire Valentine's Day hassle is only focused on marketing, isn't it?

So, my girlfriend sad for her no roses this year. She got a (sorry for second hand) truck for our construction plans and progress. The rose scarcity maybe even helped to make this decision...

And by the way, no shortage of roses here. On the market today again those fantastic bouquets in different colors or in a mix. Long straight stems and each flower in a protective net. And today even with a paper around it with hearts. The price as every week 60 Euro cents for 10 roses that, despite the temperature here, stay in great and beautiful condition for at least one week.

Gangey Gruma (Frans Captijn)
email: captijninsight@gmail.com 

Foto blog: 

http://franscaptijnhisworld.blogspot.com

Building blog:
https://pyramidhousethailand.blogspot.com 

Captijn Insight. Catalyst in developing tranquility & in-sight to get in a sustainable way real connection, purpose, pleasure and flow in life, love, family, business, career and work again.

The huge influence of parents and teachers in your life

Recently I read again in the book "The Pocket, Thich Nhat Hanh". I opened it up with his lesson about inferiority.

Every child is born open and uninhibited to learn. And from that birth on, the "un-learning" process and giving direction of culture, habits, opinions, often also faith and so on, begin.

Where do you learn to be a good parent? Certainly, there are books about it. Whether you actually learn from it? Who has the real right knowledge to share? And ... what's ‘good’ for you? Most of the time it is a copy, or consciously trying not to copy, of what you have received in your own youth. Or rather pass on what you liked about it and sometimes even pass on the allergy to what you didn't like.

For the sake of convenience (?), let's assume that all parents' intentions to raise children are good. You want the best and perhaps even better for your children. The same applies ‘for the same convenience’ to teachers (or at least it should be in my experience). You want to share and transfer knowledge to bring others further in their life development. And by teachers, I mean the people who actually practice this responsible profession and also the "teachers" who are your examples or idols in your life.

Thich Nhat Hanh writes: "The ground of a child’s consciousness is still very young, still very fresh."

And with that youthfulness and freshness also very susceptible.

During many encounters with guests here during my work in Thailand, meetings with people from many different cultures, I experienced what an enormous effect negative and decreasing talks and speeches from parents and teachers in the young years of these people had had. Developing feelings of inferiority. Those words of criticism, often in anger or out of irritation in situations of stress and sometimes unfortunately also intentionally said, were the seeds for growing their inferiority complex.

And strangely enough, if you went back in their stories during these meetings, you would end up in a sort of vicious circle. From a form of allergy to what once was said or done about them, the germ was ready to pass on to their children.

And I have also said something negative to my kids in a mood of anger. You also educate in my experience, even though your intention is great, with trial and error and making mistakes (and seeing them) is part of it. Fortunately, that could always be corrected later.

Raising and/or teaching children. A very responsible task.

One thing is certain for me. Every person is unique and different and has no less, but more value. It depends on the perspective of looking at it. And that uniqueness is expressed in talents that should be encouraged, regardless of culture, religion or group. That is different from addressing children in a destructive way to what you do not like.

Who knows, it helps to break through those negative vicious circles step by step.

Gangey Gruma (Frans Captijn)
email: captijninsight@gmail.com 

Foto blog: http://franscaptijnhisworld.blogspot.com

Captijn Insight. Catalyst in developing tranquility & in-sight to get in a sustainable way real connection, purpose, pleasure and flow in life, love, family, business, career and work again.

Being in love wearing a paper face mask. (Corona) Flu madness and panic.

Last weekend, with my girlfriend, I was in Bangkok. I don’t follow the news but I noticed that almost everyone was wearing a mask. Finally they start to understand how to protect a bit against the raising air pollution I thought.

Well, that was a wrong idea. It seems that although air pollution increases with the year here, most people are no longer bothering about protecting against it. It’s all about earning money and what about your health?

No, it seemed there was a "Corona" virus outbreak in Wuhan in China and the virus was spreading. Where…? I had never heard of that place. Still a place where around 11 million people live close to each other. I blamed myself that I should have paid more attention to geography lessons in the past.

People were a bit in panic because in Thailand at that time some persons had already become sick and I was told that they kept them in quarantine.

In the subway, more than crowded, I was nearly the only one without a mask. A couple in love protected themselves against kissing and many people were afraid to stand close to Chinese persons. As if 1.4 billion people were sick.

My girlfriend told me that many people avoid shopping centers where many Chinese people are to keep the risk of getting infected by the virus as low as possible. The next day we went to Chinatown. Crowded most with Chinese people and us (not wearing a mask).

Do people still think or just only follow the crowd? Close borders? Avoid the Chinese? Wear a paper mouth cap against this virus? Who brings all those scary stories that make people mad and in panic in the world?

A wonderful thing I saw was a man who lowered his cap to smoke a cigarette. Really something to laugh.

Good times for the industry that produces these masks. They had just finished their work for producing the new air filters for the so-called 'air purifiers'. Now this masks cannot be dragged on. There is certainly a bonus at the end of the year for all the workers.

Memories of my previous work came back. And when I experience this again, the overkill in "safety" and the attempt to control everything is plans and on paper comes back in my mind again.

Not much was known about that Corona virus. Sure is it’s a so far unknown form of flu. So, a new flu virus. And with a paper mouth cap, unfortunately, you won't stop a virus infection. If you have to cough or sneeze and you wear such a mask, you protect your neighbor a little bit. And what about eye protection? Are your eyes not a mucous membrane that could pick up this virus? Walking around with a diving mask might be better.

It is estimated that 56,000 people die every year due to flu (source Wikipedia). And you don't hear me say that's okay. But, apparently just like with the air pollution here, we hardly worry about it. Now about 200 deaths from this new species in just a few weeks. Yes, still bad and sad. You do not want it will be your child, husband, wife or family member and yet ... does it bring any change in this total amount of those 56,000 people we nearly do not bother about?

The website Worldometers.info/coronavirus mentions different numbers. They say every year an estimated 290,000 to 650,000 people die in the world due to complications from seasonal influenza (flu) viruses. This figure corresponds to 795 to 1,781 deaths per day due to the seasonal flu. So what are we talking about?

And it's nice to read and hear on the Dutch news I was watching, that up to now there are no Dutch people involved ... What a crazy comment I hear so many times. Is it less painful or worse???

Just live in a normal way and as always take care of normal hygiene. And continue to enjoy that delicious Chinese food in restaurants, Chinatown and these beautiful people. Don't keep them outside the door. And don't forget to enjoy kissing without a mask when you are in love. 

And, wonderful social media but think first and do not believe all stories. Myths and facts (if it's true: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze-33EMoaFY

And for the people in Thailand, a mouth cap against air pollution is doing much better work than against this flu virus. So, keep wearing and even better ... stop burning. Good for yourself, your children and their children who still want to enjoy this wonderful world.

Gangey Gruma (Frans Captijn)
email: captijninsight@gmail.com 

Foto blog: http://franscaptijnhisworld.blogspot.com

Captijn Insight. Catalyst in developing tranquility & in-sight to get in a sustainable way real connection, purpose, pleasure and flow in life, love, family, business, career and work again.

Raising your child from distance

Let me start by saying that I am from a previous generation. Not as an excuse but more from the point of view of wonder, the learning of new things and yet also the mirroring.

Mid-January it was again the day of the year for me. The granting of my annual visa at the Thai immigration office in Chiang Mai. Last year it took an hour to complete, but due to organizational changes and again new rules, this time it took me seven hours and the next day I also had to go back for one more hour. The great news is that I can legally stay here for another year.

During the office lunch time I visited the nearby shopping center to escape the for a while the for me negative energy of many waiting visitors at that place. I feel pity with the staff who have to work there on a daily base.

In the mall I walked past a store and I saw a nice gift for my girlfriend's birthday. I went inside the store. A neat saleswoman of around forty years showed me what I liked. An I-phone on the desk showed me an around five-year-old boy sitting on a couch in front of the television. And he pressed something there what produced a kind of mooing cow sound in the store. A call from him for his mother, the saleswoman, it turned out. She apologized for a moment and spoke to her son who after a short while went on watching TV again.

I looked at her with questioning eyes and she told him that he was already completely used to it. She had to work (be aware for 10 hours a day) and he was at home. As a joke, I told her that nowadays it's all super modern and easy and that even through Grab or the Foodpanda they have here, she could even order food online for him. She told me she did already for a long time and it made him happy many times he could choose what he wanted her to order. I looked at her in amazement and showed her my little Nokia cellphone. For me this is all new.

Not my thing, I told her. Only thinking is this how you raise your so-called "love babies" these days? It really does not match with me. And yep, I am from an earlier generation. And yep I also know you need to work to earn money but…

When I walked out of the store it said that it might be nice to have a pizza delivered to him that evening. We laughed together ...

Too sad (I think) and perhaps the boy gets a lot of personal attention just before he goes to bed so that he also learns how a short-distance relationship feels.

Plenty of wonder for me.

And not knowing the circumstances… who am I to judge?


Gangey Gruma (Frans Captijn)
email: captijninsight@gmail.com 

Foto blog: http://franscaptijnhisworld.blogspot.com

Captijn Insight. Catalyst in developing tranquility & in-sight to get in a sustainable way real connection, purpose, pleasure and flow in life, love, family, business, career and work again.

Our construction journey has begun. Building as a meditation.

On December 28 last year we made the decision to finally start our construction journey. And as a surprise, after that decision on New Year's Eve, the first electricity piles went into the ground. Construction journey? Yes.

When we tell family, friends and acquaintances about our ideas, the question is always when we have planned that it will be finished. Everyone is used to the idea that you need to know before you start building when it is finished. And if it is not ready at that time, which very often is the case, then stress will arrive and even 'penalty clauses' will regularly appear.

Not our thing at all. No end date in the picture. It's ready when it is finished. Step by step delivering quality and no (or as little as possible) stress. We have the time.

The construction of our private center with Pyramids is not a project but a process. And how blissful it is that we don't want anything to have to do with SMART management formulations or objectives. Time-bound and very specific? Don’t make me laugh. We will do building applications per part of the process and of course they must be specific. In the meantime, we have time to adjust things for the follow-up process in advance.

Realistic yes. With two feet on the ground. Measurable in retrospect when we see the quality of what we have built with full attention and with our own hands. So afterwards and not before hands. And of course, we calculated the needed budget. And yet better, we have decided that we will always only will start a new branch in process if we have the money for it beforehand. So, every part is completely finished before we take the next step on the journey. We think a nice and good feeling.

Great to be flexible with this method and specially to allow creativity during the process. This way of building feels like meditation.

A notary is currently working on all required legal papers and we are waiting for the first official building permit so that we can actually get to work ourselves.

If we tell others that it might take five or six years, or who knows maybe it will take longer, we see frowning eyebrows. Yep, it's different. We are different and we are not at all in a hurry. Whatever other people are thinking of it.

The climate here, the high temperatures, the intensity of the rainy season and the dry period, pollen (my allergy), wanting to build with your own hands and especially our health are factors that you cannot all control by yourself.

Our approach is to enjoy every day of the process as much as possible. To stop and look back at the end of each day and be proud of what we have learned and achieved together. And if that enjoyment might suddenly come to an end, for whatever reason, (it can happen after all), then we would have enjoyed quite a bit of pleasure in all those days before.

Do you want to follow our construction journey once in a while? Feel invited. Look at: https://pyramidhousethailand.blogspot.com.

We regularly publish our experiences on this blog. Successes and also our setbacks in that process. And that is for sure knowing from that SMART management tool still a bit realistic 😉

Gangey Gruma (Frans Captijn)
email: captijninsight@gmail.com 

Foto blog: http://franscaptijnhisworld.blogspot.com

Captijn Insight. Catalyst in developing tranquility & in-sight to get in a sustainable way real connection, purpose, pleasure and flow in life, love, family, business, career and work again.

How is owl Otus?

I still regularly receive this question from friends, acquaintances and former guests with whom I was allowed to work here.

I recently came across some photos of him (or her) and not just that. A few months ago I even met Otus again.

I was able to look after this special bird (Collard Scops Owl) for around four years. Kadhow, my dog, and I found him in the forest in early May 2014. Mr. or Mrs. Otus had an owl-friend who regularly came to visit him at night. On the advice of son Rik, who is an animal caretaker in a zoo in the Netherlands, I gave Otus freedom again.

During his stay here at home and at the resort where I worked, he attracted a lot of attention. He became fairly photogenic. Really, it is a special experience an owl for four years in your house.

About two weeks after I gave him back freedom, he came for his first visit and was sitting next to my bedroom on the balcony. How I know for sure it was him (or her)? He is the only "wild" owl with a special ring around his paw that I could use to attach him to a thin chain. So he could sit and watch in trees in the evening if I took him to the several campfire meetings I organized or if he was just sitting in front of the house in the tree in the front yard. Only a couple of times I saw him afterwards.

A few months ago, on the scooter I drove into the forest with Kadhow and my girlfriend to do the evening walk. We talked about Otus and if the devil played with it, when I whistled his melody, I always used to call him, he suddenly showed up and landed on the path in the front light of the scooter. Kadhow happy to see him again. Moments later he flew away again. My girlfriend didn't believe it at first and asked if he would do it again. That is just a matter of trying. And yes, he flew in again to my whistle tones.

So, at least until recently, he was still alive. Great to see.

Apparently Otus made a great impression on various people.

A young couple who worked here with me a few years ago even gave their son as his second first name the name Otus. Nice idea. Otus will go on living at least in that name so to speak.

Everyone is up to date about Otus again.

Gangey Gruma (Frans Captijn)
email: captijninsight@gmail.com 

Foto blog: http://franscaptijnhisworld.blogspot.com

Captijn Insight. Catalyst in developing tranquility & in-sight to get in a sustainable way real connection, purpose, pleasure and flow in life, love, family, business, career and work again.

What is character? A philosophy.

What is character or nature? That question recently arose after a conversation I had.

I searched Wikipedia and found:

“Character or character is the combination of fixed inner qualities or traits of a person. This combination determines how a person deals with certain things. These are relatively stable assets that are difficult to change, often only after intensive and sustained training or therapy. As a result, the trait distinguishes itself from habit, which is more a learned way of responding to one's environment that one can unlearn. Gained experience influences the character. "

Wikipedia also writes:

“Presumably part of the character is fixed in hereditary characteristics, but it is certain that the environment has a major influence on the character. So, upbringing also has an important influence.

The expression ‘having no character’ means that someone has no will of their own or does not carry it through. "

And yes, in the first part of that description I can agree with what character would mean. With regard to that supplement about where it comes from and how it is influenced, I now have a slightly different philosophy.

The fixation of character and character traits, in my opinion, goes much further than hereditary traits. For me, the base of character is the energy of the soul. As a kind of fingerprint. The soul as a source of power to use that uniqueness that every person has in terms of talents and gifts to share with the world (the why of your life). Spiritual? Perhaps but just a philosophy.

And the environment and that upbringing naturally plays an important role. But not to give shape and direction to character traits, but rather to show to what extent the soul of a person in the performance of his or her specific task (from my training as a talent coach I call it the life mission) is stimulated or, on the contrary, opposed. And it is precisely in the event of opposition that the character shows itself to be stronger because it is a struggle to be able to maintain direction. And that is very often not experienced as positive.

You often hear the remark: "This he or she has from his father, or this from his or her mother or grandmother." That may be similarities, but that does not necessarily mean heredity.

For me, character is the energy of the soul to reach your life goal or mission. A package that you have already received with your birth, not inherited, and that expresses itself to a greater or lesser extent in how you are stimulated or opposed in your life in the performance of your task. A package that travels with lives one on one with that soul, if you look from the perspective of Buddhist philosophy.

And if the expression "Have no character" would mean that someone has no will of their own or does not carry it through, then in my opinion you can almost assume that the same environment or education cited by Wikipedia has failed in stimulating that person in his or her mission but helped to work against it.

Gangey Gruma (Frans Captijn)
email: captijninsight@gmail.com 

Foto blog: http://franscaptijnhisworld.blogspot.com

Captijn Insight. Catalyst in developing tranquility & in-sight to get in a sustainable way real connection, purpose, pleasure and flow in life, love, family, business, career and work again.

20 years ago. Remembrance with a smile to the expected Millennium bug.

Time flies. I still remember well the world nearly in panic facing end of 1999 the Millennium bug.

At that time, I was commander of the fire-brigade of the cities Kerkrade and Landgraaf in The Netherlands. And although there was regional and national coordination on this expected crisis, I was the executive commander and coordinator for our area in case things would go wrong.

World- and nation-wide people came up with the in my opinion most crazy ideas of all that could go wrong and we, with our full-time and part-time professional staff, were prepared to ‘solve the problems’ that could exist. I still do not know what we were prepared for although we got several regional exercises to deal with all the problems. In my eyes it was all a big show.

That New Years eve we had a special crisis team at the city hall. Our mayor, Thijs Wöltgens, and municipal secretary, Chris Kuikman, the chief of police, etc.. were in charge as well as the main spokespeople. And many government staff were available that night, sad not with their families, to organize things nobody could ever organize. Actually, it was a big joke and, looking back now, in my opinion again a kind of multi marketing campaign. Tremendous amounts of money were earned by the IT-industry. It must have offered lots of bonusses for people working in that sector in 2000.

The remembrance with a smile is due to the fact that both mayors of the cities, so also at that time Bert Janssen from Landgraaf, liked a Burgundian lifestyle. So actually, our crisis and disaster team and all the people at work got lots of good food and drinks. It was a kind of party. Watching the news with a smile to the island Kiritimati (where a new day in the world starts) and Australia.

And yes, exactly at the Millennium bug moment in our country, change of the year, there was champagne as well. And… nothing happened. Not due to the fact many offices and private people got a new computer.

Good old times to remember with a smile.

Gangey Gruma (Frans Captijn)
email: captijninsight@gmail.com 

Foto blog: http://franscaptijnhisworld.blogspot.com

Captijn Insight. Catalyst in developing tranquility & in-sight to get in a sustainable way real connection, purpose, pleasure and flow in life, love, family, business, career and work again.

The energy of your environment and the influence on your wellbeing

In the footsteps of my mother, I followed an actor training about ten years ago. People who know me will probably get a smile on their face now and think that I didn't need it. Perhaps also because my "root talent" of my talent tree is the Jester. And for sure I received that humor from my mother. But still, as an honor to my mother who was an actress in the Dutch “Haarlem City Theater”, among other things, I obtained my certificate of being an actor.

One of the things I learned in that field was anticipating the energy of the theater hall and the audience. Another thing I learned was how you can share your energy through attitude and body language with only the stage (staying within yourself), with the first row or rows, with the auditorium, or with the entire theater including the balconies. It was an interesting experience and... a feast of recognition. I am an emotional person and pick up energy around me, say the atmosphere, quickly. And I know what an impact that has on me. It even made me sick in 2010.

The basic energy of the audience that comes to a show is completely different on the Friday evening, the Saturday evening, during the matinee on Sunday and on Sunday evening. And although you yourself have the assignment to perform in the same way, you notice that it differs. One of the major factors of influence is the energy of the audience.

In my former job as a director I had to perform on stage often and addressed groups of people of all levels. Naturally feeling free, a gift that I got from my father. I always enjoyed speaking in public about matters I knew about or was responsible for.

People who regularly read my blogs know that I am active here in Chiang Mai on Sundays in the cathedral. Almost every week I am there "on stage". One time I read the scriptures, the other time I am a cantor and I sing psalms.

And last Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent, I was again confronted with that energy feeling of my theater education. That Sunday I was in the schedule for singing the psalm. Nice to do.

And when I stood in front of the microphone, I felt the community of around 300 visitors, in one word "flat." Totally different than 'normal'. Perhaps, as a comparison, a bit like the picture on the right, although the energy there could be very good. It felt like there was nobody there at all. A feeling that did not encourage or invite you to sing. Not singing of course was no option. So, I did it. And you know, that is really very hard working, not feeling any energetic response. As if you throw your energy in a deep well and it is gone.

When I asked a few people afterwards, they said, indeed, it was very different than usual. They were amazed I noticed it so strong.

A female colleague told me that she felt it very strongly as well, or actually felt nothing, and thought it might be because of the Christmas meeting and the buffet that we had with four hundred people the night before. Who knows?

Your environment has a huge influence on your well-being and behavior. For example, if there is enthusiasm or pleasure, it gives you energy. It is an encouragement and things flow simply out of yourself when you want to share things. In the situation that I described above or in an environment that does not allows or grant you to succeed, it’s hard working. An exhausting activity.

Be alert. Feel and try to avoid that energy drainage wherever possible. Better for your health.

Gangey Gruma (Frans Captijn)
email: captijninsight@gmail.com 

Foto blog: http://franscaptijnhisworld.blogspot.com

Captijn Insight. Catalyst in developing tranquility & in-sight to get in a sustainable way real connection, purpose, pleasure and flow in life, love, family, business, career and work again.

Mindfulness is selfish?

A short while before I got my burn-out in 2010 I was already practicing meditation and mindfulness. So far is it part of my current lifestyle. I have often written about my enormous lifestyle change. For me it is much more a move along with nature and the rhythm, often the cycle, that you encounter in it. Certainly, many times it gives a delay and you have to get used to it. The culture here in Thailand helps a bit, although I can still get a bit rebellious for all that great at ease. Anyway, just to be honest, stress for me now is something that I can only vaguely remember from the past. And with more attention, or perhaps I should say less distraction, doing things is much more satisfying and delivers higher productivity than all the former multitasking that I once did.

A few weeks ago, reading an article, the writer mentioned mindfulness actually is a very selfish activity. And when I thought about that, I didn't think that was such a strange statement at all. It's just a little too short for me. Not finished yet.

With mindfulness you try to do things in such a way that you are completely present. No skipping steps (much fewer mistakes too) and following the natural process of things and situations. It brings you closer to your own being. And with regard to meditation, the training of your mind, it is indeed all about you. For me, among other things, it makes me feel better as an individual. But to call it selfish?

During my meditation, yoga and Buddhist philosophy classes I regularly mentioned all kinds of topics. Guests also asked about all kind of life themes and backgrounds. In my blogs I often wrote about those matters.

I remember the fright that often appeared on the faces of participants when I stated that you first have to take good care of yourself and that it is not selfish. I do not mean the material matter but the healthy mind in a healthy body. Your holistic health balance (mental, physical, emotional, spiritual and causal (the contact with your environment with energy givers and energy drainers)) must be in order. And that requires attention and time. Indeed, for yourself.

Isn't that selfish, as stated in that article? Not so. The story is not finished yet.

In my lessons I always added: If you don't take good care of yourself in the first place to be in optimal condition, how can you optimally be there for other persons and the world around? And I think that completes the circle again. Yes, you start working on yourself to finally share the best of yourself with the world around you out of that firm balance. And that is a growth in relationships and a taking steps in helping each other to act together stronger than individually. Giving the best of yourself in it.

Not so selfish in my opinion.

Gangey Gruma (Frans Captijn)
email: captijninsight@gmail.com 

Foto blog: http://franscaptijnhisworld.blogspot.com

Captijn Insight. Catalyst in developing tranquility & in-sight to get in a sustainable way real connection, purpose, pleasure and flow in life, love, family, business, career and work again.

Lifelines and the future. The (your) plan becoming visible.

No don't be afraid. This is not a blog about future predictions or hand palm reading.

After a morning meditation a while ago, I wondered if 62 years ago, if I had already understood it as a just born baby, I would have believed the future prediction of my life that I have had so far. If someone, with full conviction and with the best intentions, had tried to tell me this, I think I would have laughed a lot, and in particular with disbelief, would have run away. I had a lot of fun about it but believe and trust in it, well…no way. Let’s be serious, I think my thoughts should have been that I would never survive that all.

Starting back from the now, all kinds of lifelines sprang up in my head. Nothing special of course because every person has such a set of lines. We hardly ever think about it.

To mention a few: The lines of health, education, friendships and peoples who inspired you in life changes, relationships, children, places you have lived, faith, work, career & career, fun & disappointments, creativity, talent fulfillment, money, animals in your life, encounters, opportunities, and so much more. The list and the total number of lines, for every person is the same. The courses of the individual lines are different. And that makes lives different, or life paths different.

Those lines, or life experiences, start at birth (or who knows maybe even before that, the Buddhists would say) and stop when you stop breathing (or who knows, they may be the beginning of a life cycle to start). An interesting theme but not for this blog.

Some lines are almost straight and rising. Others curvy, boisterous, sometimes falling. Every line in any case actually unpredictable. Also in the future. If, for example, there is a significant change in your health, this can cause serious effects on your life and lifestyle (as once happened with me).

Every line has a specific story. Fortunately for me personally so far almost all peppered with fun and pleasure.

It is literally incredible that with all those experiences of all those lines, now, here in Thailand, I live the life I live. Actually, a miracle. And again, I am not unique in that because it applies to everyone and has nothing to do with living in Thailand. Looking back, did you ever thought it would be like this?

And from that experience now I really believe, no even more trust (by the way nothing to do with religion although perhaps it has a spiritual touch), that there is a life path or a plan ready for you from the beginning. Step by step the plan becomes increasingly visible to you.

My sister was very sad despite the fact that her son had not been hired for a job that, she thought, was tailor made for him. He did not get it…

Sure, I can understand the feeling of disappointment at the moment you hear it is not him who got the job. On the other hand, you can see this "rejection" as a message that something else is waiting that will bring many more development and growth. By the way, for two parties, including that new employer that did not deserve him. It only needs time to discover this.

Many people strife for "security" in life. Well forget that because that does not exist or does it ...?

When I look back on all those individual lifelines in my life, I realize that there is another, main line in them. That line is my lifepath. And out of thinking and wanting I can put a lot of energy to try to influence that specific (personal) line but unfortunately ... I have to follow the plan.

This interim evaluation, as I see and call it, after that meditation, indicates that I can just trust that path and that it certainly all will be "OK". Don't worry too much if things don't work out the way you would like to (influence) them.

Just as far as possible, enjoy a good life and, above all, enjoy as much as possible and be optimistic. That’s a life attitude. Because you can be sure, at some time the end of all those lines definitely will become visible. Just a natural process.

Gangey Gruma (Frans Captijn)
email: captijninsight@gmail.com 

Foto blog: http://franscaptijnhisworld.blogspot.com

Captijn Insight. Catalyst in developing tranquility & in-sight to get in a sustainable way real connection, purpose, pleasure and flow in life, love, family, business, career and work again.