'Je moet lomp durven zijn'

"Ze ziet er vrouwelijk uit, zachtaardig en is bovendien heel vriendelijk en bescheiden. Desondanks kan Saraï Pannekoek (25, vierdejaars Voeding en Diëtetiek) iemands arm breken of hem wurgen. ‘Je moet bij vechtsporten durven uitdelen. En durven incasseren. Toch is Braziliaans Jiu Jitsu vooral een leuk, technisch spelletje op de mat. Het is net als bij schaken een kwestie van strategie, tactiek en techniek."

Klik HIER voor de BRASA-link en HIER voor de centerfold.




Gratitude

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough - and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow."  - Melody Beattie

Remember. Nothing happens by accident, everything happens for a reason. And, when you least expect it, the universe gives you something more to be grateful for!

My life is always really blessed and I am very grateful for it. While being grateful, I start to actively look for the lesson and the benefit that each situation is bringing to me. With grateful eyes, I learn to see blessings - where others only see a problem. With a grateful heart, I smile, and count my blessings. Every day.

This is for all the amazing people I have in my life at the moment. Thank you for all the inspiring conversations and the support these past few weeks. Everything happens for a reason, gems. Thanks heaps for being around.

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."
- W.A. Ward

Today, I feel utterly blessed for all that I am.

Obrigado universo!

S.R.P.

Letting go...

I'd like to begin with the words of my favorite novelist, Paulo Coelho. I don't think anyone could say it more clearly than him.

"When someone leaves, it's because someone else is about to arrive."

To let go isn't to forget, not to think about, or ignore. It doesn't leave feelings of anger, jealousy, or regret. Letting go isn't about winning or losing. It's not about pride and it's not about how you appear. To let go does not mean to stop caring, it means I can't do it for someone else. To let go is not to cut myself off, it's the realization that I can't control another. It's not to enable, but to allow learning from natural consequences. To let go it not to try to change or blame another, it's to make the most of myself. It's not to care for, but to care about. Not to fix, but to be supportive. To let go is not to judge, but to allow another to be an human being. To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes, but to allow others to affect their own destinies. It's not to criticize, or regulate anyone, but to try to become what I dream I can do.  Letting go isn't blocking memories or thinking sad thoughts, and it doesn't leave emptiness, hurt, or sadness. It's not about giving in or giving up. Letting go isn't about loss and it's not about defeat. To let go is to fear less, and to love more...

To let go is to cherish the memories, to overcome and move on. It's having an open mind and confidence in the future. Letting go is learning, experiencing, and growing. To let go is to be thankful for the experiences that made you laugh, made you cry, and made you grow. Letting go is having the courage to accept change, and the strength to keep moving. To let go is to open a door, and to clear a path and set yourself free. Letting go is growing up. It is realizing that the heart can sometimes be the most potent remedy.

So, today is a new day. Let us celebrate life today.

Smile.

S.R.P

Work on your dreams

When we start working on our dreams, we always feel afraid. We wonder if there are rules to follow. Sometimes these rules help us avoid the mistakes others have made before our time, but more often than not, a rule will only make us repeat what someone else has already done.

The wise know some actions repeat themselves. They regularly encounter the same problemes and situations they have dealt with before. Knowing that makes them sad. They start to think they will never be able to grow, since whatever they experienced before is happening again.

"I've already been through this..." they complain to their hearts.

"That may be true," their hearts reply, "but you haven't mastered it yet."

The wise understand that repetition has a cause: to teach the lesson that still needs teaching. Repetitive situations require different solutions every time. The one who fails must not see this as a mistake, but rather as a step toward great self knowledge.

It's like Thomas Watson said; "Would you like me to give you a formule for succes? It's quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure."

Rest assured. Trust the universe, and look forward to surprising yourself.

S.R.P.