Another day. Another year.

Time. Where have you been, lately? You really fly when I wear nothing but smiles. But it's you also going in slow motion when dark days appear. Time, did I get the most out of you? And most important, did I spend you wisely enough? 

Dear 2013, you have been ridiculously amazing. It never ceases to amaze me how three hundred and sixty-five days pass by so fast. So many words have been spoken, lessons have been learned, things have been taught and many people were met. Opportunities. Love. Smiles. As well as, goodbyes. Failures. Pain. All these things brought me closer to something. Something so good, tasteful and powerful. It all brought me closer to the person that I am right now and would love to become. An immense desire to do more, get more and be more. More than I am today, will I be tomorrow. I have become part of the bigger picture and I can feel its connection. I can't wait to inspire more.

First a little story:
"My 6yr old cousin came home with her drawing. A picture of this huge furry and fluffy animal, which she collored orange between the lines. I loved the drawing, yet she didn't. There was this tiny orange outlier right outside the line of the animal's left ear, she told me. Therefore the drawing wasn't good, at all. Zooming in, I did see an orange outlier, but seeing the bigger picture, I still loved the drawing and I could see the effort she'd put in."

The biggest lesson 2013 taught me, is to see the bigger picture. Seeing the bigger picture gives us a chance to see the connection and can also make things more bearable. Of course, we love to be perfect in many ways [which of course, is so unreal as it gets] and be critical about ourselves (and others!) as much as we can so that we can improve everything too. But sometimes, zooming in too often will kill it. It drains energy and it gets overdone. 

There's nothing in this world that has only to do with you. Everything is connected, in every single way. There's no need to take anything personal, just because [fill in your reasons here]. Every single soul on earth is living his/her own dream and seeing his/her own reality. Don't be offended when someone acts in a way that does not suit your reality. Or don't get too mad when someone speaks words you did not expect right away. This is it. Look at the bigger picture and try to understand that everyone is different. Inside out. Try to understand where the other person is coming from and it will save you energy. You will get less annoyed and you will be more at peace. It brings so much harmony.

Reflect. Accept. Embrace and Evolve.

Another day. Another year. Feel free to change.

Dear 2014, you are right around the corner. I welcome you.

Happy holidays

Wishing you and your beloved ones happy holidays.

May you enjoy eachother's company and may you all be celebrating this beautiful journey.

May you be thankful for these days. 

The opportunity if you can share these moments, together.

May you think of those who have less and those who are in pain during these days.

May you taste your foods and drinks with such a grateful heart.

Be thankful.

Namasté, SRP

Word du Jour: Love

The Free Soul

"The free soul is rare, but you know it when you see it - basically because you feel good, very good, when you are near or with them." - Charles Bukowski

Word du Jour: Haast

"Haast? Daar heb ik helemaal geen tijd voor!" - Sarai Pannekoek

Blijf in het moment en accepteer het. 
Liefde.

Don Miguel Ruiz

Don Miguel Ruiz is one of my favorite authors. He wrote The Four Agreements and another book, The Fifth Agreement. 

Five agreements that can deffinitely lead to personal freedom, full of self-love, integrity and peace. The Five Agreements are:

1. Be impeccable with your word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

Think about the message and the words you use. Does this add truth and love to the conversation?

2. Don't take anything personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering. 

It's so easy to take many things personally - which may lead to sad situations. Remember that everyone lives their own reality. You do, and I do too. And if in fact you are hurt by others opinions, there's always a way to communicate about it. Please, don't take anything personally.

3. Don't make assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life. 

Life is more beautiful when there's no room for assumptions. Communication is the key. Do not assume, for you can not look through the other person's mind. Ask questions and communicate when you want to clear things out. 

4. Always do your best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment: it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret. 

Give your best under any circumstance. Get the most out of it, with your own capability, every single moment. When you do your best always, there's no room for regret.

5. Be skeptical but learn to listen
Be skeptical, but learn to listen. Don't believe yourself or anybody else. Use the power of doubt to question everything you hear: Is it really the truth? Listen to the intent behind the words, and you will understand the real message.

Learn to listen, don't ignore your feelings and use your heart too. 

Vulnerability

"The best people possess a feeling for beauty, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, the capacity for sacrifice. Ironically, their virtues make them vulnerable; they are often wounded, sometimes destroyed." - Ernest Hemingway

And, 
Brene Brown and the power of Vulnerability.
Love it.

Word du Jour: Freedom

1986 - 2013

"Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many." - Unknown

As it's my birthday today, I've been overwhelmed by gratitude and happiness.
Oh, Life, you simply are amazing. 
I feel,
Blessed, for the soul that I am, the body that I have and the life that I am living. The opportunities I get, the chances I take and the positive I see.
And also.
Thankful, for the loving family and friends that I have - you all ROCK my world.

Liefde.

Celebrating LIFE @ Sarai Pannekoek Sportvoedingsadvies

The Invitation

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.
It doesn’t interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love for your dream for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life’s betrayals or have become shrivelled and closed from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own
without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it.
I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you  to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true.
I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty even when it is not pretty every day.
And if you can source your own life from its presence.
I want to know if you can live with failure yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me who you know or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand in the centre of the fire with me and not shrink back.
It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied.
I want to know  what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone  with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

- Oriah, Mountain Dreaming

From the book The Invitation

 

FF your heart

Hashtag-FF (#FF) is twitter-slang for Follow Friday and it's what tweeple use in their 140-character-messages to let their tweethearts know who to follow, on a Friday.

Well, today it's Monday and since #FM does not exist in Twitterland, I'll just keep the #FF.

#FF your heart.

Probably the easiest thing to say, yet a pretty tough thing to do. It does take courage to take time and listen, and to follow your heart. Especially when making important decisions. The conscious mind keeps on analyzing, while the unconscious tries to tell you otherwise. Thoughts and emotions are running through your head and can keep you up late at night too.

First, make peace with your emotions. Try not to define everything all at once. Take your time and tust your heart - it knows and it will guide you. Sometimes your heart is quite when you look for the answers. When the time is right, your heart will speak its answers. 

[Note to self] FF your heart. Also on other days.
 

 

Word du Jour: Appreciate

"There is neither happiness nor misery in the world; there is only the comparison of one state with another, nothing more. He who has felt the deepest grief is best able to experience supreme happiness. We must have felt what it is to die, that we may appreciate the enjoyments of life." ― Alexandre Dumas

Cadaques, Spain

Be a goal digger

That redic moment when you figure out that you passed B-I-O-S-T-A-T-I-S-T-I-C-S. 

Run all regressions!

He was beautiful

"He was beautiful, but not like those guys on tv. He was beautiful, for the way he thought. He was beautiful, for that sparkle in his eyes when he talked about something he loved. He was beautiful, for his ability to make other people smile even when he was sad.

No, he wasn't beautiful for something as temporary as his looks. He was beautiful, deep down his soul." - Unknown

Word du Jour: Positivity

A big part of happiness is deciding to be mindful. Like when you decide to notice white cars on the road and realize they are simply everywhere.

Good things are like that.

Being successful

So yesterday I was asked if I will become very successful in life. I got immediately confused, because what does being successful mean and how is it defined?

suc·cess·ful  

adj.

1. Having a favorable outcome:

2. Having obtained something desired or intended:

3. Having achieved wealth or eminence:

 

"A successful life is one that is lived through understanding and pursuing one's own path, not chasing after the dreams of others." - Ching-Ning Chu

As the blessed and grateful soul that I am, I must say that I actually already feel very successful in life. Not nessessarily money or careerwise - I don't own a house or a car, nor for example did I finish my masterstudy yet.
 

I think that if you live your life and your dream to its fullest potential. And if you are able to love unconditionally, accept but also appreciate all that comes to you. And that if you are your authentic self, and thus you help and inspire others... that is, in my opinion, when you are truly successful in life.

Because, you can own all the money, titles and fame in the world, but if you don't give back, you will always miss a piece to complete your successful puzzle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Word du Jour: Light

"No one lights a lamp in order to hide it behind the door.

The purpose of light is to create more light,

to open people's eyes,

to reveal the marvels around."

- Paulo Coelho

Word du Jour: Understand

 "The more clearly you understand yourself and your emotions,
the more you become a lover of what is." - Spinoza

Word du Jour: Delete

I still dream about you.

Dreamers can never be tamed

"Dreamers can not be tamed. Dreamers can not be ruled."

 

Wonderful words by my favorite novelist Paulo Coelho. When I turned 24 yrs old, this was the first sentence I wrote on my mood board.

 

We know times change constantly, because life isn't solid - but fluid. When we flow in life, it takes us to places we never expected to see. 

 

As Doe Zantamata says: "Taking time to do nothing often brings everything into perspective." I feel like flowing awake while dreaming endlessly. The desire to persue my Legend has become so powerful. I listen to my heart and important decisions follow. I don't quit, I just need to put some things on hold so that I can get my full potential. Because dreamers can not be tamed. They use their power and strength that was given when following their Legend. Their beauty comes from having their own style, living their own way and knowing their own mind. They believe in their Legend, feel their Legend and are up for every possibility and probability along its way.

 

"Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure." - Paulo Coelho

 

Here I am - ready for what is next. All smiles, Life is so beautiful!

 

 

Word du Jour: Capability

"You, at this very moment, can not be more than you are, right now." - SRP

 

Trust your flow. Do not compare. Just be you.

Courageous Dreaming

Last year I received a very special gift from my great friend AJ: Courageous Dreaming by Alberto Villoldo. I read this book last year during my stay in America and recently I started reading it over again. It amazes me how much can happen in just one year. Not only physically and in real life, but also mentally. 

I must say, this gem does make more sense at this moment in time than it did last year.

I would love to start with these wise words by Alberto Villoldo:
"Courageous dreaming allows you to create from the source, the quantum soup of the universe where everything exists in a latent or potential state. [...] When you dream courageously, the effects aren't always immediately visible in the physical world. The most dramatic changes will occur inside of you, quietly. [...] You draw upon the courage of the soul when you choose to look at things differently and create a different type of life for yourself. When you do that, the circumstances of your immediate environment will begin to transform."

Sigh. Now I understand. Courageous dreaming is more than taking the courage to actually do what you love to do most. It is so much more than the ambition, the energy and the continuous drive by passion to become a better person or being.

The past few years I have been working on my being in this world and the definition of my reality. I have shifted my perception to a higher level of counsciousness and the way I interpret it. It's like I've been creating a different level of awareness - within and around my self. 

I dreamt my world into being by taking the facts and writing a new story with them. I scripted a different experience of my reality. I embraced the anger, fear and pain inside me and stopped blaming others for experiencing these feelings. All is in me. Now I perceive situations without judging good or bad, but accepting that these situations simply are. I also learned to cut the BS so I can nourish my soul. 

By dreaming my world into a new being or courageous dreaming, it's like my passion has grown more and my days have been lived more intense than ever before. It's like I developed a new habit of dreaming courageously by choosing to create a new and better reality. Right now.

As Alberto said: "It takes courage to taste infinity."

Live your dream courageous.

Namasté.

Saraï

Middelburg, August 2013

Word du Jour: Think

"The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking." — Albert Einstein

Your house

Obviously there's a difference between a shack and a mansion. Not only in appearance, but probably also in the convenience that comes along. Either way, people can live in it. And in order to do so, it's an obligation to take care of it.

Of course, one must take care of the outside. The roof must be rainproof and the walls build strong to protect against any storm. The windows must be washed  and clear so that sun rays can come though and little paint may light up too.

Beautiful.  

Yet how lovely the outside of a house may look, taking good care of the inside is a must too. Making sure there's water running through the pipes and some extra heat during cold days would be great. In order to create some coziness, one may decorate it with candles, picture frames and some good-smelling flowers, too.

But pure happiness in a house, comes from an extraordinary aspect called Love. This luxury facet defines the house completely. A shack or a mansion, it's appearance doesn't matter anymore.

In my private practise I see so many wonderful people taking good care of the outside of their own house - their body. They make sure they dress nice, add some extra decoration (read: jewelry and other accessoires) and look great with some extra glam. Often, they take good care of the inside too by eating well, exercise and make healthy choices in their lifestyle. Yet, many of them are still so unsatisfied and still wish they could live in another house (often a rigorous update of the 'house' they're currently living in).

Here it is.

In real life you can  change, upgrade your house or even buy a new one. Still, a mansion may look stunning on the outside compaired to a shack, but without Love, it's still a cold place to live in it.

Here is to all of you who want a "new house". There's no way you would be satisfied with a new house without Love. You could add lots of new details to your new house first, but without Love, it will still be so cold inside eventually. So, love your house first. Love it deeply. Appreciate what you have and appreciate it deeply. Every little detail of it. Take good care of it and nourish it. A shack or a mansion, it doesn't matter anymore. The only thing that matters is the inside, and the outside will come along with it.

Happy Monday and lots of smiles!

Love,
Saraï

Word du Jour: Awaken



Life is what you make it

It's not solid, it's fluid.

It changes.

Love, Saraï



 

"As soon as you awaken to the power you have, you begin to flex the muscles of your courage. Then you can dream bravely: letting go of your limiting beliefs and pushing past your fears. You can start to come up with a truly original dream that germinates in your soul and bears fruit in your life." - Alberto Villoldo

 

Always learning

In January I lost my fight at the Europeans which (deffinitely unexpected) caused me so much pain and disappointment I just had never felt before. I have lost many BJJ fights in my life, but never cared too much about winning or loosing - just having fun and learning.

Today, I feel exactly the same as back in January. I just found out that I did not pass my biostatistics exam. For the first time ever, I am pretty upset about not passing an exam.

The disappointment I felt in January and the tears that came along became a turning point in my Brazilian jiu-jitsu journey. It was my fuel to train harder (and above smarter). While gratefully remembering this turning point, I put this grade F into extra motivation to focus, since my desire to become a great clinical epidemiologist and getting my masters degree in EBP is humongous.

So again, we're always learning. The disappointments we face in life may vary person to person, yet we can always use it as fuel to grow. Growing to become a better or more complete person than we were yesterday.
 
As Melody Beattie said: "Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend."

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life and I am very thankful for these moments.

Namasté.

Saraï

Word du Jour: Wondering

I'd like to start with this beautiful quote by William Blake:

"To see a World in a grain of sand,

and a Heaven in a wild flower.

Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand,

and Eternity in an hour."
 

 

 

Dear ant,

While wondering about all these amazing tiny creatures in life, you took off in a snap.

You might have hidden in the papers or maybe you're already running around in the dirt.

I just. Well.

I hope you love your life just as much as I love mine.

Good luck travelling around and thanks for making me wondering.

 

Saraï

You just be you

Often I hear people complaining or getting all annoyed by other people's behavior. The 'i think he/she thinks' pass by and lots of other assumptions are made in these situations too.

Here's what I tell these wonderful people: you just be you, and let them just be them.

As mentioned before, the only thing you can control is you - and only you. Accept that you don't want neither can control people - other than yourself. Especially the you-dont-want-part, because you just don't. Let them be them, by accepting them the way they are.

Of course, this does not mean that you have to accept everything about the way they behave. But that's why we communicate. Communicate about your feelings and your thoughts. Communicate by opening up. Let them know how you feel and what you think. This way, no need for assumptions too!

Ohhh. So much easier and so much more time and space for living Here and Now. Smile.

Now. You just be you, while I'm just being me.

Namasté.

Sarai

Namasté

 

"I honor the place in you in which the entire universe dwells.

I honor the place in you which is of love, of truth, of light, and of peace.

When you are in that place in you and I am in that place in me,
 

we are one."

 

Word du Jour: Smile

 

"A smile is the lighting system of the face, the cooling system of the head and the heating system of the heart." - Unknown

 

I think I wear nothing more than a smile today!

 

:-) Saraï

 

Word du Jour: Understand

"All, everything that I understand, I understand only because of love."

- Leo Tolstoy



Picture by howtheymadeus.tumblr.com

Word du Jour: Alive

 

"Aliveness is energy. It's the juice, the vitality, and the passion that wakes up our cells every morning. It's what makes us want to dance. It's the energy that moves a relationship from the status quo to something grander and much more expansive, something that makes our hearts beat faster, our minds, and our eyes open wider than ever before. Everything is of interest to a person who is truly alive, whether it's a challenge, a loving moment, a bucket of grief, or a glimpse of beauty." - Daphne Rose Kingma

 

 

 

The soul

We are all souls. Living in bodies that were once given to us. Bodies that define the time being on earth. Also called: our age. Yet this so called age, does not tell us anything about our soul's age. The time in which the soul has lived and is living now.

Once one is aware of being a soul - and not just having one - , it starts to see other souls, instead of bodies. The soul is pure, strong and I believe more powerful than the body.

Eventually, the soul will speak and guide you through your (as Paulo Coelho calls it) Personal Legend . Even when times aren't so sunny and cozy, your soul knows The Way. It's in times as these that you (can) learn to trust your soul. You just have to allow and recognize it. As Caroline Myss once said: "The soul always knows what to do to heal itself. The challenge is to silence the mind". 

What can I say. Be blessed with the body that you have, but be more blessed with your soul.

We are all beautiful souls, living in this extraordinary world.

Trust your universe.
Be your universe.

- Saraï
This blog was written to three beautiful souls. Blessed to have you around.

Word du Jour: Advice

Wise words by Kurt Vonnegut - which actually was not written by Kurt at all. Still a master piece.

Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '97:

Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's. Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.
 
Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard.

Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth. 
            
But trust me on the sunscreen.

Word du Jour: Process

"Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. It is far better take things as they come along with patience and equanimity." - Carl Jung
 

Word du Jour: Complete

"Everything you need you already have. You are complete right now, you are a whole, total person, not an apprentice person on the way to someplace else. Your completeness must be understood by you and experienced in your thoughts as your own personal reality." - Wayne Dyer

T.G.I.A.

As Jack Kerouac said:

"Be in love with your life. Every detail of it."

 

 

Yali Sharon: "When you live unbound everyday is amazing.

Read this interview to really understand what LiveUnbound is all about."

Live Unbound, click here

 

 



BJJ: The arm bar

 

Pictures made by Philipp Schmidt @ Holland Gi Challenge 2013

Word du Jour: See

"My eyes are my favorite part of me. Not for how they look, but for how they see."
- Chris Sebastian

Word du Jour: Time

“Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.” - H. Jackson Brown Jr.