The 2nd Half: Your guide to a more fulfilling career (and life).

Everything is possible. We can achieve anything we want. That dream life that seems impossible, that career we can not believe we could have. There is a way to get there where you end saying to yourself "I can't believe this is my life, this is what I am doing every day". I have a very practical approach on how to make it, without risk and with success. There is of course a number of things we need to do for it, but if we do, that thought, that idea, that dream, that intention is all attainable.

Are you at your best? On every aspect of your life, how are you showing up? To your work, to your relationships? If we are not showing up, every day, at everything we do at our best or at least trying to do so, then there is work to do and some changes might be needed. Showing up at our best some times might be not showing up at all to events, social engagements we don’t want to go to. It is not good for us but more importantly for the other. Working on an improved version of ourselves in a constant basis is not a selfish act, but rather an act or responsibility, accountability, respect and love to ourselves and those around us. For me that is taking time off, on my own, far away from my daily reality to do some personal work. My “going inward annual reset”. For you it might look completely different. Let’s give it a thought.

Dealing with difficult situations: a complaint, unexpected harsh feedback, being at the receiving end of negativity from someone else. What do we do? Very commonly, we freeze, we get blocked, we take it personal, we question ourselves, we doubt our skills, we react emotionally, we take it to our side of the court. And we jump into fixing mode. But is that really necessary? Is it our responsibility? Does it belong to us? How can we identify what is actually going on? And more importantly, what is the appropriate response before we make it our issue? A tool that helps? Something I call “The theatre technique”. Music Production by Jarl Hector at Clear Music Amsterdam Podcast Editing by Jorge Pastrana Artwork by Laszlito Kovacs

Documenting has proven to be the key to success to transition into doing something you truly love 100% of the time, even turning it into your living or as the way to naturally grow your own business. Without forcing or having to do anything difficult. We underestimate the power of showing what we do to the world even if we believe it is not important or valuable to anybody. If no one has a clue that you do that one thing nobody will think of you. But if you give them the thought, provoke the idea, show yourself in a different way you would be surprised what kind of avenues, opportunities, sources of income and new directions are "suddenly" generated. 

Imagine a piece of furniture standing outside for a long period of time, the dirt, the water, the environment gets on top of it and at a certain moment you can’t see what that wood was originally like. You can clean it, you can wash it, but the layers are too thick to be removed with simply some soap. So we might need to sand it, get a machine and peel all the layers, so we can come back to its original beauty. And that however we don’t do with our own bodies, carrying all the emotions since the moment we were born piling up, layer after layer, after layer… On the latest episode of The 2nd Half podcast I look at the body and how we can create some true self care, so that we can start removing and releasing stuck emotions in our in our bodies as a regular practice, as part of our regular ongoing work. Body care that is not necessarily going to the gym, kicking, boxing cycling, having a facial and a pedicure. This year my theme is the body and I have gone deeper into different practices. Here are some of the things I covered during this episode as part of my own journey of exploration: Breath - Wim Hof and Hollotropic breathwork Movement - Ecstatic dance, 5 rhythms Sound - Any kind of Sound Healing sessions Yoga - Yin, Kundalini Massage - Nurturing, healing massages  Books: Breath by James Nestor Training the Mind, Healing the Body by Deepak Chopra and David Simon Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker ------------------------  Music Production by Jarl Hector at Clear Music Amsterdam Podcast Editing by Jorge Pastrana Artwork by Lazslito Kovaks

If you get triggered there is work to do. Not easy to go inward when emotions are flying. If we get annoyed, disturbed, if we run into conflict, we have work to do, even though we might not be willing to accept it. That is our responsibility. Because the word says it already, it is our ability to respond. Therefore it is our call to decide how we will deal with whatever comes our way. We always have a choice and the possibility to be in the driver seat.

The beauty of having nothing to say. Zero opinion. If we really want to help, the most considerate gesture might actually be to keep our mouth shut. Is it really your concern? Is it really your business? Why are we busy with Meghan and Harry? Why do keep giving people advice they haven't asked us for? When we have conversations, are we really listening to understand or to respond? One of the hardest things to do, because it is much easier put the focus on others than to look at ourselves. Because then suddenly it becomes quiet and what do we do then?

How can we play the political game to our advantage? Before we bring all our emotions to the work floor, think of quitting or even worse collapse...how can be savvier, with open cards on the table, without having to stab anyone in the back and still get our way and progress in our career? On this episode I cover two tips on how to conduct ourselves in order for us to reach our goals. And the fact that there is no difference between life and work, personal and office. If in your private life you are not the negative person that only brings issues to your friendships and relationships, why are we doing that at work? Music Production by Jarl Hector at Clear Music Amsterdam Podcast Editing by Jorge Pastrana

A few days ago I had a long walk in nature and a wonderful conversation which proved to be extremely revealing with regards to my vocation and what I am meant to be doing. I was always a bit envious of those people who knew very early on that they were going to be a singer, or a dancer, or a designer... something that I never had (or I didn’t know I had). But I realised it was always there from the beginning. The more we can tap into that passion, if we can come closer to that which we were consumed with when we were little, the happier we will be and the more authentic our endeavors will be. It might not seem very apparent, but it is there, if we know where to look at. And...I have a specially composed music/tune for The 2nd Half Podcast! From this episode onwards. Music Production by Jarl Hector at Clear Music Amsterdam. Podcast Editing by Jorge Pastrana 

Career can be defined as a person's "course or progress through life”. If we look at it that way, then our whole life is a career. The 8 hours a day we spend at work is part of our lifework, of our progress through life. Not a separate thing. And when we step out of the conditioning and change course in our lives, we didn’t leave our career behind, it continues all along with us. If we look at our whole life as a career then we can gather a bigger sense of accountability and intentionality behind our actions. And we will then find everything we do interesting, with a sense of meaning, irrespective of the content of what we do.

The biggest lesson I received in my life happened at work: I didn’t find it in a book, it didn’t come from some guru nor I found myself somewhere in the Himalayas, where we usually believe self development takes place. The biggest awakening moment of my life took place in the office. We don’t see our jobs as a place for self growth whilst it is full of opportunities daily if we open our ears and welcome what is right in front of our very eyes, every single day, when we open our laptops.

Time to get into action if we want a different life, which doesn’t depend on the job we have today or the paycheck we receive monthly. Everything is possible, but are we ready to put in the effort? To take the time, to realize that it is a hell of a lot of work and that “just give me the pill” and overnight success doesn’t really exist. If we are willing and ready to put ourselves to it, there are 3 things that will help us to start taking charge and change things around: The 3 Ps.

Every year I choose one theme: more than 90% of what I watch, read, listen to and consume revolves around that one single theme. It is 12 months dedicated to go deep into a subject. By going vertical into one topic you get focused, you learn, you progress, you become knowledgeable and can almost master that topic. Instead of doing a bit of everything but nothing really strongly. It is about improving a whole load of aspects in your life, one by one, rather than feeling like there is so much more we would like to do but we don’t get around to do it and the frustration that comes with it. Here’s the recap of my 2020 and the theme I chose to focus on: money, growth, success.

If we want to make it big we have to make it very small. There is no one that wakes up one day so enlightened having figured out what their big purpose, what their calling in life is. It’s a whole process, it’s a journey. Only when it gets told in retrospect it sounds so grand that if we haven’t figured it out for ourselves we feel very small. And that is not necessary. We just have to look at it differently. Here’s how to break it in pieces so that we can come close to that calling, attain our goals and enjoy the process instead.

Share what you like doing, share what you’re good at, share your gifts. Daily. Do it for you, do it for others, as a matter of duty, as a matter of service. Here’s a little bit of a different take on the use of social media to increase our joy and happiness.

Here’s installment 3 regarding the use of our words and the power they have. Without having to follow very difficult techniques and frameworks: there are words that if we stop using them our lives will heavily change for the better. We will have less conflict and much more fulfillment. Number 1 is Should. Number 2 is Need. And here’s number 3: Why.

When is the time to make a shift? And how do we do that? How can we liberate ourselves from the pressure from family, friends? Leaving behind the conditioning we have been carrying for so long is not easy, but it is possible.

It’s not that I don’t care, I simply don’t have time for it. The amout of time we spend focusing on other people’s opinions, gossip and criticism is not helping us in anyway while affecting us greatly. But there is a way to not let it get to us.

The world reacts to us: our external experiences are a reflection of our internal state of mind and state of being. Do you want your world to be easy-going, positive, flowing, joyful helpful? Or difficult, negative confronting, frustrating and toxic? You choose, it is really up to us, pick a side.

We only have a limited amount of time and energy. When we are questioning ourselves what is the meaning and the sense of what we are doing? Trying to answer the big life questions at this moment with how much there is going on it is too complex. So let’s try to declutter a bit with one question that can help us get the necessary direction to make a good choice. Especially when we are addressing a new project, our next job, a new client or the work we are currently doing.