Do you still believe in the goodness of people?

Welcome to the first 2024 blog

In a time of disasters, wars and diametrically opposed opinions, it can be difficult to continue to believe in the goodness of people. Yet I would like to challenge you to look for the beautiful and good in people, especially now.

The Inherent Goodness Of People - Optimum Consulting

Focus on the positive

I admit, it is not always easy to continue to see the good in people. There are days when everyone is in a hurry and seems to have a short fuse.

When you then see in the news what people are doing to each other and to the Earth, your heart sinks.

At such a moment you can choose to become frustrated and bitter, but you can also focus on beautiful and positive things.

Even when humanity shows its ugliest side, there are people who spread love, hope and light. Heroes exist, you just can’t recognize them by a cape.

Naive or smart?

Some people think such a positive worldview is naive. Or they say you’re an ostrich with its head in the sand.

This is not right. There is a difference between fooling yourself and consciously choosing to focus on the good instead of the bad.

A positive outlook has many benefits:

You experience more happiness, love and pleasure in your life.
You feel connected to the people around you.
Optimistic people are often healthier and live longer.
It helps you achieve more in your life.
You inspire others to be happier and more positive too.

Keep faith in the future

People who have faith in the goodness of others have faith in the future . They dare to look ahead. These are the people who want to become the best version of themselves and thereby inspire others to do the same.

While fear, despair and doom-mongering actually cause paralysis. If you only see the bad in people, you are less likely to start a positive movement.

It is not without reason that dictators and extremist leaders like to spread fear and turn people against each other. That’s so oppressive.

The talent to help someone else

Do you doubt the goodness of people? Then consider that it has been scientifically proven that every person is born with a sense of justice and the talent to help others. You just have to develop that talent. Upbringing, culture and living conditions play a role in this.

It also matters how connected someone feels to the people around them. Ultimately, we are all connected. As family members, friends, colleagues, local residents, Dutch people and residents of this Earth.

How we behave, what we do and what we say affects the people around us. This quickly creates a domino effect. A smile or friendly gesture can make a big difference.

For example, I recently read a story of a woman who had just lost her father. When she dropped a container of yogurt from her hands at the supermarket checkout, she burst into tears.

Almost immediately there were people around her. One person put an arm around her shoulder, others helped with cleaning up, paying and packing the groceries. She never forgot this small gesture of compassion .

It shows that we are all essentially the same. Sooner or later we all face adversity, sadness and loss. When you have experienced for yourself how important humanity is at such a moment, you are more likely to do the same for someone else.

Look beyond the outside

You never know what someone is struggling with. A colleague who is unreasonably fierce may not have slept for weeks – because he is worried about a sick child, has money problems or is going through a divorce.

That doesn’t make him a bad person, it makes him human.

You have probably said something at a bad time that you didn’t mean – or that you later regretted.

Therefore, always look beyond the words someone says. See the person behind it. A person with fears, insecurities, doubts, pain, sadness, love and hope.

Instead of reacting angrily or irritated to that colleague, you can try to find out what is really going on.

This can be uncomfortable. You must be willing to go along with the other person for a while in the darkness. Don’t give unsolicited advice, but make room for uncomfortable emotions, listen and encourage.

By shining your light on the good in people, it also becomes visible to others. In this way you break the negative spiral and ensure more connection, understanding and progress in the world.

My 10 tips for a simple life

Remember: A simple life is not for sale

Do you also crave a simple life? By simplifying your life step by step, you can avoid a lot of stress and crowds. Nice and simple living and at the same time adding more meaning.

Simple LIFE doesn’t happen by itself

No stress, no hassle – and yet a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

Simple life – I’m a huge fan of it. In fact – simple living has been one of my main areas of development over the past year. Every month I take steps to make my life easier, and with each step I feel a little lighter, freer and happier.

Simple life sounds romantic and sometimes too good to be true . It is anything but self-evident in our society – where it seems impossible to live simply and peacefully. Because of the pressure to do everything at once, but also because of the endless stream of distractions.

But it is possible, and it is worth it.

A simple life does not come about by itself – you have to choose it consciously. If you don’t clean your house regularly, it will become a mess. And so it is with simple living. If you don’t consciously work on it, your life will automatically become complicated and probably overwhelming.

Below you will find 12 simple living tips that will help you make your life more fun, more valuable and easier.

10 simple LIFE [living] tips:

Experience less stress and more satisfaction by making your life easier step by step.

A simple life is not about living with as little as possible – that’s poverty. A simple life is about removing and adding meaning .
Wipe your figurative board clean, then decide what responsibilities you would put on it again . Often we make commitments and promises that we don’t want in our lives at all. By starting with a clean slate, you can consciously choose the things that suit you.
Free your life from distractions step by step . We often use distraction to “flee” from the overwhelming feeling that life can give us. When you live with fewer distractions, you feel calmer, your work becomes higher quality, and the world becomes simpler. So go, throw that phone into airplane mode and achieve something meaningful .
Realize that there is always more to do than you can do . Once you can accept this — and tolerate the feeling of inevitable chaos — you make everything easier.
You don’t have to do everything that sounds fun . The fuller you make your life, the less space is left for air, simplicity and . Cramming harder is not going to make your life easier, but fuller.
The most important things in life don’t happen automatically . In fact – the unimportant things always seem to happen first. If you want to achieve your goals, make your dreams come true and shape your ideal life , you have to consciously make time and space for this. The fewer unnecessary things you do, the easier it becomes to make time for the things that really matter.
It is difficult – and probably impossible – to simply ‘buy’ your life . Yes, investing in good products can help (a decent bike can help you live without a car, and a flat laptop can help you work anywhere in the world), but don’t stare at it. Try to detach yourself from the consumption cycle – it is among other things that cycle that makes your life so complicated.
The more stuff you buy – the more money you spend – the more you have to work to pay for it . If you can be happy and satisfied without these purchases, then you don’t have to work as hard . Or, you can use your leftover income to become freer and make your life easier. Don’t get sucked into other people’s drama . Yes, you can support people and be there for them. But remember that people benefit more when you are happy . No one benefits from more unhappy people.
Living with a healthy body is easier than being sick, unhealthy, exhausted and lifeless . It’s one of those areas of life that deserves the highest priority and rarely gets it. When you simplify your life, there is more room to work on your health. And when you increase your health, many other things become easier on their own. Moreover , healthy living is super simple .
More often feel satisfied with what you have – and not dissatisfied with what you don’t (yet) have . Enjoy the journey, don’t wait until you arrive at the destination to enjoy it. Because life is only the journey – that destination will never come. And your life already has a lot of beautiful aspects, and you can work to make it even more beautiful step by step. Do you find it difficult to be satisfied? Then write down every day what you are grateful for that day, and you will soon master it.

Simple living is not always easy. It does help you towards more satisfaction, more contentment, peace, happiness and quality of life. And it’s all well worth it. And you don’t have to do it all at once.

In fact, it is precisely taking small steps that makes simplification so much fun. So enjoy the process, and enjoy the progress you make. If there’s one thing that makes your life simple, it’s contentment.

Growth Mindset-Why Keep Growing is so Important

Growth is a process, not a destination, but it does lead you to a destination. Growth is like climbing up the ladder, one step at a time towards success.

Growth Mindset' Linked to Higher Test Scores, Student Well-Being in Global Study

Although you may never see the end of the road immediately, you can rest assured that you’re closer to where you’re going than where you’re coming from… If you keep moving!

We all desire to grow, and this natural instinct makes us constantly feel like pushing the boundaries.

Just be careful not to be too hard on yourself and don’t allow thoughts of the past or limitations to hold you back either.

You may have heard the saying that “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

It’s true in the real sense because growth is desirable, but the process is not always a bed of roses.

Sometimes you could wake up doubting your abilities or suffering from mental pains. But you have to keep telling yourself that they are stepping stones for your next phase of growth.

See, there’s No Victory Without A Fight!

You may find yourself fighting to overcome a bad habit, striving to learn a new skill, dealing with an addiction, and all sorts of experiences.

But, without the challenge’s life throws at us, how else do we want to improve our mental capacity and become better versions of ourselves?

The best part is that once you can conquer the level where you are, you immediately qualify for the next phase of growth, and you will have the courage to help others up as well.

If you’ve ever admired a successful professional, behind their expertise were moments of self-doubt, mistakes, years of sweat and training… and maybe some tears too.

Boom! Once they grew past that stage, they became wiser, more knowledgeable, and most have gone ahead to leave their footprints in the sand of time.

The Great Martin Luther King said:

“if you can’t fly, then run; If you can’t run, then walk; If you can’t walk, then crawl; But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward!”

We expect children to grow into adults, flowers to blossom, students in school to graduate eventually, we expect to advance in our careers. Growth is part of our existence.

So, let nothing hold you back, not even the failures or mistakes of the past.

Don’t just grow physically; grow mentally as well, and watch your life progress in an upward trajectory!

The Importance of Having a Growth Mindset Within Professional Development - Graduate Programs for Educators

Five blessings from a BURNOUT

Burnout seems to turn your life upside down in one go. But it is the other way around. Burn-out means that you have finally landed with both feet on the ground … It is not a curse, but a blessing. No blockage, but an opportunity.

Burnout is not a disease or weakness, but a sign of powerful self-healing capacity.

HERE THE FIVE BLESSINGS:

Blessing 1: Burn-out extends your life
Burn-out is a reminder that you have an expiration date. Anyone who is exposed to enormous stress every day will get a stomach ulcer, heart attack, or cancer … And in the end you will die from long-term stress, directly or indirectly, simply. A burnout prevents it from happening. You simply can no longer continue as before. You can therefore greatly thank your body. It does not let you down, but prevents you prematurely dying. Burn-out is a brilliant example of self-healing capacity.

Blessing 2: Burnout brings passion
Various studies indicate that people on their deathbed mainly regret what they have not done. Of always postponing it. As if life is endless. A burnout tells you that NOW is the perfect time to not postpone anything for you. Take care of yourself. Live with attention. Follow your heart, passion and dreams. Spend more time with the people you love. Because not a single day returns. And, as the Little Orchestra once sang: started long ago …

Blessing 3: Burnout erases your old hard drive
If you get burned out, it is as if your internal hard drive has been erased. You become an empty head. Focusing on something is impossible. Even something as simple as making coffee can suddenly be a huge task. It seems like you’ve lost your mind. Don’t make the mistake of looking for it. After all, you cannot solve a problem with thought patterns that are the cause of it. Life only becomes truly worthwhile if you take this opportunity to change your mindset and thereby your actions.

Blessing 4: Burnout gives wings
Burnout is often mistakenly seen as a sign of weakness. While life is challenging you at that moment to experience your own strength. It is a transformation. You are no longer happy with the life you led. It is a too tight jacket that tears because you have grown too large. Like a cocoon bursts when a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. And this person can fly into her freedom. Burnout is
your moment to spread your wings. It is not an end, but a fresh start. A chance to finally choose what you are meant for.

Blessing 5: Burn-out makes you better at work
Burn-out makes you a better and extremely reliable employee, colleague or manager. Because it learns to focus on what’s good for you. And from there you can also be better for others. You make better choices, discover where your strengths lie and what your limits are. In addition, from now on you will signal it when others enter the burn-out danger zone. And with that know-how, you can greatly help your colleagues and employer.

ACHIEVE GOALS

♦ Set Goals
First list down all the goals that you want to accomplish. If you are not sure what you want in life, you are just bound to receive the unexpected. Nevertheless, bear in mind that goals should always be sensible and should be accomplishable. Setting unrealistic goals are of no use. Write the most important goals at the top of the list and number them accordingly. This will help you to focus more precisely. You can strike off each goal once it is accomplished. Writing down your goals will also help you to realize your priorities.

♦ Develop Strategies To Achieve Goals
Once you have listed your goals, you need to evaluate and develop strategies to complete your goals. For example, if your goal is to shed some extra pounds, your broad strategy should be dieting and exercises. Nothing can be achieved straightforwardly in life. So, you need a particular strategy and dedication to pull off your goals.

♦ Have Definite Action Plans
Once your broad line of attack is determined, work on your definite action plans. For instance, if dieting and exercising are your broad strategies to your weight loss goal, then your action plan should consist of a healthy diet chart; a healthy way of life, and an appropriate workout routine.

♦ Believe In Yourself
If you want to accomplish your goals and become successful in life, you have to believe in yourself. All successful men and women today are doing well because they believed in themselves and were confident about their capabilities. If you believe in yourself, then you can accomplish the goals you have set for yourself.

♦ Review Your Progress
Make sure you are making progress. Review your progress every week to analyze how far you have reached in accomplishing your goals. If you find you are lagging behind, hire a coach, look for help from family and friends, and above all, try to recognize why your goal is not being met. Find a solution to accomplish your goal.

♦ Be Self Motivated
Self motivation is a must to achieve goals and success in life. Motivational books and CDs are great ways to keep you motivated and will help you to stay focused towards your goals. The more self motivated you are, the easier it is to work towards your objectives.