Follow your instinct

One year ago marked a big change in my life. And now that I think about it ten years ago was also a big change. Perhaps it would be cool to break down my life into decades and share with you what the main theme was

0-10 years - childhood

11-20 years - basketball

21-30 years - traveling

31-40 years - China dream

These four decades shaped me in who I have become today.

My older brother taught me how to play basketball on the street and at eleven I joined a club and soon became selected for the highest team of my age. That team had a great selection of players that allowed us to become national champion twice. Still crazy when I think about it when I was just a boy of 13 years old. I fell in love with the game, but most importantly I fell in love with social interactions. One thing my parents valued the most is to put us at a team sport. I am of a family of four so my older sister did volleybal, my younger sister handbal and my brother and I basketball. It was the best thing that ever happened to me because the people I played with along the years have become friends for life. We played at international tournaments, had hours of driving and talking in the car on the way to games, celebrated victories and fight through injuries, hang out together and grow up together. These friendships became even that strong that two of them were my best men at our wedding day. Two guys of both 2.04m and me their little friend in the middle. It all felt so right. Where did the time go.

A second AHA moment happened in my 20's. When one of my friends Luuk decided to backpack through Australia it created a new dream. What if I did that as well. By myself to a country I don't know anyone. The idea itself scared me a bit, but someone I could not get rid of the idea. In the years after I travelled a lot, but always together with one or more people. I backpacked by train through Europe, Rented a car and visited multiple countries, spent a month in Texas USA. But all of this was together with someone else. After finishing my bachelor degree the feel was still there. I still felt that I would regret it if I didn't make a trip by myself. So that is when I decided it was time. Time to book a 4 month trip to Australia and New Zealand with stopover in Hong Kong. I was scared and excited to make this happen. All by myself. Very soon after landing in Sydney I met several people traveling by themselves as well and we travelled together for 2 weeks or so. The. Met up with some others and formed a new group and so on and so on. It turned out I actually was never by myself and always surrounded by others. In my last two weeks in New Zealand I decided to stay by myself. Two weeks driving with just me and nature. Most of my nights I slept in the car all by myself.

The trip to Australia with a stopover in Hong Kong marked the beginning of my China dream. My third biggest life event. A dream that started the same way as the trip to Australia. You got a taste of something and somehow it stuck with you and you couldn't shake it off until you actually made it happen.

Most of my life changing decisions have been feeling based. Not logic, but instinct. Your heart not your head saying what is right. My stories are just results of letting my heart speak and listen to it.

No matter what people around you think I know that my heart will never lie. That is why I don't regret a single thing because I know that when I make a decision it felt right. And when it feels right beautiful thoughts become a reality.

So hopefully this will too inspire you to listen to your heart more. And follow your instinct.