1. July 2018 • Katja Laurien
Nearly three months ago I launched myself into a new adventure. I took a temporary job for 6 months in a hotel in the Swiss alps. I had been dreaming of living in nature, so I immediately took this opportunity. After nearly 8 years of working for the same agency in Amsterdam, I was ready for a change. I had been warned beforehand that some of the colleagues were difficult, but don’t we we all have to deal with difficult people once in a while?
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3. June 2018 • Katja Laurien
“Think positive” is probably one of the best known slogans people associate with spirituality. This is what attracts people to spirituality (doesn’t it mean you’re happy all the time?) and at the same time makes people reject it. These people instinctively feel that “being happy all the time” simply is not feasible. So, how to interpret this slogan correctly?
Positivity as end result Negative feelings appear as we all know. If you read my last post, you would also know that I even consider it to be necessary.
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5. May 2018 • Katja Laurien
Unfortunately pain does not only hurt when it overcomes us, it also does when it overcomes over loved ones. Sometimes, we are even hurt by the pain of people we barely know or complete strangers. It’s good to feel empathy for others, but when other peoples pain turns into our own pain, we need to take some steps back. In this post I will describe how I deal with other peoples pain.
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1. April 2018 • Katja Laurien
Recently, a friend of mine asked me how I decide between two good options. First of all, I didn’t really know what to answer. But soon I realised I am constantly making these kind of decisions. I have loads of freedom: no work contract, no partner, no kids. So, what have I actually done the past years while deciding what do with my life?
Fear or passion? First of all, I make myself clear whether the options I have are both based on a passion or whether one of them might be based in fear.
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2. March 2018 • Katja Laurien
“You are pretty good looking, how come you are single?” Are you used to hearing these or similar remarks? It seems in our society the only legitimate reason to be single is either being ugly, having an obnoxious personality or complete devotion to God. Why should a good-looking, friendly, intelligent and fun person ever choose to be single? Isn’t being in a relationship everyone’s life goal?
The social shame of being single This is the idea I started to get after being single for four years between my last two ex partners.
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5. February 2018 • Katja Laurien
Being in the grip of jealousy is a terrible feeling. Everyone who has seriously experienced jealousy knows how paralyzing and irrational it can make you. Whether there is real cause for being jealous or it is just a suspicion, the feeling can completely captivate you and drain your energy. I am familiar with both situations. And I have learnt that whether my partner was just cheating on me in my head or cheating for real, in either case there was no need for me to feel bad.
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7. January 2018 • Katja Laurien
Do you sometimes wish you could have more control over your feelings and actions? Does your knowledge not match with your emotions and actions? Do you feel you are ruled by your subconscious? And you have no clue how to take control of this part? Chances are big your inner child is shouting out loud, trying to catch your attention.
I have found myself often in this situation, wondering what spiritual book to read or which meditation to do next to alleviate my suffering.
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3. December 2017 • Katja Laurien
Nowadays almost everyone is familiar with the term yoga in the Western world. But barely anyone knows what it really means. Most people are aware that it’s not just sports and that has deep spiritual value. But what is the link between the two exactly? Unfortunately, misconceptions about this ancient tradition can lead to wrong practices and even injuries. Therefore, it’s important to understand what yoga really is before practicing it.
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5. November 2017 • Katja Laurien
You’re in the middle of a heated discussion, your heart is pounding, your throat is constricted and you can feel the steam coming of your head. If you’re not familiar with this situation, no need to read any further.
To me this situation is maybe a bit too familiar. By nature, I am a very stubborn person with strong opinions and a hot temper. Ask anyone who knows me as a child and he will remember vividly my temper tantrums and loud shrieks.
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1. October 2017 • Katja Laurien
Today I want to share a short, but very important idea with you. Todays topic is my view on aging. Generally, this topic is approached in a rather negative way. Aging means losing your youthfulness which equals becoming ugly, fat, incapable, slow etc.
To a certain extent this might be true. Indeed, our bodies change and we feel we can’t do the things we used to do. But how often do we actually focus on the things we gained throughout the years, rather than focusing on the things we lost or are about to loose?
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