Peek in my Week #30
30 weeks. Thirty! Nice, right? Showing up every single week. Even when I don’t feel like it. Even when my inner saboteur says: “Who’s waiting for this anyway?”
Well. I am 😂. And hopefully you too.
5-4-3-2-1 → ACTION! 🎬 Let’s GO!
5 – CONVERSATION WITH ROBIN PEEK
This week I had an open and vulnerable conversation with Robin Peek. He’s a LinkedIn expert and soon to be the man behind the podcast Never Game Over.
His story moved me. Thank you for sharing so openly, Robin.
For years he hid his depression. Out of shame. Out of fear. Until he decided: I will no longer carry this as a burden.
On his website he wrote:
“I am not depression. I have depression.”
And that distinction is everything.
We are not our struggles. We are not our shadow. We are not our mistakes. But we can show them. Because that’s exactly where we find each other.
We’re both creating our podcasts at Red-Shift. Grateful for Sander Veldman and Stijn Vermaat for bringing together such a beautiful group of people to share their experiences.
4 – HERMIT MODE
Brian Johnson – founder of Heroic and author of Areté – regularly talks about wrapping himself in bubble wrap and going into “hermit mode”: withdrawing to create. Brian is still being coached by Phil Stutz. Both are my biggest heroes and role models.
That was a big part of my week. My son was with his dad. I barely left the house. Sweatpants and bathrobe on (bubble wrap isn’t that comfortable) and off we go.
And… my newest training is really taking shape: The State Shift Method. For every issue, every obstacle, every struggle, I developed a state shift. A tool to immediately shift your inner state. So you can take action again. Feel confident again. Move forward again.
When I look at what I’m creating now, I wish I’d had this ten years ago. And now I’m freaking making it myself. Freaking awesome!! It makes me so happy! And soon I hope to help many people with it. 🙏
Grateful for all my experience thanks to my clients and inspiration from my shadow.
More coming soon. You can already sign up for the interest list. 👀
3 – STATE SHIFT WORKSHOP
Friday I gave the State Shift Workshop at Wonders of Work in Utrecht.
About shadow work. The deepest, darkest parts of yourself. Not to fix, but to meet. Because that’s where your power is.
Vulnerability is strength – that’s not just an empty phrase from Brené Brown. It’s about finding each other exactly where we dare to be real, honest and open.
We had a great afternoon. People from Heroic, people from the Wonders of Work circle. Time flew by. I could have spent the whole day there.
Now I’m in talks with Wonders of Work to do this once a quarter. For people who want to make the most of their lives AND are willing to go all-in on themselves.
More soon…
2 – COLD WATER
I couldn’t make it to our dipping spot this week. But skip cold water and throw 3 months of training overboard? Not happening.
So: cold showers (ugh! But you get used to it). Every day. And for the first time with my head under.
Breathing into my belly. Stoking the inner fire – like Frank van Bergen taught me when dipping.
And after? Feeling freaking fabulous. Better than coffee. Awake. Alive. Bring it on: day!
I do this to break through my resistance. Every single time.
Life force on tap. Let’s go!
1 – STATE SHIFT STEP: BRIGHT LINES UPDATE
You might remember: last week I committed to a year without shopping and snacking (with a few exceptions).
How’s it going?
Well, um… let me start with:
The ring incident:
Before the workshop on Friday I had a photoshoot. Borrowed clothes from LEEF in Meppel (highly recommend by the way, really cool clothes and accessories). Including a ring. Beautiful. Gorgeous green mother-of-pearl stone. I was instantly in love with it.
But yeah. I wasn’t supposed to buy anything.
My inner saboteur immediately came up with excuses: “Accessories don’t take up space. That doesn’t really count.”
Eventually I put it on my birthday wish list. Problem solved, right?
During this shoot I took it off – didn’t match the pink suit. Put it in my pocket.
End of the day, you guessed it: ring gone from pocket. Searched everything. Nowhere to be found. Turned everything upside down. Wonders of Work searched high and low: NOTHING.
The universe was clear: stick to your commitment (at least, that’s how I read it). Lesson learned. Back on track.
And then there was…
The cheesecake issue:
My ex-boyfriend’s grandmother passed away on Sunday. Condolence visit with the family. I hadn’t eaten much. And then my ex-sister-in-law walked in with cheesecake. One of my favorites.
My inner saboteur went wild again: “It’s basically just cream cheese with cherries and a bit of crust. That doesn’t really count.”
Sigh… Don’t do it, but… I kept postponing. And postponing. And postponing. And eventually didn’t do it. But it wasn’t easy.
I’m really happy about that in hindsight. Not because I’m so perfect (far from it, that should be clear by now). But because I went through the resistance anyway.
Bright lines aren’t easy. The first period is just hard. But they are clear. And clarity brings freedom.
THE COMMON THREAD
Showing yourself. Including the parts you’d rather hide.
Robin shows his depression. I show my excuses. In the workshop people showed their shadow.
And that’s where connection happens.
Not in perfection. In authenticity.
James Clear wrote it so beautifully:
“Good habits stockpile ease. Bad habits postpone pain.”
Bright lines. Cold water. Through the resistance. It stacks up. It gets easier. The practice solidifies.
FOR YOU
What part of yourself are you still hiding?
What excuses and bullshit stories is your inner saboteur trying to sell you this week – the ones where you know the price is too high? Try postponing it. Not now, not this hour, not today…
And where can you choose authenticity over perfection today?
Big thanks for reading.
May the life force be with you,
💖✨ Syl
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👉 PODCAST ONTSLAAFD (UNADDICTED) – GUESTS WANTED! 🎙️
Do you know someone who openly talks about letting go of addictions? Not just alcohol or drugs, but especially the addictions we don’t call addictions: external validation, achievement addiction, perfectionism, distraction…
