“The more pain we are willing to acknowledge and feel, the more the desire grows to change from within”
© 2026: Martin Thoolen
As of today, I am also part of the platform for aspiring and new entrepreneurs. After all, how do you—as a new entrepreneur—make choices that align with who you are and stand the test of time? Check it out here:
Vacation, at last! More peace, enjoyment and relaxation and an empty head, things that you don’t get around to at home. But is that really what you find? Because you take yourself with you on vacation and you may be confronted with yourself on vacation. And how can your vacation provide even more inspiration?
And how can your vacation provide even more inspiration?
You’re excited when you go on a trip, but immediately your inner peace is disturbed. Like when you end up in long traffic jams, take a wrong turn or your baggage doesn't show up at the airport. Or a filling station owner short-changes you 50 euros because he says you gave him 50 and not 100 euros, as I experienced myself.
Arriving at your vacation spot, you may sit and daydream on the beach when suddenly people next to you turn on loud music. Or you spend time waiting for a bus that never comes. You may wake up eearlier to a loud church bell in the morning, or hear the beautiful morning incantation coming from a mosque. Or maybe you get sick while on vacation. How much relaxation and enjoyment is there going to be then?
Inner peace is disturbed by irritations that arise from your own expectations.
Luck and bad luck, prosperity and adversity, both come to you in your life, even on vacation. Sneak up on your own thoughts and expectations daily, and allow them to be blown away on the breeze. Once you let go of your expectations of how your vacation should go, you'll have more fun and peace of mind. Whether it's about the journey itself or where you are on vacation. Try it, and then decide if it works for you.
“As soon as you let go of your expectations about how your holiday should go, you will have more fun and peace of mind”.
Just getting away from everything. A little distance from your life and career. From a distance you can see the bigger picture. Because when you’re in the thick of it, you can't see it. Like your own blind spots in your relationships. Or the higher purpose for which you are doing something.
“From a distance you can see the bigger picture”.
If you focus on individual letters alone, you will not see the entire text. If, as a soccer player, you focus only on your opponents, you miss the spaces in between them, where you can pass them. Star player Lionel Messi can do this like no other. If you keep driving on the roundabout of your work and life, you miss landscapes, roads and adventures that can take you further. Dare to wander and you will get somewhere unforseen and inspiring.
“Dare to wander and you will get somewhere unforseen and inspiring"
From a distance you can see more clearly whether you want to continue working like you were when you return. Like Johan for instance, who encountered a snail during a walking meditation in one of my earlier Retreats 'Inner Nature' in the Belgian Ardennes. He decided not to ignore it, in fact he even wondered about it for half an hour. In his very fiber he became aware of the breakneck speed at which he traveled through his daily work and life. And how much that exhausted him. Because of this deeply felt experience, he decided to set limits on his own work pressure and to make more room for a relaxed life alongside his career.
From a distance you can see how and whether you want to continue in your relationship(s) sooner. I once experienced this myself during a ten-day mindfulness training in Yenne, near the French Chambery. During a ball exercise, I watched a ball roll away from me and I couldn't help but think about the natural movement I was making away from my partner at the time. Painful, but inevitably healthy for my further soul development.
Make room for the things that matter in your life, muse, and above all make space and time to feel what your heart is telling you. This way your vacation will give you new clarity and show you new opportunities and healthy choices, which you would otherwise gloss over.
Do you know that feeling? When you are sitting on a hill or mountain top and you feel completely one with everything around you? Or you’re in a trance during a car ride and experience complete bliss? Or you are in the desert or jungle where there is no longer any separation between you and all the plants, animals and earth around you? You experience a deeply felt 'boost' of unconditional love and connection with the elements around you. All is well and heaven seems to be completely present on earth for a while.
These unity or spirit experiences are a cosmic nod to what has always been in the background, namely universal consciousness, or spirit. Only our ego often causes us to have fewer of these experiences than we actually desire.
How nice would it be if you could take this unity experience into your work and private life when you come back from vacation? And if that universal consciousness becomes more of a foreground than remaining in the background? Or as saxophonist John Coltrane once said: “Wherever you are, always leave a piece of heaven behind.” At work as well as in your private life when you get back.
"Wherever you are, always leave a piece of heaven behind.” -John Coltrane
Make your holidays worthwhile and more satisfying, because it is in your own hands.
I wish you truly happy holidays! Martin
If you want to know how universal consciousness or spirit becomes a bigger part of your work and life, check out the book 'Spirited Personal Leadership'. For more effective working, meaningful living, and a better world. View or order a copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Spirited-Personal-Leadership-effective-meaningful/dp/9090368027/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1T35YC0885VAQ&keywords=spirited+personal+leadership&qid=1689054493&sprefix=spirited+personal+leadershipaps225&sr=8-1
You cab download a free promo-copy in PDF to see if the book appeals to you: https://martinthoolen.com/en/publicaties/
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During my voyages of discovery around the world, I received inspiration from unexpected encounters that I would like to share with you. Sometimes you have to go far away to get closer. This time: ‘Turning Points’ in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia.
Some times and places are a natural turning point. Just as the earth rotates so that we experience the longest or shortest day leading to less or more light, there are also natural turning points in your life or in your work.
I am standing here beneath a solstice monument in Rockhampton in Central Queensland, Australia, through which the Tropic of Capricorn literally runs. On the day of the solstice, at exactly noon, sunlight shines straight through the spiral onto a marker on the ground without any shadow, proving that the sun is directly overhead the city.
I realized once again that we all experience natural highs and lows in life and in our careers. I wondered: ‘but why, and what does each of us do with turning points in our lives or careers? How can they help us instead of fighting against them?’ Here you’ll find a few answers:
Here on Earth, with one sun and one moon and our atmosphere, we deal with polarities, namely: day and night, ebb and flow, inhalation and exhalation, tension and relaxation, windfalls and setbacks, light and shadow sides outside and within us. These are laws of nature to which we are all subject. And they are there… to learn from.
And, whether we like it or not, both windfalls and setbacks simply come our way. Apparently, we all experience them from cradle to grave. On the one hand: successes, winning, happiness, and highlights that show what we are capable of and sometimes have the wind in our sails. They unveil our talents and potential. How
But why, then, must we also experience failures, setbacks, bad luck, loss, and lows here? Simply to learn in a ‘different’ way as well.
Some cultures cultivate the idea that you only must win, or have, pursue, or chase success and happiness. I recall one of the training sessions on job loss that I had developed and conducted in Den Bosch for the national government.
During a break at the bar, I run into another training group from the United Kingdom receiving international training on ‘winning’. I strike up a brief conversation with my neighbor, who is participating in that training and has a book lying in front of him with a large photo of the author on the cover—a sort of Dr. Phil wearing suspenders—with the title ‘Winning’ in large letters. I ask my neighbor: “How do you deal with loss?” He is stunned and gives no answer. As if loss is not allowed to exist. Because in some cultures, that brings less money, profit, status, success, recognition, and appreciation. And is therefor excluded.
Sometimes the wind turns against you. And suddenly there is car trouble, or someone close to you falls seriously ill, or you are unjustly denied a promotion or kicked out. Or you unintentionally end up in lawsuits that get under your skin. ‘Shit Happens’.
The more you think it shouldn’t exist and try to push it away, the harder it comes back at you sooner or later like a cosmic boomerang. Why? To learn from life in a different way.
The moment you accept that it is there, even if what happens is unpleasant or terrible, a new opportunity to learn arises. Namely, how you deal with it and which insights move you forward to being a sincere, peaceful, and authentic human being for yourself, others, and your natural environment. Then the unpleasant experience becomes healing and beneficial.
Like with my own mother, who had dementia for 10 years and at a certain point no longer recognized me. It brought me vulnerability, greater love, and gratitude that I hadn't felt so strongly before. Car trouble on the first Christmas Eve of last year, with minus four degrees on the side of the road, showed me how to do crisis management. A former manager who tried to blacken my name decades ago and was building a distorted file when I was still employed there taught me to protect myself better afterwards and not to trust everyone blindly.
And how often do you actually hear it: when my heart broke, my heart opened up more. Or, I learned the most from my mistakes, not so much from everything I did well. Or, the thing that shook me awake the most was when I was at rock bottom.
And after a period of dealing with loss, bad luck, or setbacks, sooner or later there comes a turning point towards more profit, happiness, and success. At least, if you let nature take its course. If you cling to how something ought to be, but isn't reality, you are fooling yourself. Then bitterness takes over. And then you actually prolong the setback. And you can keep that up even until your death here.
However, if you let inner nature do its work, spring, summer, autumn, winter, spring, summer, etc. will come. Then, after rain, there will be sunshine, and rain again, and sunshine again, etc. Cyclically. Incessantly.
As soon as we accept natural turning points and know that we sometimes experience light and sometimes darkness, and can learn from this in different ways, there is actually nothing wrong. Then an inner peace and acceptance emerge that makes life and your career a lot lighter and more relative.
For everything is temporary. For everything comes and goes. And turning points mark new opportunities to learn from.
I wish that you embrace all natural turning points and give yourself opportunities to continue growing into a beautiful person for yourself and those around you.
Martin
© 2026: Martin Thoolen
#wereldinspiraties #worldinspirations #reisverhalenmartinthoolen #travelstoriesmartinthoolen #spirit #synchroniciteit #synchronicity #firstnations #persoonlijkinspirerendleiderschap #persoonlijkleiderschap #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #personalleadership #leiderschap #spiritueelleiderschap #spiritedleadership #executivecoaching #leiderschap #leiderschapsontwikkeling #teamcoaching #collectiefleiderschap #professionalcoaching #coaching #businesscoaching #psychologyofselves #voicedialogue #egozielspirit #egosoulspirit #ego #ziel #awarenessatwork #martinthoolen
Look, that’s the beauty of my profession over all those 35 years: guiding people from all walks of life. Because we are all human beings. Whether it’s a professor/administrator, a management team, an international expat team manager responsible for the delivery of 200 trains. Or skippers leading their team on voyages in Europe.
Last Saturday, I was on board in Amsterdam with one of my clients, a skipper who gave me a tour of his boat. Working for Universe Shipping, which has a fleet of vessels that transport oil, among other things, throughout Europe. And wow, it was so impressive!
And there is a lot involved in those voyages: good staff, extensive and continuous education and training, technical knowledge, following safety protocols, performing ship maintenance such as sanding and painting the deck, navigation, safe mooring and departure, loading and unloading, skillfully bypassing blockages during the voyage, and much more. My respect for these people has only increased from what I have seen and heard.
And how do you effectively manage something like that as a captain? Quite a challenge. Also in achieving team spirit with the team of second skippers, mates, and deckhands you have to work with.
How do you deal with team members who sometimes cut corners, come from a different culture, or show a different work motivation, or where harsh words are sometimes exchanged that can temporarily ruin the atmosphere? How do you ensure that people and yourself remain vital and sustainably employable, and do not become exhausted, overstressed, or burned out?
How do you deal with your own irritations as a captain, and how do you correct and motivate your people effectively? How do you conduct effective meetings to ensure the voyage runs smoothly and pleasantly for everyone?
These and many other questions are addressed during the coaching sessions for captains and deckhands. In recent years, I have heard many stories from real-world practice. And how wonderful it is when it actually turns out that, after coaching, they have received insights and ‘tools’ that can make the voyage smoother and more enjoyable for everyone.
Do you also want to maintain a steady voyage in your work as a leader or professional? Then coaching or team coaching might be something for you.Take a look here: https://martinthoolen.com/en/service/
© 2026: Martin Thoolen
#ego #soul #egosoulspirit #spirit #synchroniciteit #synchronicity #persoonlijkinspirerendleiderschap #persoonlijkleiderschap #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #personalleadership #spiritedpersonalleadership #leiderschap #spiritueelleiderschap #spiritedleadership #executivecoaching #leiderschapscoaching #leiderschapsontwikkeling #teamcoaching #collectiefleiderschap #professionalcoaching #coaching #businesscoaching #psychologyofselves #voicedialogue #ego #ziel #spirit #egozielspirit #egosoulspirit #awarenessatwork #martinthoolen
“An Unhealed Soul and Oversized Ego are Responsible for All Polarizations, Quarrels and Wars. A Healed Soul and Well-Dosed Ego Bring Peace Within Yourself and With Each Other”. © 2026: Martin Thoolen
Few concepts are as multifaceted as the soul. In religious traditions, it is regarded as the immortal part of man, the place where God is heard. In psychology and personal development, it stands for the authentic self — that which remains when you peel away all roles and masks. And in the world of leadership and finding meaning, the soul emerges as a source of inspiration, direction, and life energy. This overview brings together books that approach the soul from diverse angles: philosophical, spiritual, therapeutic, and practical.
In the world of leadership and coaching, the soul is increasingly understood as the 'true self': a package of energy, consciousness, individuality, experiences, talents, and dreams. Martin Thoolen has developed this idea into a coherent leadership philosophy. According to him, the soul is one of three universal forces that define personal leadership — alongside ego and universal consciousness (spirit). His work is distinguished by the combination of psychological depth and practical applicability.
For more info in Dutch, see: https://www.managementboek.nl/trefwoord/ziel
Why do sports teams perform better when they're in the right spirit? Even if they seem less capable in terms of numbers, quality, or quantity than their opponents. How does this actually apply to your own board, management or executive team, your department, team, or organization? And what is team spirit, and how do you create it to lead to magical results?
Take a listen here: https://martinthoolen.com/en/podcasts/
© 2026: Martin Thoolen
#ego #soul #egosoulspirit #spirit #synchroniciteit #synchronicity #persoonlijkinspirerendleiderschap #persoonlijkleiderschap #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #personalleadership #spiritedpersonalleadership #leiderschap #spiritueelleiderschap #spiritedleadership #executivecoaching #leiderschap #leiderschapsontwikkeling #teamcoaching #collectiefleiderschap #professionalcoaching #coaching #businesscoaching #psychologyofselves #voicedialogue # ego #ziel #spirit #egozielspirit #egosoulspirit #awarenessatwork #martinthoolen
During my voyages of discovery around the world, I received inspiration from unexpected encounters that I would like to share with you. Sometimes you have to go far away to get closer. This time: ‘A journey of unity in the ‘Chalice Well Garden’ in Glastonbury, UK.
Some times and places invite you more easily to unwind and gather ‘images’ that matter. As I experienced in the powerful energy spot ‘The Chalice Well Garden’ in Glastonbury, South England. Images that gave me a strong, new neural connection between my eyes, the earth, the moon, and the sun. Sounds strange, doesn't it? But the images undeniably showed me that, in essence, everything is connected to everything else, and that this awareness gives a whole new direction to work and life. Take a look:
I had just been to the caves of ‘Chedar Gorge’, where suddenly the ‘Ave Maria’ sounded from speakers in Mother Earth. I can’t really describe it, but I felt deeply moved. After an hour’s journey to Glastonbury, I went straight into the garden of the Chalice Well, where there were natural springs situated in a very powerful energy spot.
I decided to lie down on my back somewhere in a secluded spot in the garden and put on shamanic drum music. And I let myself be carried away by a dream of images. And it started very simply.
Earlier in the day at the caves, I had seen a crevice in the rock with a large spiderweb. The spider, which was devouring prey, had spun a very beautiful web. And spontaneously the following thought came to mind: just imagine that in my head, my brain, a new web is being woven of connections that better suit my new state of being and living now?
That felt good, and I asked if those new connections could be woven by a sort of ‘Spiderwoman’. Next, I saw a triangular line from the left and right corners sliding from the left toward the center, and one sliding from the right toward the center. Because they met in the middle, they formed a diamond shape, vertically. That vibrated a little, and suddenly an eye emerged. And when I kept looking at it longer, the eye became the earth, and the earth became the eye again. Images alternating in the same spot.
And then an insight suddenly emerged: just imagine looking into the earth with your eyes, or having the earth in your eyes. What does that do? What would we see and how would this affect our choices and behavior?
I stayed with it and just let it do its own work. And a new stream of images emerged. Over the eye in the center came a kind of eyelid, but an eyelid shaped like a crescent moon that was becoming increasingly full. And as it became fuller, it diminished again. Only this happened so super fast, like with a reptile's eye or an insect's eye, where the lid moves over the eye very quickly.
It was as if the moon was turning on and off over that eye very rapidly. But at the same time, the moon suddenly became the sun, and then immediately the sun became the moon again. Just like that, over the image of the eye, which was also the earth. Hard to follow, but this is what was shown.
So there were four different images sliding over each other: the eye, the earth, the moon, and the sun. Connected to each other in this way, all in the same place.
That stream of images continued for a while. And then I thought: how beautiful it would be if this new consciousness of everything being interconnected (if only we see it with this conscious eye) were to unfold within me, to take root in my entire system!
And then I asked if a new tree could imaginarily start growing inside me as an image to ground and anchor this consciousness within me. I hoped for my favorite Sequoia tree, but an apple tree appeared, and it grew from the top to the bottom.
It began with an image of a canopy, then branches with apples, to a trunk, and the trunk went down to growing roots that went right through my legs, as it were, into the ground.
After I had seen this, and had woken up, I went for a walk to the two cedar trees standing a little further away. I stood between the two trees, gazing at the distant plain before me where a lake was said to have once been. The place where ‘The Lady of The Lake’ from the Arthurian legend was said to be. In my thoughts and from my heart, I imagined that she was there again. I asked her to give me those new roots and to anchor the new consciousness of total connection, and to live and work more in accordance with that.
This deeply felt experience felt like a new spiderweb in my brain. As if new neural connections of consciousness had been made in my brain. It made me more powerful to look more closely at how we can all live more in connection with our true selves and with each other and all that is shown to us, and to work from that perspective as well. But also at how we can look at the earth and the world with the-earth-in-our-eyes and the eyes-in-our-earth, and what each of us does or does not do with that.
I could not have foreseen then that this would later take partly root in my subsequent book, among others: Spirited Personal Leadership – for effective work, meaningful living, and a better world. In which it contains grounded insights, practical situations, ‘tools,’ and exercises to create that connection within yourself and with one another and everything around us.
Surprise yourself once in a while: seek out an energy spot every now and then, rest, and visualize. Let the flow of images do its own natural work, ask inviting, spontaneous questions, and who knows, you might wake up with a new beginning that enriches your work and life.
Have a good journey! Martin
© 2026: Martin Thoolen
#wereldinspiraties #worldinspirations #reisverhalenmartinthoolen #travelstoriesmartinthoolen #spirit #synchroniciteit #synchronicity #firstnations #persoonlijkinspirerendleiderschap #persoonlijkleiderschap #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #personalleadership #leiderschap #spiritueelleiderschap #spiritedleadership #executivecoaching #leiderschap #leiderschapsontwikkeling #teamcoaching #collectiefleiderschap #professionalcoaching #coaching #businesscoaching #psychologyofselves #voicedialogue #egozielspirit #egosoulspirit #ego #ziel ##healer #healing #shaman #awarenessatwork #martinthoolen
Your schedule is overflowing. Your phone rings constantly. At the same time, your employees expect you to think clearly, listen well, and make the right decisions. Does that sound familiar? Then you are not alone. Many managers feel trapped in the daily grind, while knowing that something is missing: the space to be truly present.
Meditation might sound like something for yoga retreats, far away from the boardroom. But the scientific and practical evidence is now convincing: meditating regularly makes you a sharper, more empathetic, and more resilient leader. Not by running away from reality, but precisely by being more consciously present in it.
Check out books that help you out of this presssure prison. Including the book: Spirited Personal Leadership (in Dutch: Persoonlijk Inspirerend Leiderschap). On this Dutch Publisher Page of Management Book, you will discover what meditation can concretely mean for you as a manager, and which books will help you on your way — from neuroscientific insights to direct applications in your daily leadership practice: TAKE A LOOK HERE
