During my travels around the world, I found inspiration from unexpected encounters that I'd like to share with you. Sometimes you have to go (far) away to get closer. This time: ‘Coaching of Natives show what we have in common'.

Years ago, I was involved in a 10-day ceremonial event for Canadian First Nations Indians on Bella Bella Island on Canada's west coast. An unforgettable experience, especially because of the discoveries I made while coaching a number of First Nations Natives

I volunteered my services as a psychologist/coach and invited people to what I then called ‘Healing Talks’. I made a makeshift flyer to invite people. And miraculously, young and old people came to me, from whom I could learn more than I could from them. For they carried generations of wisdom that many, including myself, had long been cut off from. Nevertheless, they showed their appreciation for my listening ear and interventions.

One of my memories is of a young woman who had experienced incest, which deeply hurt her. She hadn't even talked about it with anyone out of shame! She had closed herself off to further contact with men, but she wasn't happy with that either. After sharing her story and hearing some of my suggestions for further action, she was visibly relieved.

An older Chief who came to me for help had previously been to a well-known psychologist with many titles in Vancouver. Upon arrival, she scolded him for being a few minutes late and forgot about him: "Who do you think you are!" His faith in mental health services had vanished like snow in the sun. Initially, he was very reserved with me, but his curiosity won, and afterward, I received an unforgettable hug.

What also became clear from the other coaching sessions? Even though we have cultural differences, we are all essentially the same. They too are people with egos, with wounds in their soul baggage that they carry and shape. They too have bright and dark sides, which sometimes lead to violence and crime. They too believe in a creative force that connects us, which they often describe as "Great Spirit." No difference.

These experiences have strengthened my belief that ego, soul, and spirit (consciousness) are universal keys to self-development, leading to greater inner and outer peace. You'll find this in my book "Spirited Personal Leadership." https://martinthoolen.com/en/publicaties/

“Ook al hebben we cultuurverschillen, we zijn in essentie allemaal hetzelfde”

How wonderful it is when we can look at the "person" behind culture, behind history, behind religion, behind the professional, behind every role we play in life and work. Then we can truly connect with ourselves and each other.

© 2025: Martin Thoolen

Here’s a short impression of some of my journeys of discovery. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca58VpEoy_Y

#worldinspirations #travelstoriesmartinthoolen #spirit #synchroniciteit #synchronicity #firstnations © 2022: Martin Thoolen #personalleadership #inspiredleadership #spiritedpersonalleadership #mastercoursespritedp[ersonalleadership #peace #peaceonearth #coaching #training #personalleadership #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #personalleadership #leiderschap #spiritueelleiderschap #spiritedleadership #executivecoaching #leiderschap #leiderschapsontwikkeling #teamcoaching #collectiefleiderschap #professionalcoaching #coaching #businesscoaching#psychologyofselves #voicedialogue #egozielspirit #egosoulspirit #awarenessatwork #martinthoolen

During my travels around the world, I found inspiration from unexpected encounters that I'd like to share with you. Sometimes you have to go (far) away to get closer. This time: ‘What the Rainbow Shows and The Forgotten Light'.

Years ago, I was sailing on a ferry from England to Ireland. Imagine: cold, gray sky, gloomy decorations on the ship, drizzly, fog banks, rain and hours of sailing. It all looked a bit gloomy. After a few hours I started daydreaming. I looked outside and suddenly saw the sun peeping through the fog banks. And suddenly there was a crystal-clear rainbow.

Ik kon alleen maar kijken, totdat een stem uit het niets mij vertelde:

"All religions and individual souls are like the colors of the rainbow. If one color elevates itself above another, we contribute to separation, conflicts and wars. However, all colors originate from the white light from which we collectively originate from and are moving towards. 

Once we remember this and see what we share as our common desire and begin to live by (such as love, peace, tolerance, coexistence, forgiveness, and wisdom), we can create paradise on earth".

“Spirit knows no hierarchy or exclusion”

Spirit knows no hierarchy or exclusion. If you work and live from a place of equality and inclusion, a whole (new) world will open up for you.

Martin

Want to see other short discovery stories? Check out: https://martinthoolen.com/en/blogs-en-artikelen/?_categorie_knops=wereldinspiraties&_categorie_knoppen=wereldinspiraties

Hier een korte filmimpressie van een aantal van mijn ontdekkingsreizen.

© 2025: Martin Thoolen

#wereldinspiraties #worldinspirations #spirit #synchroniciteit #synchronicity © 2022: Martin Thoolen #personalleadership #inspiredleadership #spiritedpersonalleadership #mastercoursespritedp[ersonalleadership #peace #peaceonearth #coaching #training #personalleadership #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #personalleadership #leiderschap #spiritueelleiderschap #spiritedleadership #executivecoaching #leiderschap #leiderschapsontwikkeling #teamcoaching #collectiefleiderschap #professionalcoaching #coaching #businesscoachin #psychologyofselves #voicedialogue #awarenessatwork #martinthoolen

During my travels around the world, I found inspiration from unexpected encounters that I'd like to share with you. Sometimes you have to go (far) away to get closer. This time: ‘Ode to the Dragonfly'.

On a journey to Portugal in the ‘Parque des Estrellas’, I sat outside my tent near an idyllic stream. Sitting on the edge, with my feet in the stream, I saw large ultraviolet blue, emerald green and bright red dragonflies flying around. I sat for a while watching them fly, how they suddenly turned quickly and made contact with each other. I became more and more mesmerized by it. Then I got an idea: ‘Can you make contact with a dragonfly so that it will sit on you?’

The ‘inner judge’ in my ego-bus thought: ridiculous, you are not superstitious! After a while, however, my genuine curiosity grew stronger.

At some point it occurred to me how I could imagine from my heart with unconditional love an imaginary line through my arm and hand to the heart of the dragonfly, without expectation. And truly, the dragonfly literally came right up to my hand!

I decided to make a second attempt by carefully directing a line from my heart to the tip of my head and then to the heart of the dragonfly. And sure enough, the dragonfly flew from thumb to crown. And then another request came up from myself: ‘I want you to sit on my knee right now.’ The tone of my voice betrayed a conditional (ego) demand. The dragonfly didn’t seem to be attracted to it, and just flew away instead.

A few months later I told this story during one of my annual weeklong retreats “Inner Nature”. After the break, the retreat continued in the course room and I wanted to sit on the chair from which I had told the dragonfly story a while ago. One participant suddenly shouted loudly: ‘Look out.... don’t sit down... there’s a dragonfly on your chair!’ What are the chances that a dragonfly is sitting in a course room... sits on my chair... right after that story has been shared? I had been in this room many times for years and we had never seen a dragonfly inside.

From the heart and spirit, everything is connected to everything…

Martin

Want to see other short discovery stories? Check out: https://martinthoolen.com/en/blogs-en-artikelen/?_categorie_knops=wereldinspiraties&_categorie_knoppen=wereldinspiraties

Here’s a short impression of some of my journeys of discovery. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca58VpEoy_Y

© 2025: Martin Thoolen

#wereldinspiraties #worldinspirations #spirit #synchroniciteit #synchronicity #persoonlijkinspirerendleiderschap #persoonlijkleiderschap #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #leiderschap #spiritueelleiderschap #spiritedleadership #executivecoaching #leiderschap #leiderschapsontwikkeling #teamcoaching #collectiefleiderschap #professionalcoaching #coaching #businesscoaching #psychologyofselves #voicedialogue #awarenessatwork #martinthoolen