Nature-Conscious Self-Leadership Circle

I'm writing this at the foot of the Italian Alps, surrounded by orchards of apples, red currants, and grapes. Beyond them stretch green mountain ridges, with rugged cliffs peeking through here and there. It’s been a week since I arrived in this region, and every day I’m reminded of how deeply healing it is - for both body and soul - to be close to green plants, to breathe in fresh air deeply, and to feel nature’s breath all around me.

 

We often speak of "the healing power of nature", but in everyday life, busy as it is, even when we know that power is real, it’s hard to find the time and space to truly immerse ourselves in nature’s greens and blues.

 

I live in the suburbs of The Hague in the Netherlands, where I’m lucky to be surrounded by plenty of greenery, including a large water park. So I’d say I interact with nature quite regularly. Even so, after hours in my home office staring at a computer screen, I often find myself putting off that simple act of stepping outside for a breath of fresh air.

 

This spring, our garden was transformed into a "natural garden". Now, even without going for a walk, just opening the living room curtains in the morning makes me feel "wow", and my heart and eyes feel instantly refreshed. When I step outside, the only sound I hear in the still morning air is the buzzing of countless bumblebees.

 

The fact that this long-held dream has finally come to life has renewed my commitment to align all my activities - especially my work as a coach, facilitator, and teacher - more closely with nature. I want to keep nature at the heart of what I do and create work that is deeply integrated with it. One such project is the Nature-Conscious Self-Leadership Circle. I'll share more details soon, so stay tuned!

 

A Milestone Called Graduation

On the 18th of July, the university programme where I teach held its graduation ceremony. Watching the proud faces of the students receiving their degrees, I felt an especially deep emotion this time. That's because these students entered the program as first-years in September 2021 - the very same time I started my journey as a lecturer.

 

Following what my manager's said at that time - “University of Applied Sciences lecturers should basically be able to teach anything" - I took on a wide range of courses. From subjects I had no previous connection to, like economics, to areas that felt like a perfect fit for me, such as public international law, human rights, and intercultural communication. That first year, I found myself teaching all kinds of classes. I even learned (literally) the basics of macroeconomics together with the students. Now, seeing those very same students graduate - one face after another, remembering each of them - I felt I was also reaching a turning point of my own.

 

Four years as a lecturer have flown by. But I'm not saying goodbye to the University with a "Farewell, I’m graduating too!" Rather, I feel I've reached a milestone on my own lecturer journey - one chapter is closing, something within me is shifting, and something new is beginning to emerge.

 

As the new academic year begins this September, I feel ready to step in again with fresh energy. But I also wonder what lies beyond that. This coming year - my fifth as a lecturer -feels like an invitation to move forward with intuition, in a natural and gentle way, staying in flow. I'm also sensing a desire to explore how my role as a lecturer can be more deeply connected to the Nature-Conscious Self-Leadership Circle.