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Work or is it Life is like a game of chess…
When I started to prepare for the GTD summit and my speech about how David Allen fell in love in Amsterdam, I thought about the last 14 years as an entrepreneur and how I got David to come to Amsterdam in February 2009 and the story below emerged. <look for the presentation/meditation I actually gave here> The only thing is; I did not tell this story on the GTD-summit. instead I decided to not tell it at all. I decided to let people experience the value of clear space by listening to birth sounds and specially composed frequencies. Below you’ll find in short what I was supposed to tell 🙂

Work or is it Life is like a game of chess…

When I started as an entrepreneur, a publisher in my case, I identified with all the different pieces on a chessboard. Battling my fears, ego and demons, I was a pawn or maybe castle. I thought all was linear and I could just move forward.

Then I discovered the different roles and pieces. I started to realize that I am not just one piece of the game. And that depending on the piece… I can move to the front and back and in all kinds of directions.

At that point I thought I needed to become the king or queen. Except I did not realize I do not have to be the King or Queen in order to win. You and also I are the game.

This is when I realized I am not just a publisher. I can do other stuff too. This is where GTD came into the picture to help me organize my game.

So when a friend (Nathaniel Stott) introduced me to the idea to bring David to NL, I said: ‘Yes. Why not?’ Let’s embark on a new adventure! Completely naïve I started to organise a special event with David. Throw in the start of the crisis. Throw in how different Amsterdam was at that time from any place where David would normally speak and how unknown GTD still was at that time and you have a great recipe to show the beauty of Amsterdam to David and to learn some valuable life lessons 🙂

And then it finally dawned on me. I am the game and I do not have to identify with a single piece or role and that all pieces are equally important for the role they need to play… Then came the realization: I am not the game. My opponent is the voice in my head, my ego. I am the player; You are the player. You are the observer; I am the observer.

When I almost mastered this level. I came to the conclusion. I am still playing. Sometimes as a pawn stuck in going forward

BUT ALSO

I can bend the rules.

As a player you are a 3 and even 4 or 5 dimensional being. You can pick up your pieces and let them fly. You can change them at will. You can pick up your pieces and put them outside the 2 dimensional board or field. You can multiply them. You can decide not to battle anymore. You can move all your pieces all at once. You can play with the pieces. You can bring them all back to life. You can dance with your fears, ego and demons. You can even change the board or field.

As this is my life or your life and not chess.

So that is how I became who I am, just am

Not identifying with a single role as a mum, as a woman, as an owner of Seats2meet Amersfoort CS, as a publisher or boekcoach, as a creative, as a <fill in what ever you find applicable> Just playing roles whenever it is needed and yes; sometimes getting stuck too and learning something new every day. And down the road meeting great people and letting them fall in love with Amsterdam. And thank you David for some great life lessons. One of my favourites is that you do not live your life to the max when you don’t fall off the wagon occasionally. As life is not about staying on the wagon but on how quickly you can get back on again.

 

 

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