I am going into 2023 not strong but soft, and I am not powerful but thankful for what I have been accomplished and didn’t, at the end of the day, it is what we have learned and applied to our day to day life and not how we survive everything, I believe strongly ( that is the irony ) that we don’t and cannot survive everything with being strong, I believe that softness is also a way of taking things in to perspective. 

Dear friends, colleagues, and network, 

Like we all do, we reflect at the end of the year
about how all it went down, what we could have done better and what went well
or not. Luckily, I have learned to do that more often, so it hasn’t come with all
as a surprise. 

It was a rough year, at least I felt that way, we started the year with Covid, we couldn’t work, we couldn’t meet and see our beloved, our teams, our dear colleagues, next to that as it wasn’t enough, we all went into a war situation, more depression on the financial world, more insecurity, energy crisis and humanity didn’t learn much from all the people running away from wars, instability in their countries, we just take to many things for granted if you ask me. 
Personally, next all these things we also went through many downsides of the life in 2022, pressure was high on the family but I am very proud and happy that we take it as it is and see what we can do for the obstacles, fit ourselves in to the situation. Not everything is to solve immediately even against my very deep nature, I needed to be more passionate and keep the peace inside me burning. 

But this year I am more grateful than ever, in a year of mixed feelings, I was able to support my family like never before, I have met many refugees and helped them regardless who they were as much as I could, I have said goodbye to my beloved team and made new colleagues in different places, have met and lectured the most challenging, smart and funny students, I have met lots of old team mates, on different occasions, see them grow and develop makes me the most happy person on earth, even though it was though, we have travelled and see friends and family, I have been able to see my mom once more, I had an unforgettable evening in Spain – Granada watching a professional Flamenco show, up to tears, how powerful is music and dance, but more importantly how people can make you feel when they love their occupation, thought me a good lesson. 

As once great Lao Tzu said “ The soft overcomes the hard…” I am soft and I know the power of soft but consistently flowing water on the riverbed and what it does to challenging, huge rocks…

I wish you a 2023 where all your wishes come true, I wish you whatever you wish for yourself, surround yourself with challenges, be bold, jump in to unknown. I go to the Disneyland Paris with the family on a tradition and become 46 in a couple of days, cannot wait to meet you all soon again. 

#team#people#energy#love#network#students#work#music#grateful#power#water