30 hours of gratitude, inspiration and life
Sometimes life changes so quickly, from one second to the next. I had an inspiring weekend in Prague and was grateful and happy. I was happy that I had come back to myself and felt that life was flowing through me again. What I didn't know was that my journey wasn't over yet, it was just the beginning of something much bigger.
I sat on the train yesterday on the way back from Prague. It was the beginning of an inspiring and heartfelt encounter. I was allowed to meet a woman my age from Ukraine who offered me a place next to her cat. What I didn't know at the time was that she was on her way from Kiev to Belgium for safety. Our journey was very turbulent due to construction work in the Czech Republic and subsequently missed connecting trains. But that was a huge gift, because I got to spend so much time with her - almost 30 hours together, which felt like a few days to me.
Through our open conversations, I learned a lot about the current situation in Ukraine and how it feels for the people there. What fears and thoughts they have and what is really happening there right now. For me, she is an absolute power woman who brings a lot of light into the world through her decision and her work as a mental coach, especially now. I have become more aware again that life is in our hands and that it requires a conscious decision for what we want and what is good for us. Waiting for something, like signs, an angel or for circumstances to change, can keep us immobile for a long time. And even when we are hurt and sad, we can be warm and open towards others. Hate and anger make us sick, paralyse us and also weaken our environment. Gratitude, love and warmth open new doors, especially in very stressful situations like this one. Because of their open and heartfelt nature, we quickly made contact. What counts are our memories, our family and friends and that we can look ourselves in the eye. Material things and arguments over small things are not so important. And we are so similar in many ways. We may come from different countries and feel most deeply connected to our own nation, but we should not forget that somehow we are all the same and belong together.
I am still deeply touched by this meeting and the chance to do something personally in this terrible situation. It felt absolutely natural to me. I believe that this is exactly how it was meant to be and I can now also pass on my thoughts to you as inspiration. How often do we just talk and then feel better because we show ourselves to be empathetic and "good" people. I sometimes wonder if we just do that for our guilty conscience or really feel that out of conviction? I think there is a different way of helping for each person. For one it's donations, for another it's emotional support and for me it was hosting them as guests and supporting them in their journey as much as I could. Even if it was just to have the ticket changed at the train station, to look for travel connections or to organise a printer at a neighbour's house. These are little things that make a huge difference - especially in terms of nerves. Because that's exactly what I would want if I were in a situation like that. My new friend called me "her angel". For me, she is my angel who points out to me what is important in life and what is not and that we are allowed to consciously decide for ourselves and our own path. I am still hesitant in many things and do not yet go out strongly and clearly enough for what I actually want. I was all the more impressed by her clarity and strength. Maybe she came into my life to bring me this message. Or also to understand that life cannot be planned and that it only comes into flow when we surrender to life and accept what is waiting and destined for us. I also see that sometimes it is better to leave our usual environment and comfort zone when it is not good for us or safe. This way we can come back into our own power and perhaps make a lot more difference from a distance!
I thank life for this valuable encounter and experience and I am sure that this was also just a beginning ☺️!
What valuable and special encounters have you already had? What is your way of helping? What would you wish for others in such a situation? Where do you not yet go all out for yourself and wait?