Self-employment is the death of enthusiasm

Self-employment is the death of enthusiasm

I have been self-employed since 2018. But I have only really felt that way for the last 1-2 years. And since then, I have slowly realized how the enthusiasm I originally had for this venture died the moment I wanted to make something of it. Where it was no longer enough for me to enjoy doing something, but where it had to serve a purpose. Where it had to make money. Where it had to attract potential customers. In short, where I was no longer doing it for myself.

Artist or entrepreneur

Tad Hargrave has observed that as self-employed people, we have to figure out where we are on the spectrum between artist and entrepreneur. Basically, the spectrum between creativity and goal-oriented pragmatism. And it’s a very important insight. read more

working for or against something

working for or against something

Many people, especially in the non-profit sector, actually associate profit with a lot of negative things. We then often automatically equate profit with exploitation. But maybe it's time to change that. And then we can still decide whether we have a "for purpose" or a "for values" or "for whatever" organization, but then at least we finally get out of the negative pendulum movement.

I’m a leper

I'm a leper

Now with the next set of restrictions due to the pandemic, I truly feel like a leper, just because I’m not vaccinated (yet?).

And it would be so easy to just conform and get on with my life, but then I wouldn’t even see the struggles of the unvaccinated any more. I won’t be able to feel into all those feelings coming up. Feeling like a nuisance, like a second class citizen. Like someone that everyone else just tolerates and wants to get rid of or at least not see any more. I could simply go on with my life. read more

vaccination bullying and ignoring the underlying problem

vaccination bullying and ignoring the underlying problem

I recently joined another vaccination-antivaccine-debate and realized, that there is a much more problematic dynamic at play here.
In March 2020 when the lockdowns started, a lot of people had high hopes, that we (as a society, as well as as individuals) will use that opportunity to rethink the way we live and do things. That we would reflect on what is really important in life, and question our push to unlimited growth, to higher, bigger, faster.

And even though the process was initiated with some, it was soon hijacked by the soon to come “salvation” that would allow us to go back to “normal” to ignore all the warning signs that what we’re doing, how we treat both fellow human beings as well as all the other beings that are all connected to us is actually doing all of us harm. read more