I was doing my thing, walking toward the big entry doors of NATO HQ, trying to find my way to my new office. We had just moved into the glass palace. It was stunning, but at first, my sense of direction inside it was a little blurry.
All of a sudden, I could feel her walking next to me—one o...
Imagine waking up every day for months, not knowing how the day will unfold. Perhaps you wake with anxiety, struggling to figure out how you’ll make it through another day. Maybe you’re dealing with financial difficulties, wondering how the bills will get paid. Or perhaps you’re navigating the...
This year, I didn’t start the new year with goals. Shocking, right? No vision boards, no lofty ambitions, no “New Year, New Me.” Actually, I have zero goals set for the year.
Now, some of you might be thinking:
“Yep, something is definitely off with her. Someone check her neurons!”
And hones...
On New Year’s Eve, I went to celebrate with my sister in the Netherlands. She spoiled us with an amazing spaghetti dish so delicious that not a single strand of pasta was left. And then came my all-time favorite snack—bitterballen! These are Dutch meatballs served with mustard sauce, and let me ...
I was in the kitchen, slicing onions and preparing dinner, when my son’s loud yelling interrupted the peace.
If you’ve ever thought a missed deadline or an email typo is a crisis, try living with a teenager whose world collapses every time something happens to their mobile phone.
When I entered ...
"Adam, stop crying!" That’s what I often tell my son—but not for the reasons you might think.
When Adam cries, his nose gets congested, and we end up spending hours trying to help him breathe so he can sleep at night.
But for many boys, the command not to cry comes for entirely different reaso...
Last week, I had brunch with a friend, and it absolutely made my day. Anyone who knows me knows that delicious food is one of the three foundational pillars of my happiness. Sharing that food with someone you connect with on a deeper level? That’s double the bliss!
As we left, my friend asked ab...
There was a time in my life when I would lie awake at night, overthinking and stressing about things that, in hindsight, didn’t matter as much as I thought they did. The result? Sleepless nights that drained my energy and left me struggling to get through each day.
It’s ironic how much we take...
I’ve always loved creating and consuming content—it’s one of the ways I connect with the world. But I’ll be the first to admit: I don’t always get the balance right.
There are periods when I consume more than I create, endlessly scrolling through posts, stories, and updates. Right now, though...
Breaking the Time Trap
I recently stumbled upon a fascinating conversation about time management, and it struck a nerve. For years, I’d been racing against the clock, trying to squeeze maximum efficiency out of every hour. The key performance indicators (KPIs) I meticulously tracked at work be...
Two Lives: The Public Success and Private Pain
It was my third year working in Southern France, and by all appearances, I was thriving. I worked at the NATO Helicopter Management Agency, enjoying a career I had worked hard to build. I loved my job, my team, and the amazing opportunities it broug...
The Question That Started It All
“I am struggling with perfectionism, Nadja. How do I get over that? How do I let go of the need to please, to overachieve, and finally feel content with where I am now?”
This question landed in my inbox recently, and it struck a deep chord within me.
It wasn’...
