How I Rebuilt My Life From My Essence
- and what it taught me about transformation.
For years, I was both myself and, at times, completely lost. It felt like I was dancing between two worlds.
The other foot in a world that didn’t fit me: silencing myself, conforming, ignoring my intuition, pushing past my limits, playing small.
Until one day, I’d had enough.
I let go. Of everything that no longer fit.
Situations. Patterns. Emotions. Thoughts.
And I started over. Again. And again.
Until I reached my essence.
From that place, I began to create anew. To reshape my life.
Relationships. Work. Love. Health. Time. Home.
The past, the present, the future.
Each new chapter taught me what was necessary to create something new from my essence. To let it emerge naturally. And it was nothing like the path I had learned to follow.
It’s a journey I’d love to share with you. In chapters.
A snapshot, because there’s so much more than I can put into words here.
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I. Facades
As a child, I felt the masks adults wore. I saw what they tried to hide and sensed the deeper essence beneath.
I couldn’t understand why people kept getting stuck.
The same cycles. The same situations that drained them mentally and emotionally. Physically dependent on distractions to numb their pain.
I often felt like an outsider. Like I didn’t belong.
Years later, I realized: That feeling of “not belonging” wasn’t the problem—it was a signal.
I wasn’t in the right place.
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II. The escape
As a teenager, I fell into the same trap.
I went out, sought distractions, ignored my boundaries.
Looked for my worth in people who didn’t see me.
I thought something was wrong with me.
Yes, I followed my heart. I had fun. I made new friends. But deep down, I still felt lost.
What I didn’t understand yet was this:
What you resist will keep returning until you face it.
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III. Not Knowing What to Do
At 18, I started studying architecture in Belgium.I was fascinated by building something new—but I quickly realized I didn’t want to become an architect.
So, I moved to Lisbon—a city that still feels like home—and earned degrees in economics and innovation.
I wanted to understand how the world worked and how to create something new…
But if I’m honest?
I didn’t even know myself yet.
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IV. A Fascination With the New and Unknown
So, I kept exploring. I trained myself to step into the unkown.
I lived and worked in São Tomé and Príncipe, a tropical island off the West African coast, where I helped develop a microfinance program for entrepreneurs with the national bank. I delved into spiritual medicine in Brazil. I learned to facilitate brainstorming and strategy sessions for entrepreneurs in Lisbon and Ghent.
And during vacations…
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V. Silence, Buddhism, and Sleeping on Concrete
…I sought silence and introspection in Buddhist monasteries in Asia.
Weeks of meditating 12 hours a day, sleeping on concrete with a wooden pillow.
I learned to sit with myself. To listen to the chaos within.
To notice feelings, release unnecessary thoughts, and sync with the rhythm of nature.
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VI. A Deep Obsession with Inner Transformation
After my studies, I joined the Institute of Mindfulness, where I was trained to teach mindfulness and compassion. I became obsessed with transformation. Every course, every certification, every training—I dove in headfirst.
I learned from some of the best in the field:
- Dr. Mark Williams – University of Oxford (UK)
- Christina Feldman & John Peacock – Insight Meditation Society (US)
- Dr. Chris Germer – Harvard Medical School (US)
- Dr. Kristin Neff – Center for Mindful Self-Compassion (US)
- Dr. David Dewulf – I AM (BE)
- And even Thai, Tibetan, and Indian monks, doctors, and energy workers.
I eventually got certified in:
Trauma-informed therapy
MBCT mindfulness based cognitive therapy
MBSR mindfulness based stress reduction
MBCT – MBSR teacher training
MSC self-compassion teacher training
PNP neuro-plasticity teacher training
ACTP accredited coaching program
Reiki master level
Msc Macro-economics
Msc Innovation
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VII. But I still felt a calling... The Birth of A Lotus Seed
In 2015, I founded A Lotus Seed. The name itself is a metaphor:
Just as the lotus grows in mud, our greatest growth often comes from life’s messiest parts.
I had the privilege of introducing over 3,500 clients to neuropsychology, mindfulness, compassion, creativity, and energy work.
A mix of group trainings, private coachings and retreats in Belgium, France and Portugal.
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VIII. Patterns of Change
I started to notice patterns. In my own life. In the lives of my clients.
How difficult true change is.
How little we’re taught about navigating uncertainty.
How disconnected we are from our essence, intuition, and flow.
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IX. The Laboratory
My journey—and my coaching practice—became laboratories to uncover:
– What truly makes a difference in realizing potential?
– How can we express ourselves fully and create realities that align with our soul?
– How do we navigate the messy middle of transformation without burning out?
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X. A Rhythm
What I discovered ?
Creating a new chapter isn’t random. It’s not forced.
It’s a process that touches both the essence of who you are and something far greater.
It has a rhythm—a natural flow.
It unfolds in phases and patterns you can learn to understand, master, and trust.
It takes courage:
To trade fear of the unknown for curiosity about what’s possible.
To shed societal expectations and reconnect with your voice, intuition, and creativity.
To start again—and again—until you reveal your most authentic self.
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XI. The New Reality School Was Born
A space to navigate change.
A process to reconnect with your essence, creativity, and intuition.
A system to redesign your life, work, and relationships—aligned with who you truly are. `
It’s the place I wish had existed years ago.
Where you don’t have to pretend. Where you can just be yourself—and create from that depth.
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It’s a gathering of souls who dare to redefine what’s possible.
It’s a structured response designed to support us as lifelong students of life.
A space to keep creating as we continuously shape new chapters in our lives.
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