Guts and Balls
Wow, what craftsmanship. The vaults of the Martini Church in Groningen radiate boldness and strength. How is it possible for ‘half-spheres’ to be so strong? It seems so unnatural and contradictory. You love your profession. You work heart and soul. You juggle a thousand things at once. You put yourself last. And honestly, you never thought you’d start having doubts about your line of work.
‘I feel irritated and shattered by the end of the day. I have no time left for myself, I’m running on fumes, yet I just keep grinding away.’ Does this sound familiar? If I don’t change things now, I won’t last. The fun has gone out of it. You want to add value and create, but you’re no longer challenged. It’s all about procedures and rules that must be followed. You’re expected to be flexible, yet the system forces you to be inflexible. You ask yourself: What is happening? What am I actually looking at here? Can I keep this up? What do I want? If you do nothing, you’ll burn out.
Order, yellow sticky notes, and procedures don’t stimulate the brain. They drain you, leave you feeling completely sapped of energy. You used to be so active, but now? Now, you struggle to get anything done. How much longer will you wait? When is enough, enough? What do you need to stay?
“Are you trapped within a rigid framework of expectations? Do you long to have the energy for the things you enjoy, to find fun in your work, to be valuable and feel appreciated, to have room for new ideas, to set boundaries, to receive recognition and appreciation, and to find new challenges in your job?”
Because when you get moving, your brain sparks with new ideas; space opens up to experiment and try new things. You challenge yourself again and find enjoyment in the process. You create your own ‘playing field’, a space where you can rediscover your energy and passion, and where it’s okay to make ‘mistakes.’
Do you dare to step aside so that you can change? Stepping aside doesn’t make you vulnerable; it allows you to view things from a different perspective. You become as strong as the vaulted arches of a church. In South Africa, there’s a saying: ‘Waarom dink iY?’ It’s about stepping back for a moment, finding calm, taking time, and creating room to play. It’s about not taking everything so seriously or letting things weigh you down.
You might not be able to change the circumstances, but you can change how you deal with them. Do you have the guts and the balls to challenge yourself again? To shift your mindset and look toward the future?