Category: Life lessons

It’s about HOW you handle a situation

I have recently taken on a new mindset to deal with continuous struggles. I used to measure how well I was doing based on the circumstances and on how I was feeling. Say I’d have three breakdowns in a week, had been feeling dizzy every day and been awoken by dreams every night, then I’d… Continue reading It’s about HOW you handle a situation

Fitting in Society’s Beauty Standards

Why do we always worry about our appearances? Why do we worry about whether we are dressing up ‘too prettily’ or ‘too fancy’ for the occasion? Why are there certain occasions in which we can’t be that pretty? It’s like there has been a complete flip of rules since I’ve reached young adulthood. As teenagers,… Continue reading Fitting in Society’s Beauty Standards

Overcoming the Fear of Failing

Do you remember participating in sports tournaments during your childhood? Let’s say, a tennis tournament, in my case. Or do you remember participating in a drawing or poetry contest, or did you ever audition for a musical? If I participated in any competition, my parents would tell me: ‘Remember, it doesn’t matter if you win… Continue reading Overcoming the Fear of Failing

I published a book when I was 13 and felt utterly ashamed

On 11 May 2009, I published a novella named ‘Een Moeilijke Kamp Ervaring,’ which directly translates to ‘A difficult camping experience’. I was 13 at the time and felt the utmost compulsion to write this story down as quickly as I could. I believe it only took me a few weeks to write and finish… Continue reading I published a book when I was 13 and felt utterly ashamed

The Art of Drinking and Going Out

For years I struggled with the idea of going out. Entering a place where your shirt sticks to your back and where dozens of people are tipsy or drunk, dancing and shouting over the loud music has never been my idea of fun and certainly not one of comfort. Yet, this seemed to be the… Continue reading The Art of Drinking and Going Out

My Birthday is a Trigger

Birthdays are supposed to be good days; days that you look forward to and wish to celebrate. I liked my birthday a lot when I was a child. Everyone likes receiving presents, eating cake and celebrating with friends, right? I do too, or I used to, at the very least. However, my birthday has turned into… Continue reading My Birthday is a Trigger

Divorce: Rift Between Parent and Child

I always expected my parents to divorce at some point. I didn’t know when, and I thought it had been long overdue, but I was pretty certain it would happen. Naturally, then, when it happened, it was quite unexpected. It was in a year when I thought they were fighting the least. They seemed to… Continue reading Divorce: Rift Between Parent and Child

Expectations are resentments in the making

Expectations are resentments in the making. In other words, expectations have the chance to turn into resentment when they aren’t met. Every relationship comes with expectations. Parents might expect their children to clean up after themselves. Someone might expect to see his/her friend every Friday for the film night. Couples may expect to share all personal… Continue reading Expectations are resentments in the making

Why Sport is Good for My and Your (Mental) Health

From the age of three, until I became an adult, my parents insisted that I participate in at least one sport (of my own choice). This meant that I had at least one training session each week next to the two weekly PE sessions in school. When I was three this was dance aerobics as… Continue reading Why Sport is Good for My and Your (Mental) Health

The benefits of attending Graduation

If any of you have been following my twitter, it must have been clear that graduation has been stressing me out to the point where I wondered if I even want to attend. Graduation is stressful for a few reasons, like… what do I wear? and, will my divorced parents end up fighting or causing… Continue reading The benefits of attending Graduation

Fear of the unknown

I was never one to be scared of my next destination. Many people asked me if I was scared to go to Aberystwyth, and when I answered no, it was met with admiration and surprise. Apparently, it is scary to move from a place that you know to a place that you have never been before.… Continue reading Fear of the unknown