Wobbling and fiddling – a manual on sensory sensitivity
When the Dutch book ‘Wiebelen en friemelen in de klas’(translation editor Wobbling and fiddling in class) – about the influence of sensory processing sensitivity on learning was published, my heart skipped a beat. Finally a book that would create more understanding at school for sensory sensitive children. I myself was a highly sensitive child who could not count on any understanding for my sensitivity. The older I became, the more was written on this topic and the more obvious it became that one out of five (!) seems to be (highly) sensitive. Meanwhile I have also become a mother to a highly sensitive strong willed child. This made me study more about highly sensitivity and related topics and researches. I noticed a post on Facebook stating the arrival of Wiebelen en Friemelen Thuis (transl. Wobbling and fiddling at home) about the influence of sensory sensitivity processing on growing up. Again my heart skipped a beat. With this book many parents would become able to understand their child at home.
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THE THINGS YOU CAN ONLY SEE WHEN YOU SLOW DOWN – HAEMIN SUNIM
Every now and then I get a book in my hands that does so much more than just activating my love to read and absorb it’s story.
The things you can only see when you slow down, is such a book. The subtitle is ‘How to be calm in a busy world’ and does exactly that: it calms you. It is not a book that you like to consume eagerly, it’s like a life elixir you want to sip slowly and as long as possible. An exclusive drink offered by Haemin Sunim in small powerful phrases that pull you in the now to experience the momentum. Compliments to the illustrative settings from Youngcheol Lee. His illustrations speak to the soul in a simple and colourful way, to give yourself permission to enjoy the moment. Take time and allow the 8 themes that cover each human life to enter you peacefully: rest, mindfulness, passion, relationships, love, life, the future and spirituality.
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Give love and life permission to carry you
I have always and sincerely expressed my wish to retire at 45. By the time I turned 45 I was disappointed for not having made my wish come true. A disappointment that didn’t last that long, when a friend pointed out to me in just a few words to put me back in shine-mode: ‘You’ve already been retired for a long time, every day you are doing what you love to do.’ He was ab-so-lu-te-ly right! I am known for doing only what I love to do, which makes me feel that I am alive and do the things unconstrained, because I do it with love.
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Feeling centred at work – a manual for (highly) sensitive co-workers
‘Rare
child’, that’s how my Moluccan grandmother would call me.
Rare as in uncommon, as in one of a kind. I was processing more
compared to other toddlers and pre-schoolers. When we would go out to
visit a place, I was able to accurately analyse and place people. In
elementary school I felt safe in my own protecting world and observed
my surrounding from a distance. I am the oldest of seven but still
most people assume I am an only child.
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I’m hungry
Are you excited to start, to accelerate and to innovate your business? I’m hungry is with 100 tips to launch a successful business the best way to get a good taste of what you will be heading for. Co-authors Ruud Hendriks and Patrick de Zeeuw manage to take their readers on their journey of entrepreneurship and share the pitfalls, the pinnacles and insights as a souvenir.
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Groningen, David Bowie, Mompreneurial reflection and Ninja's in the night
Yes you are reading it right. Part of this yearplan from a personal and business perspective is to visit all the capitals of the Dutch 12 provinces in one year.
Living in the ‘Randstad’ Groningen seemed to be the perfect city to start. A bonus was the exhibition David Bowie Is in Groninger museum. His to the audience unexpected passing was reason to delay our trip until a more quiet moment.
I am the kind of mompreneur who loves planning and preparation. So our trip by train, stay at the hotel and the visit to the museum were very well planned and prepared. Unfortunately due to circumstances our departure didn’t go as planned, but the inner crisis manager picked up the phone to make it smooth again.
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Blue bananas
The very first time I heard this title; I couldn’t help but think of the Smurfs. What kind of food in this world, apart from Smurfs ice cream, has a blue colour after all?
I‘ve had the privilege to listen to
Wouter de Vries Jr., one of the writers, during an entrepreneurial event organised by the Dutch Rabobank. Shortly after on Valentines’ day 2014 his book ‘Blue bananas’ slid into my mailbox and ended on my already huge to-read pile.
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Sales is sexy - from resistance to sales to irresistible sales
Recently the book Sales is Sexy arrived in my mailbox and that same evening I rescheduled my planning, so I could take all the time to read it.
I have read many books about sales with exercises, tools and tips. But none of those books had an inviting cover like this one. Was it because of the drawing of a woman and the colour of her silhouette? Anyways the book addressed the entrepreneurial woman in me and I got comfortable soon. As always I scanned the index and the amount of pages: nine chapters and 223 pages.
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Miss Marketing by Mabel Nummerdor and Mijke de Vette
Miss Marketing was sent to me by the Publisher when I was organizing Open Coffee’s in Amsterdam-East. Finally I have read the book in one week. Wow, what an inspiring book it is. I have started to like marketing. I have been able to apply a lot of knowledge this book shares. Normally I write a review for my online library shortly after having read the book. But Miss Marketing is the first book, I did NOT wish to share I know....
I already had changed the business plan for The Social Connector 180 degrees. Amongst others, reading about the four sparks (Relation spark, Teresa spark, Utopia Spark and Atlas Spark) were a confirmation for me that I did the right thing fine tuning the course I had planned.
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Strategy or Stratagem? The general in me is awake!
In 2011 I had the idea to organise an event for and with entrepreneurs. The profit would benefit a charity of a Japanese business consultant and an Israelian artist. These ladies I invited to draft a plan which we could propose to the facilitating party. The calibre of women power I increased by inviting a Mexican business lady for her expertise: strategy. It is great if you know the goal you wish to achieve, but you’ll have a better chance achieving that goal with well thought of strategy and tactics.
What a welcome gift it is when someone would love to play with tin soldiers as a child to whereupon as an adult with a love for strategy he would write a book about strategy: Think like a general (Denken als een generaal).
For twelve days, a chapter a day I walked through history holding Michiel Janzen’s hand to meeet great names in strategy and did I have the privilige to witness moments which eternalized and laurelled their strategy.
Each strategist has a specialism which Michiel Janzen manages to translate to present situation on the work floor and in your own business.
You’ll learn to think creatively like Hannibal. You’ll be introduced to Sun Tzu’s Art of War. Are you a coach? Maybe Micheil de Ruijter can provide you a good strategy for teambuilding.
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Soul connection (Dutch: Zielsverbinding) by - Isabella Sophia
Did it ever happen to you? A pile of books is waiting to be read and one book seems to call you constantly. Usually when I am in a bookstore I just follow my intuition and pick the book which calls my me.
The book calling me this time was sent to me by publisher Elikser. The scream for attention was sol oud that I decided to change the order of books I have to read and starting reading this one.
The first time I closed the book, I realized that the first 143 pages pulled me without any effort into the world of the writer Isabella Sophia. I recognized her life and the words describing the events.
The book also had a magical effect. After reading a chapter for example something would happen in my personal life which connected well to that chapter and sometimes something happened first and was described afterwards in the book.
Soul connection is the first part of Isabella Sophia’s journey to unity. This first part is one which many can relate to. Meeting expectations from others, breaking lose and walking your own choosen path together with the consequences part of it, read like a well kept hidden diary.
Isabella manages to describe with Soul Connection the connection of the soul with the soul of all that lives in situations many can relate to.
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The Seven Stages Of Money Maturity - George Kinder
Would you like to save money, but you did not manage do so till now? Are you being controlled by money and would you like to get in control of money? Do you have a lot of money but do you feel guilty about it? Does money leave faster than it came into your life? Would like to have your finance in order so you can truly enjoy your friend not being chained to money?
It's time to become money mature. The Seven Stages Of Money Maturity offers you 7 steps to money maturity towards your way to freedom. Author George Kinder guides you through each step.
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What does it take to resist the temptations of modern life, to become more productive, to perform better in school and at work, making wiser decisions and experiencing less stress?
Achieving success and a happy life requires two factors: intelligence and self-control. Where your intelligence can hardly be improved, your self-control can even be improved more. Self-control requires willpower. Roy F. Baumeister and his team show that willpower works like a muscle: both can be strengthened with practice and improved over time and decrease when overloaded.
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People often think that customers are just looking for products and services.But those who study what customers really want, discover that customers primarily need solutions. Solutions providing pleasure or solutions removing their 'pain'. To illustrate this essential difference, Jos Burgers uses in this book the striking metaphore of drills and holes. The drills represent the products and services provided, the holes represent the needs and wishes of your customers.
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Last year I got reconnected through Geert Kimpen with a friend from kindergarten and grammar school, Yvonne Zwanenburg, better known as the beautiful singer Yvon Tuinte. Somehow we did not get the chance to see each other irl, until a tweet from Yvon appeared in my time line. She was booked to play in Amsterdam during Judith Webber's new book launch and she wondered if I would come too. I answered I would try to be there, but I of course I planned to go anyway. I just love to surprise people.
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Most people visualize the Pope, the Dalai lama or another religious leader when it comes to the soul of leadership. My father GBHS already told us already at a very young age about the soul of leadership as he interpreted it from the Vedas. Deepak Chopra always reminds me of my father: an oriental being able to build a bridge between East and West.
With his book The Soul of Leadership this bridge has been consolidated again. In previous work Chopra has always managed to use the mysticism of the number 7 as a guide. Chopra ’ s love for great poets is well known and a love he shares with pleasure through social media. Perchance the art of poetry has inspired him to write this book by presenting the content of the book with an acronym:L-E-A-D-E-R-S. In the Dutch version ‘ De ziel van leiderschap ’ maintaining the acronym was not succesful.
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The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
When I was called a Social Connector for the First time I wanted to learn more about that label and I was recommended to read The Tipping Point .
Each of has a role which is special because of that unique talent each of us carry within. With various examples Gladwell points out beautifully in The Tipping Point how a specific person at a specific spot in a specific moment can make an immeasurable difference. Whether you are a 'Social Connector', a 'Maven' or a salesman, all of us contribute to that magical moment in which a product, a service or a person becomes immeasurable trendy or interesting, like an epidemic.
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