who’s behind all of this anyway?
My name is Lodewijk van den Broek, I was born in 1976 in the Netherlands and I still live there today with my lovely wife Lianne, my son Jesse (born in 2006) and daughter Esmee (born in 2009).
There are endless ways of defining yourself, but most people use their job as their primary choice, so here it goes: Currently I work as a teacher in Business Engineering at the University of Applied Sciences Utrecht. I’m also an entrepreneur and I find my business on the interesting field where creativity, education and internet meet.
For over a decade now, I have been actively seeking learning experiences in the field of personal development. Amongst many other things I’ve been trained in Covey’s 7 habits, personal leadership, and creativity. Also, I’m a certified NLP practitioner.
I’m a life-long-learner. Not by choice, it’s just the way I’m wired. Collecting knowledge and skills – and hopefully transforming them into wisdom one day – is what I like to do the most. If I can’t learn something, I’m losing energy.
On a level that’s closer to my core, my life revolves around five core values:
Love – Freedom – Fun – Authenticity – Growth
Those five little words influence everything I do. They drive my energy, they influence my well-being, they guide my decisions. So out of the endless ways there are to describe yourself, the one I prefere would be:
I’m a guy that wants to have fun in growing in all aspects of life, rooted in a strong basis of inner awareness and inner and outer freedom, while sharing his love with the people in his heart.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you mr.Broek. sometimes you just need material to tell you what you obviously need to do. but thanks really. i’m about 9months in my first job and i am feeling, how you say, lost. college was a very idealistic place where there was focus and a clear picture of the finish line. i’m finding many distractions being out of it, but yes, never stop fighting or better be dead.
Risking to have this comment deleted, I just want to say that I was laughing so much when I clicked on “about” and got the delightful message that there is a menu for a reason. I really like your blog (yeah yeah I got that same spam message on my blogs too) and the way you think. I like your core values of Love, Freedom, Fun, Authenticity, Growth and wonder whether you have them in this order. Probably. In my experience it’s not so often that Love is at the top. It’s only there when the person had an extraordinary experience of Love and it shaped their live. I think it’s shaping my life as we speak.
Hi Lodewijk,
I recently subscribed to your terrific blog, but when I receive the emails they seem to crash my mail program, Microsoft’s Entourage. I’m not sure why. Just thought you’d like to know. I’m just figuring out what the heck feeds are and I might start linking into your site that way instead. Not to up on the whole feed reader thing but working on it.
Cheers,
Katie
Hi Lodewijk,
I love what you’re up to with your site. And the way you’ve been spending your time is really intriguing. I have been learning a lot about NLP lately and am curious what some of your resources have been. I first got exposed through Tony Robbins’ work a number of years ago. Very fascinating stuff. I’d love to hear more about how you’ve been learning.
Congrats on all you’ve done so far.
-Scott
Hi Scott,
Tony Robbins was my first exposure too, I read about NLP in his books. Then I read some more by some Dutch authors, and eventually I decided to do the course and become an NLP Practitioner. I really liked it, but I have yet to take the next step and do the course to become NLP Master Practitioner.
If you want to learn more about NLP, I really suggest doing the course. It’s quite an investment, but you’ll get to the bottom of what NLP is about in all aspects, not just the fancy self-help guru type NLP material
- Lodewijk
Just discovered your site Lodewijk – great stuff. This niche is so over run with phonies, it’s so refreshing to find someone talking from a *sincere* level. Hope to get the time to get more from you soon.
Thanks Ben! Your comment couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time. I’ve been thinking about how to balance all my online activities and the role of this blog in it, and your comment might just play an important role in that process. Thanks!
Hi Lodewijk,
Fun commonalities going on here! First, I’ve been appreciating you for awhile for all the help you offer in the A-list Blogger Club. Then, I was appreciating just now your article there about feeds, and the fact that you drew a picture because I’ve been thinking I need a picture for my “about my blog” page. (See, I was a software engineer for a few decades, and I think I kinda need a picture!)3rd, the reason for THAT is because I’m doing the current bootcamp and discovering I really need to get more down and dirty about what I REALLY want to write about (which means re-doing my about, etc.) which is — guess what — being authentic, being who we are, etc. — kind of like what I see you do on your blog! Also, I’ve got some of Bandler’s books that I play around with now and then.
So, long story longer, I have subscribed! I’m looking forward to hanging out here a little!
And the bean is just too cute/clever. I get it.
Cheers,
Patti
Lo,
Not sure how I stumbled upon your blog and don’t really care. Just glad I did!
“I’m a life-long-learner. Not by choice, it’s just the way I’m wired. Collecting knowledge and skills – and hopefully transforming them into wisdom one day – is what I like to do the most. If I can’t learn something, I’m losing energy.”
That is who I am 100 percent and could not have articulated it any better. Glad there are people out there who share my passion and wiring for learning.
Wish you the best.
Danny