by Nynke Bos | October 2017
I loved my job!!! For 10 years I worked as a primary school teacher for children with Special Needs. Often these children struggle with understanding their emotions and the interactions of the world around them.
Through my work I discovered that I had a natural ability to see what skills needed to be developed in each child and was able to help them build a mental toolbox so they could navigate more easily through daily interaction.
Everything changed after the birth of my own children. I continued to work, but it became clear that the demands of life at home and work were too much. I felt exhausted at work and agitated towards my toddlers at home. I wasn’t enjoying my life as much as I wanted to – passion, joy and energy were distant memories.
It was time to make changes in my life, but I was scared to take the first step.
After the birth of our third child, my wife and I chose to follow our hearts and make our dream come true.
I did it! I quit my job!
Scared and exhilarated - We moved to Laos to live, work - and not work- for one year. Our children went to a local kindergarten where they were taught yoga, meditation and where they sang English songs every day. We fully enjoyed every single moment of our lives.
The opportunity gave us the gift of time to overview our goals, our lifestyle and to make plans for our future back in Holland. It was during this time, our sabbatical year, that we knew living within a “grey city” no longer served us. I decided to start a business of my own.
Today, I live with my family in a small village near the forest. I am a children’s yoga teacher and mindfulness trainer. Every day I enjoy my life!
Ingrid van der Straaten has been a true inspiration to me. With her courage and the choices she made to change her life, giving up everything she owned, starting all over again, so that she could share her knowledge and kindness with people who really need it. She followed her heart and made her dreams come true!
I would love to encourage woman to do whatever feels right for them. Even though it isn’t the most logical or seemingly ‘wise’ thing to do. When you know and acknowledge that you need a change the right thing will cross your path…………. grab the opportunity with both hands, create the possibilities yourself to make it happen.
Nynke Bos is the founder of Kinderyoga en Mindfulness Dieren, author of “Verstoppertje in de tempel - een jaar wonen en werken in Laos (via bol.com)” and she writes columns/blogs on Kiind.nl (in Dutch). You can find her on Facebook too: Kinderyoga en Mindfulness in Dieren.