hi everybody and welcome thank you for
coming so today I’m gonna talk about
uncertainty and we have that question
what is uncertainty well to make it
simple if certainty is something we know
uncertainty is something we don’t know
uncertainty is an intrinsic
characteristic of our human existence it
has been always there it is timeless and
it is changeless we can’t fight it
however our mind doesn’t really like
uncertainty when the mind is confronted
with the unknown it can get a scared and
anxious and a phenomena can occur is
what I call the monkey mind so here on
the slide you can see a few monkeys you
can pick the favorite one like the one
you like the most and this monkeys
resemble what we call the monkey mind
yeah so when the monkey mind is
activated we are gonna go into thinking
from one potential negative scenario to
the next in fear what about what can go
wrong and the nature of the mind is to
think is normal to think that is neutral
the problem comes when we get in that
endless preparing in our mind in a
negative mindset so the way we operate
the way we use our mind is going to
affect our happiness now the difference
between our ancestors and us is that now
we have access to a lot of information
we can go to the Internet at anytime
anywhere we have books you have movies
we have access to scientific discoveries
they didn’t do that they didn’t have
that and this has been great it has
allowed us to do amazing things but it’s
a lot of food for the brain so when we
get in fear and we don’t know what is
gonna happen in the unknown we can use
all that information and we get worried
and pondering and wandering in our minds
so uncertainty in itself doesn’t create
or destroy happiness
but the way we navigate the world the
way we navigate an uncertain and unknown
world is gonna define the way we feel
how happy we feel in here I have another
slide so in this is light I want to show
you something so when they are known
like the mind is confronted with unknown
we talk about that monkey man right
so if we are in that monkey mind we
produce negative thoughts and those
thoughts are going to be reflected in
here in the part that I call mine and
then we have the other part that I call
heart feelings and these two are
connected they are constantly talking to
each other yeah in a conversation that
goes really really fast when we think a
negative thought a signal will be sent
to our heart in a feeling of
preoccupation or worry will kicking off
here then a signal will be sent back to
the mind producing another thought that
it will be most likely even more
negative than the previous one sending a
signal to the heart and letting us feel
even more sad or more preoccupied or
more concern and that goes on and on and
if we do that we are gonna feel
obviously like the right icon sad yeah
or worried we are in that monkey mind
when that happens our energy goes down
we don’t feel like doing things our
immune system also goes low we can get
sick we can create sickness and we are
taking away joy from the present moment
because we are here with our body but in
our mind we are somewhere else we are
pondering we are wondering about
something else also we are affecting
other people even though they cannot
read our mind or how we feel they are
going to feel our energy it that is
important however this conversation can
be totally different and instead of
positive in a negative one can be a
positive one so when we face the unknown
with an open heart and with an open mind
we start producing positive thoughts and
for every positive
we are sending a signal to the heart
letting us feel motivated enthusiastic
we feel like doing things and from the
heart we send another signal to the mind
that it will most likely create another
positive thought sending a signal to the
heart and letting us feel even better so
that conversation is a good one
letting us feel good that were a state
of being improves when that happens our
immune system is up we don’t get sick
and we are fully engaging with the
things we are doing right now so if you
are camping and playing tennis you are
there and not you’re not worrying about
something else and you’re also passing
on the energy the positive energy that
you have with others now how do we go
from a monkey mind negative talk to a
positive one how do we go from the first
to the second something that has helped
me is yoga meditation in mindfulness I
don’t have time today to talk about
these techniques because we only have 18
minutes but have you ever heard about
meditation mindfulness yeah so I want
you to do an experiment right now step
back and think in feed your thinking are
you aware of what you are thinking right
now maybe you are thinking about what
I’m saying or you’re thinking about
dinner but there is an awareness that is
the watcher and that is aware of what
you are thinking right yeah so that is
the important thing
mindfulness and meditation are based on
that you become a watcher so you are not
anymore
living what you are thinking the stories
you are telling yourself and what you
are feeling all of the sudden you are
the touch and you gain control of our of
your mind you find a space of calmness
in peace where you can actually choose
what you want to be thinking you start
choosing to generate positive thoughts
empowering affirmations that allow you
to do the things you love
when you are in their mind frame you are
able to get out there in my offense to
your passions do what you love you
choose and you can be in their mind sir
something I wanted to talk to you about
today is what we call the comfort zone
and we all heard about the comfort zone
and it’s comfortable because the word
says that is comfortable but that
doesn’t mean that is good for us
we’re staying what we know in our habits
because it’s comfortable we may want to
do things in a different way or try
something new but we stop ourself
because of the monkey mind because we
are listening to that negative
chattering I give you a few examples we
may stay in relationships that are not
good for us because it’s comfortable
maybe we are afraid of being alone or we
don’t know we are gonna find a new
partner
we’re staying our hometown not just
because we love our hometown but it’s
because you don’t know if you’re gonna
manage in another country they speak a
different language it’s completely
different you’re scared so we keep
ourselves in situations or we don’t try
something new because we are afraid the
other day I went for lunch with a friend
of mine she’s a lovely girl and she’s
working for a very well-known
international brand but she’s not
enjoying her job anymore
so she started this online course in
natural cosmetics he’s doing something
that she really loves and she wants to
start her own business her own brand but
soon after his pressed her doubt she’s
not sure if the logo is good enough she
doesn’t know the company name is good if
the product is going to be competitive
or if she’s gonna be making enough money
and those are all reasonable question
marks invalid doubts but I wonder how
much time is gonna take her to do what
she loves
how long is gonna take her to a star
Festinger passion and this is not the
first time I heard this story friends
students and clients in another
countries from another backgrounds find
themselves in similar situations they
feel something inside they really want
to do something with what they love but
they stop themselves because of
self-doubt because what is gonna happen
next and what if I kind of manage and I
have been also in that situation in
something that really helped me and that
still helps me today is we have one life
I mean if you are religious with your
Buddhist maybe we are gonna be
regulating another body but in this body
like I am right now
I have one life Steffie one life that’s
what I tell myself and I don’t know if
I’m going to last 20 years 30 years or
60 if I keep being healthy hopefully
yeah but I want to make the most out of
this I really don’t want to have regrets
because we all deserve to have a full
life where we can manifest our passions
what we do what we love six years ago I
used to live in the Netherlands in that
rainy country in Holland I loved Holland
oh I live in Amsterdam and I work as a
producer in an advertising agency and I
used to work part-time as a spinning
instructor and I also did life coaching
my life was busy and hectic and from the
outside you could even say he was rich
and great but something was lacking
inside I was lacking meaning I knew that
my heart’s calling was in teaching in
coaching in making a difference in
people’s life however I was spending a
lot of time in the office working behind
the computer and talking to clients
doing things that were not meaningful to
me also I was afraid of traveling on my
own I mean I travel the world but not on
my own and that’s because one of the
reasons is because I’m afraid of flying
yes I’m still afraid of flying I get
sweaty hands
and I get pretty shaky and very nervous
when I’m up there and the playing is
turbulent so I end up maybe calling the
speaker desk or even holding the hand of
my next passenger or than of my neighbor
and I really mean it at that point in my
life I really wanted to travel but that
was in my head and it was to stopping me
at one moment I decided to put a dot I
quit my job and I thought I’m gonna do
this I’m gonna leave this job that I’m
not enjoying that is not fulfilling and
I’m gonna go traveling I step on a plane
I rented my house in Holland and I went
to India I did a yoga teaching training
in India and after that I went to
Southeast Asia and Australia traveling
for about eight months it was amazing I
met beautiful people
I saw wonderful places and I learned a
lot and it was good that I didn’t plan
anything in my return because I didn’t
really want to go back to Holland
I love Hamsterdam but it’s rainy and
it’s gray and that doesn’t really fit me
I want to wear my flip-flops and my
dresses so I thought I’m gonna live in
Bali and I’m gonna teach yoga and that’s
what I did but of course life is
uncertain so one day I got a text
message from my tenants in the
Netherlands saying that they didn’t want
to pay the rent that it was too high I
didn’t quite understand because I was
not making profit they knew that I was
just covering my mortgage I was confused
so I called them back but they never
pick up the phone I call a few friends
and I end up talking to a lawyer a
friend that is a lawyer to find out that
I was actually in trouble and that in
order to get my house back I had to go
back to the Netherlands so I put
everything on hold I left everything in
Bali and I flew back to Holland I step
on that plane again yes and then as soon
as I landed I went straight to my house
and I rang the bell but nobody opened
the door
a few times and nobody open the door so
I decided to take the keys and open the
door myself but the locks were change so
I panic my monkey mind went crazy
I totally lost it and I went not only
one day later what was gonna have in the
future it was a drama I didn’t have a
job you know I didn’t have a house and I
didn’t have much money in my savings
account the weeks to come were tough I
stay at friends and they were tough but
I was doing a lot of yoga and meditation
at the time and one day I decided to
surrender to a set what was happening
and embrace it to believe that things
were gonna resolve one day in things
resolved things changed and one day I
got back my house now this was a tough
experience at one day night it was
difficult however it taught me insights
that allow me to be where I am today in
some of these insights I want to share
with you this evening
the first one is no matter how much you
plan the life is gonna throw you things
good and bad is going to surprise you
and you are never going to be ready for
it
so it makes little sense to be in that
monkey mind worrying about all kind of
things that may not ever happen the
second is to embrace to accept and to
surrender to whatever comes on your path
to know that you can handle it the third
one is to believe in something bigger
than yourself to have faith we all can
do our best but then you have to let go
of the outcome and believe that things
are gonna unfold the way they supposed
to for your highest good I never thought
I would be living in Hong Kong in Asia
making a living out of the things I love
I also didn’t plan to be here with you
this evening but life is uncertain and
therefore magical
we keep an open heart and open mind and
remind we remind ourselves to keep a
positive mindset we can face anything in
life can bring amazing amazing things at
the end of the day the most important
thing is to have a life with meaning
with purpose whatever that is maybes to
become a good dad maybe you want to
write a book you want to travel the
world or you want to spend a lot of time
with your family whatever that is stay
close to that truth
do not let fears and insecurities talk
you down at the end real success happens
when you look back at your life and you
don’t have regrets you know you have
done your best we all feel the fear you
and you you and me but we need to move
beyond it we need to move beyond there
and by following our passions our dreams
and what we love we can inspire others
to do the same so that together we break
through fear and we create a happier world thank you