It’s not about what you can take out of life. Rather, it’s about what you can give.
Generosity and selflessness are traits that are hard to come by these days. It seems that the average person living in 2026 has forgotten what ecosystem we are all part of.
Sure, life is hard. That’s what we hear. But f*ck that. Life is not that hard at all. We are living such abundant lives compared to the past, and compared to most of the people on this Planet.
More and more I am discovering that abundance does not arise from always having more. Rather, I would go as far to say that abundance is measured in what we deny ourselves. Deny yourself that extra food, that drink, that smoke. Deny yourself that harmful behavior that harms our ecosystems, our fellow human beings, and - ultimately - our own state of mind.
The void proves the whole. The negative the positive. The shadow proves the sunshine. Not doing, saying or accepting something can often enhance our lives. The empty space defines the solid.
I often catch myself thinking “what, if only, I did not just do what I just did”? It would make my life that much better and my mind that much clearer.
The abundance of life is measured in what we deny ourselves. Give more. Take less.
During our short lifetime on this Planet, we are taking more than ever before: energy, resources, water, food. And then we die. We owe the Planet well beyond life. There is an open balance left to be paid. The next generations are being saddled with that bill.
So, what I implore everyone to do - and we share this message through our brand - is to think less in what one can take in this lifetime, and more in what one can give. To be generous. To be selfless. To be gracious. To live a life that, at the end of it all, leaves the world with a positive balance. Is that too much to ask?
Thank you to my dear friend Jonas Kooyman for inviting me on a weekend semi-offline at Quinta do Pinheiro. Thank you to Monique Snoeijen who so generously let us stay at her tranquil oasis 🦜
I am inspired by generous people. My biggest inspiration forever being my Oma, the most selfless and generous person to have ever walked this Earth.
My brother and I are about to launch a bio-based flip flop, starting with aspirational hotel brands and then offering them to the general market. The idea is simple. We love to travel. We love to leave our comfort zone and venture into the unknown, raw natural places on Earth. But we are realizing that the more we travel, the less there is left to see. We are taking from mother Nature. With our brand, Primal, we offer high quality, durable footwear solutions that minimize the footprint we leave behind while maximizing comfort while doing so. B Corp Certified and made in Portugal, Primal is setting out to change the way we travel. One step at a time.
Together we stand for discovery without destruction. Join us on our journey!
