“Let us loosen our grip sometimes, open up and break free from the corroded mechanism of our life, and let us thereby indulge in living by the seat-of-the-pants allowing unclouded and eye-opening rides. (“Digging for white gold »)” LifeMechanismIndulgeEye OpeningBreak FreeCorrodeWhite GoldLive By The Seat Of The PantsLoosen One S Grip Author:Erik Pevernagie
“When we lose the pieces of the wayward mechanism of our life and can’t walk our own walk anymore, we can’t but turn back the clock for a while and detect the hitch, to find out where things went wrong. ( “Wonder what went wrong “ )” LifeWonderMechanismLoseWalkWaywardGo WrongHitchTurn Back The Clock Author:Erik Pevernagie
“When we travel beyond the rushing surface of life, we can enter intentional time and feel the lived experience of now.( " Just for a moment")” Lived ExperienceJust For A MomentBeyond The Rushing SurfaceExperience Of NowIntentional Time Author:Erik Pevernagie
“When the tension between "being" and "becoming" is too high, we may be caught in the cycle of perpetual yearning and remain locked in a state of potentiality, forever suspended between wish and fulfillment. If we refuse to commit to concrete steps toward self-actualization, we risk losing our ability to truly engage with the world. ("Like a fallen star")” WishBecomingTensionYearningBeingSelf ActualizationPotentialityLike A Fallen StarEngage With The World Author:Erik Pevernagie
“Let us not be devastated by the grim wings of fear fluttering in the twisting patches of our minds. By empowering the dynamic force of our brainwaves, we can stir the lame blots to overturn the hinders of fear and give rise to confidence and creativity. (“Fear of the white page”)” CreativityEmpoweringGrimDevastatedFlutteringCofidenceBrainwavesFear Of The White PageBlot Author:Erik Pevernagie
“When we have the knack for listening to ourselves and hearing ourselves out without flinching, we can throw down willful deafness and self-deceit and meet up with our authentic selves. (“Like a frozen image“)” ListenAuthentic SelfKnackSelf DeceitFrozen ImageHearing OutWillful DeafnessWithout Flinching Author:Erik Pevernagie
“Postmen have a legendary aura. A ring at the doorbell may inflame a sense of expectation, suspense, secrecy, hazard or even intrigue. Ringing twice may imply a warning that trouble is on the way or an appeal to make the coast clear. Not all mailmen, though, will ring twice and await an eye-catching Lana Turner, whom they can whisper: "With my brains and your looks, we could go places.” ("The postman always rings twice")” LooksTroubleSuspenseWarningCoastIntrigueSecrecySenseLegendaryExpectationBrainsPostmanWhisperRingAuraMailmanAppealTwiceHazardRingingInflameEye CatchingAwaitOn The WayDoorbellLana TurnerGo PlacesRing TwiceImply Author:Erik Pevernagie
“Wallowing on the smooth surface of their self-satisfaction, many are merely counting the shadows on the wall of their ennui, adding up the numerous illusions and indulging in the comforting lies and ignoring the unpleasant truths. (“Bread and Satellite”)” BreadIllusionsTruthsEnnuiSatelliteUnpleasantWallowSelf SatisfactionComforting LiesShadows On The Wall Author:Erik Pevernagie
“When we are enclosed by misperceptions and unable to break free into clear communication or mutual understanding, we must demine the brushwoods of controversial and thorny issues. ("Imbroglio")” Mutual UnderstandingMisperceptionClear CommunicationControversial IdeasThorny ProblemsImbrogliosBrushwoodsDemine Author:Erik Pevernagie
“If love is not tied to a desire for reciprocity or mutual recognition, we should make no emotional investment, leaving behind only memories of lost hope or broken promises. ("Poste Restante")” LoveMemoriesReciprocityBroken PromisesMutual UnderstandingLost HopeEmotional InvestmentPoste RestanteMutual Recognition Author:Erik Pevernagie
“Some details in life may look insignificant but appear to be vital leitmotifs in a person's life. They may have the value of "Rosebuds" of Citizen Kane or "Madeleine cookies" of Marcel Proust or "Strawberry fields" of the Beatles. People regularly walk down the memory lane of their early youth. The paper boats of their childhood are recurrently floating on the waves of their mind and bring back the mood and the spirit of the early days. They enable us to retreat from the trivial, daily worries and can generate delightful bliss and true joy in a sometimes frantic and chaotic life. ("Paper boats forever" )” LifeMindJoySpiritChildhoodFieldsYouthValueDetailsMoodBlissRetreatDelightfulFloatingInsignificantCookiesChaoticWavesFranticDailyWorriesThe BeatlesVitalRosebudsTrivialMarcel ProustCitizen KaneStrawberryMemory LaneMadeleinePaper BoatsWalk DownBring BackLeitmotif Author:Erik Pevernagie
“Life is a conjurer’s trick that may become a playground for multifarious side-splitting acts; sometimes a showdown for a series of torturous, off the wall questions or often a terrain for tragic miscalculations. ("Wheeling and dealing." )” LifeOff The WallPlaygroundShowdownMiscalculationTorturousConjurer S TrickMultifariousSide Splitting Author:Erik Pevernagie
“As some find picking on people a treasured entertainment, ‘recreational bullying’ has become their devious tool, to satisfy an exhibitionist urge to outdo themselves, by dredging up acerbic stories for score-settling and airing dirty laundry. ("On a doggy day")” EntertainmentBullyingExhibitionistRecreationalDoggyAcerbicAiring Dirty LaundryScoresettlingTo Dredge UpTo Outdo Oneself Author:Erik Pevernagie
“Instead of kneading our habits into irreversible certainties and fidgeting in the boredom of our comforts, let us fantasy and creativity come to their own and brighten our days. ("Skyward, over and above")” CreativityFantasyBoredomHabitsIrreversibleFidgetingSkywardBrightenComfortsKnead Author:Erik Pevernagie
“Reconciling 'now' and 'before' can challenge our sense of identity and continuity. It often proves to be a chaotic process. (“Disruption”)” NowBeforeSense Of IdentityReconcilingChaotic ProcessContinuaty Author:Erik Pevernagie
“Finding the happy medium between what our brain tells us, what our mind inspires us, and what our heart instills is our paramount challenge in life.( "Poste Restante" )” LifeChallengeParamountPoste RestanteHappy MediumOur Brain TellsOur Heart InstillsOur Mind Inspires Author:Erik Pevernagie
“We do well to be our paramount ‘significant one’. Being our best friend entails respecting ourselves, recognizing our way of living and accepting what we are and how we are. It can give us the power to understand and appreciate the others. ("Being my best friend").” Best FriendParamountUnderstanding OthersAcceptance Of OneselfAppreciating PeopleWay Of LivingWhat We AreRespect OneselfHow We AreSignificant One Author:Erik Pevernagie
“In the "game" of life, rules maintain social cohesion, allowing for shared understanding and participation. They build the framework within which we can interact tellingly, and they can procure enjoyment, giving structure to chaos. ("When forgetting the rules of the game")In the "game" of life, rules maintain social cohesion, allowing for shared understanding and participation. They build the framework within which we can interact tellingly, and they can procure enjoyment, giving structure to chaos. ("When forgetting the rules of the game")” ChaosEnjoymentGame Of LifeInteractSocial CohesionShared Understanding Author:Erik Pevernagie
“Many people cannot love themselves because they only love the illusions that they make of themselves. They merely like to wallow around in the narcissistic cocoon delusively constructed with the bits and pieces of their deceptions. ("Being my best friend" )” LoveNarcissisticIllusionsDeceptionsCocoonWallowBeing My Best FriendDelusive Author:Erik Pevernagie
“Woe betides anyone getting in the way of people that keep on muddying the waters, throwing up smoke screens and clouding issues, so as to conceal their dubious motivations. ("Could the milkman be the devil?")” MotivationDevilDubiousMilkmanConcealThrow UpSmoke ScreensWoe BetidesClouding IssuesGet In The WayMuddy The Waters Author:Erik Pevernagie
“Let us drop our 'tin ear' and listen to the sounds of the 'real' world veiled beyond our inattention, and overwhelmed by the smoke and mirrors of superficiality. ("Like a frozen image")” Real WorldOverwhelmedSuperficialitySoundsInattentionSmoke And MirrorsFrozen ImageTin EarVeiled Author:Erik Pevernagie
“If we feel incarcerated in the trenches of viral wars, let us not give way to a defensive ‘fear’ reflex or offensive ‘rage’ reflex but let us follow our orienting ‘adventure’ reflex and explore the numerous paths to a new reality. ("Corporeal prison")” OffensiveTrenchesDefensiveNew RealityCorporeal PrisonIncarceratedOrienting ReflexFear ReflexRage ReflexViral War Author:Erik Pevernagie
“Let us cultivate understanding and accept that everyone's journey is different. Let us recognize the identity and listen to the inner voice of people who fall outside the traditional boundaries. In a dynamic society where social norms are persistently recalibrated, we must expect flexibility and tolerance. (On a Doggy Day)” IdentityToleranceFlexibilityInner VoiceDifferent JourniesOn A Doggy DayCultivate UnderstandingRecalibrat Author:Erik Pevernagie
“When we feel fractured, redundant and nonessential, only bouncing back from lowliness may brighten up the story of our life. In this endeavor, “otherness” might lend a helping hand in making the road less parching. (“He did not know that she knew”)” EndeavorKnowRoadStory Of My LifeOthernessRedundantLowlinessLend A HandBounce BackFracturedNonessentialBrighten UpParching Author:Erik Pevernagie
“Instead of remaining stuck amidst the ruins of the past, mired in unfulfilled hopes and unrealized ambitions, and focusing solely on what has failed, we must look outward and forward to confront challenges head-on and harness our inner strength and resilience. ( "The world was somewhere else")” ResilienceInner StrengthLook ForwardLook OutwardRuins Of The PastThe World Was Somewhere ElseUnfulfilled Hopes Author:Erik Pevernagie
“Let us not ruminate on lost cases, creating imaginary scenarios of spite and revenge. Let us honor our valuable mental time, follow a positive road instead, and dump barren and gnawing resentments and destructive anger. ("The umbrella")” AngerRevengeSpiteImaginaryScenariosResentmentsGnawingRuminateMental Time Author:Erik Pevernagie
“Let us not be afraid of confronting our inner truths if we want to keep our actions in line with the values we uphold in our lives. Let us, on no account, wittingly trick the core of our being. ("Digging for white gold")” ActionsLife ValuesInner TruthDigging For White GoldThe Core Of Our Being Author:Erik Pevernagie
“Carpe diem: Enjoying the "instants" as they emerge. When living is too comfy or glitzy, it may not be easy to appreciate the humblest things in life. Being happy with the small gifts we receive can be a bliss, but we can, even more, expand it through voluntary action and exalting Voltaire's words, "today, I have decided to be happy." (« Is that all there is?")” HumbleHappyCarpe DiemVoltaireEnjoyingIs That All There IsComfyGlitzyVoluntary Action Author:Erik Pevernagie
“When the leaden haze of our lives starts cracking and tearing, and the forlornness and torpor in our minds are smoldering into ashes, we can softly hear the sounds of a new dawn and learn to pick up the magic of the words that make us understood among our neighbors.( "Life was a misunderstanding")” MagicWordsMisunderstandingNew DawnTorporSmolderingForlornessLeaden Haze Author:Erik Pevernagie
“One day it may feel as if energy and enthusiasm are quenched, feelings dried up and emotions scorched, love and affection tangled in a harsh and uninviting setting. Nothing seems to grow anymore. No seed. No flowers. No foreseeable hope. No conceivable prospects. Any blossom of expectation seems to have become an illusion and life appears to have come to a standstill. If no seed of loving care is sown in the untilled, abandoned land, no bud can come into flower. Singer Amy Winehouse felt like lying fallow in the ground of a wasteland "with tears dry, dying a hundred times, going back to black" and leaving eventually for a place of ultimate sorrow and heartbreak, for a point of no return. ( “Amour en friche” )” LoveLifeFeelingsCareHopeTearsSorrowHeartbreakEmotionsIllusionAffectionExpectationWastelandFallowPoint Of No ReturnAmy Winehouse Author:Erik Pevernagie
“Espere" in Spanish, is the one word covering two meanings: "waiting" and "hoping". If life, however, offers no expectation or prospect, waiting represents time "wasted”. Waiting needs a future. If not, time is condemned to be "killed". In the event that we are lost in a gap of boredom and despair, we are driven back in a vacuum of senselessness and deadlocked in a point of nothingness. We are, so therefore, bound to watch the agony of "time". ("Waiting for a place behind the geraniums " )” LifeTimeLostWaitingFutureDespairDrivenBoredomNeedAgonyNothingnessWordSpanishExpectationWatchKilledPointHopingGapMeaningsBoundVacuumWastedSenselessnessCondemnedProspectThereforeGeraniumsDeadlocked Author:Erik Pevernagie
“Life is an intricate play with actors waiting for an explanation. Each added act confers a new interpretation of the story. ( "Waiting for the pieces to fall into place" )” LifePlayActorsStoryInterpretationAct Author:Erik Pevernagie
“We perceive the world through the rear window of life, observe all the puzzles and little pieces of our existence and assemble them in a comprehensive pattern. This allows us to reassess and evaluate our world view. ( "Waiting for the pieces to fall into place" )” WorldLifeExistencePuzzlesWorldview Author:Erik Pevernagie
“Some people look as if they have lost their eagerness and passion. Their aspiration seems to be exhausted and fresh inspiration has abandoned their weary mind. Life has boundlessly given them material welfare, which has fully spoiled them in the end. No energy for longing has been left, as they have reached a twilight zone. The twilight of desire. ( "Twilight of desire" )” LifeMindInspirationDesirePassionEnergyLongingWelfareTwilight Author:Erik Pevernagie
“When questioning ourselves, we must identify, where we are heading to. Do we prefer our life to remain untitled. Will we stand bare and naked without dressing any expectations or do we decide to interact with the world around. Will we play a part on the stage of life or do we choose to remain simply a chapter without heading, an episode without caption, an untitled interval. ("Life untitled" )” WorldLifeExpectationsNakedChooseCaptionIdentifyChapterInteractBareEpisodeHeadingIntervalPlay A RoleUntitled Author:Erik Pevernagie
“Many cannot understand how to maneuver, getting out of black holes, but it is, up and above, still much more important to learn how to avoid falling into the trap of getting into deep water or being palmed off buckets with a hole. (“Step on the gas”)” BucketsBlack HolesManeuverPalm OffStep On The GasGetting Into Deep Water Author:Erik Pevernagie
“In the rough-and-tumble play of politics, dog-whistle messages are copiously dispatched over the heads of the grassroots people that cannot see the writing on the wall and have to remain in the cold, like dumb puppets on a string. ("What after bowling alone?" )” PoliticsMessagesDumbWriting On The WallCopiouslyDispatchedDog WhistlePuppets On A StringGrassroots PeopleOver The HeadsRemain In The ColdRough And Tumble Play Author:Erik Pevernagie
“We are sometimes astounded by the behavior of emotional outlaws, as they act in line with their own standards, but proceed like bulls-in-a-china-shop, create one heck of a mess in their living environment and bring about shocking disturbing dissensions, ever since their inner construction clashes with our emotional architecture. (“Disruption”)” EmotionalBehaviorStandardsArchitectureShockingCreateDisturbingDisruptionDissensionAstoundedProceedAct In LineBulls In A China ShopClash WithEmotional OutlawsInner ConstructionLiving EnvironmentOne Heck Of A Mess Author:Erik Pevernagie
“Our shadow is simultaneously our past and "inner child," representing the essence of our vulnerability, creativity, and emotional core shaped by our experiences. It is our best friend, guiding us through the vagaries of life, giving us expectations, and opening new skylines. (“Not without my shadow »)” PastShadowVulnerabilityBest FriendExperiencesInner ChildNot Without My ShadowEmotional Core Author:Erik Pevernagie
“It takes our breath away when we see how many cards some people have got up their sleeves. Using deceptive or manipulative tactics, they are out to gain our confidence or take advantage of our inattention. “Chicanery” operates in the dark net but is often also undisguised. Its maneuver ground is so impenetrable and the strategy so unpredictable that it has, undoubtedly, become an arresting buzzword in our world. (“The infinite Wisdom of Meditation“)” MeditationUnpredictableInattentionChicaneryInfinite WisdomBuzzwordsDark NetUndisguisedManeuver GroundManipulative Tactics Author:Erik Pevernagie
“When we calculate risks and incentives and align our desires with reality to achieve inner peace, we may reach self-mastery. Precision offers clarity and reduces insecurity. But we must not ignore the emotional bonds with the lived experience of love and joy. They often transcend metrics, preferring a balance between a rational approach and the priorities of our intuition. (“ Measuring space »)” Peace Of MindSelf MasteryPrecisionLived ExperienceLove And JoyMeasuring SpaceDesires And RealityRatio And IntuitionRisks And Incentives Author:Erik Pevernagie
“People live on the flow of the daily reality and they surge on the waves of hazy expectations. They can experience pleasant junctures and try to catch and enjoy each special moment that is offered to them. Until life takes them by surprise.” LifeRealitySurpriseMomentExpectation Author:Erik Pevernagie
“Dwelling among shipwrecked dreams and losing oneself in wishful thinking cannot be a solution to tribulations. Identifying cracks and apprehending the defaults in one's life is essential to find a way to get out of a ghetto and to start a search for a new haven. ("The world was somewhere else" )” LifeDreamsCracksGhettoDefaultIdentifyingHavenShipwrecked Author:Erik Pevernagie
“When the brain becomes too tired, the mind stops decrypting the perceptions in our mental world and surrenders willingly to the unguarded moments of life. For some time, the safeguards of our thinking pattern weaken and discontinue the decoding of the chips of daily reality. The mind picks the instants which are above suspicion, pure and innocent. ("Uber alle Gipfeln ist Ruh" )” ThinkingWorldLifeMindRealityTimeBrainPureTiredSurrenderInnocentInstantSuspicionMentalMomentDailyPerceptionsPatternPickWeakenWillinglyChipDecodingSafeguardsUnguardedDecryptingDiscontinue Author:Erik Pevernagie
“When we are smitten, we await love to be “remontant” and to be blooming over and over again”, like remontant roses, with blossoms scenting through all the seasons of life. Passion and patience are to be good allies, though.” LoveLifePassionSeasonsPatienceAlliesScentRosesBloomingSmittenBlossomsAwaitRemontantRemontant Roses Author:Erik Pevernagie
“Life can be a misunderstanding, if we are ignorant of the right language or don’t try to learn it. « If lions could speak, we would not understand them. » says Ludwig Wittgenstein. If we make an effort, however, we could manage to understand. ( “ Life was a misunderstanding » )” LifeSpeakLanguageEffortIgnorantLionsLearnMisunderstandingUnderstandLudwig Wittgenstein Author:Erik Pevernagie
“May we not waver to say a blunt “No” when push comes to shove. Once we handle the truth, it must be without “ifs” and “buts.” The air ought to be clean and the water clear. Since haggling with transparency is not in the cards, let us step down from the traditional “It Is What It Is” and definitively go for resilience. ("Resilience")” ResilienceTransparencyBluntNoIt Is What It IsHandle The TruthWaverHaggle Author:Erik Pevernagie
“Man may feel like a feeble and powerless pawn, at some moment in his life. This apprehension can come out of the blue, in the middle of the day, at the center of a public place, like a cerebral attack. Check mated by 'daily routine', he may feel trapped in a smothering set of circumstances and only a deconstruction of all impeding barriers can bring about a vital mental deliverance. ( "Check and mate" )” LifeCircumstancesManBarriersTrappedMentalPowerlessMomentPlaceDeliveranceApprehensionPublicDeconstructionCheckmateVitalPawnFeebleImpedeDaily RoutineOut Of The BlueSmotheringBring AboutCerebral Attack Author:Erik Pevernagie
“Happiness is an undercurrent of sensitivity and leads a surreptitious life: it is an internal eventuality. We can feel it in stillness and it stands the test of time. Joy is an eruption of cheerful moments and we want to express it: it is an external eventuality. We might shout it out, as it conveys a dynamic of fleeting instants. Joy gives voice to “en-joy-ment”. ("The grass was greener over there")” WantLifeMomentsHappinessJoyTimeGreenGrassInstantEnjoymentStillnessSensitivityCheerfulFleetingFeelTestEruptionInternalExpressShout OutExternalDynamicConveySurreptitiousUndercurrentEventualityTo StandGive Voice To Author:Erik Pevernagie
“If consumption is a main goal in life, labor has become a painful gate to buying things, which are often unnecessary or totally useless. "Sorry, insufficient funds, goodbye!".” LifeLaborPainfulUselessBuyingConsumption Author:Erik Pevernagie