Welcome to the windmills of my mind
My life is a bit of a patchwork. I have a multitude of interests, spanning a wide range of topics. And so, my blog reflects this patchwork identity of mine: a place where I share with you my thoughts, passions, worries, questions, hopes, and dreams. Looking forward to reading your comments. Dina
Your weekly poem: Harlem
🌿 A poem a day keeps the blues away… “Harlem”—or What happens to a dream deferred? 🌿 🌻 What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry upLike a raisin in the sun?Or fester like a sore—And then run?Does it stink like rotten meatOr crust and sugar over—Like a syrupy...
Your weekly poem: SEA JOY
🌿 A poem a day keeps the blues away… —or holding on to your wishes while job searching 🌿 🌻 When I go down by the sandy shoreI can think of nothing I want moreThan to live by the booming blue seaAs the seagulls flutter round about me I can run about – when the...
Your weekly poem: LIFE DOESN’T FRIGHTEN ME
🌿 Your weekly poem: Life doesn't frighten me—or how to slay your dragons With so many people on the market looking for a job or to reinvent their career, I've decided to start relating my weekly poems to the topic of career transitions; hoping that some of you can...
Your weekly poem: SONG OF MYSELF
🌿 A poem a day keeps the blues away... A Song of Myself — in memory of Liz, aka Baba (1938 – 2026) 🌻 1 I celebrate myself, and sing myself,And what I assume you shall assume,For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you. I loafe and invite my soul,I lean and...
Your weekly poem: THE RETURN
🌿 A poem a day keeps the blues away... THE RETURN or our awakening to what truly matters... 🌻 The deed took all my heart.I did not think of you,Not till the thing was done.I put my sword awayAnd then no more the coldAnd perfect fury ranAlong my narrow bonesAnd then...
Your weekly poem: THE WAY IT IS
🌿 A poem a day keeps the blues away... THE WAY IT IS or our life's thread... 🌻 There’s a thread you follow. It goes amongthings that change. But it doesn’t change.People wonder about what you are pursuing.You have to explain about the thread.But it is hard for others...
Your weekly poem: ON CHILDREN & PARENTING
🌿 A poem a day keeps the blues away... ON CHILDREN & PARENTING 🌻 Your children are not your children.They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.They come through you but not from you,And though they are with you yet they belong not to you. You...
Your weekly poem: WHY I WAKE EARLY
🌿 A poem a day keeps the blues away... WHY I WAKE EARLY 🌻 Hello, sun in my face.Hello, you who make the morningand spread it over the fieldsand into the faces of the tulipsand the nodding morning glories,and into the windows of, even, themiserable and crotchety– best...
Simone Weil’s quote on Attention
—Simone Weil (1909–1943)
Your weekly poem: ALONE—or no man’s an island?
🌿 A poem a day keeps the blues away... On this blessed Good Friday, Maya Angelou’s poem ALONE came to mind. ALONE 🌻 AloneLying, thinkingLast nightHow to find my soul a homeWhere water is not thirstyAnd bread loaf is not stoneI came up with one thingAnd I don't...
“”All models are wrong”: what did George Box actually mean?
There are so many quotes out there that we repeat and assume to understand, and then all of a sudden, we discover them in their wider context, and they gain a completely new meaning… That’s what happened to me with George E. P. Box’s quote: “All models are wrong, but...
Part 2: So, you’ve had a CliftonStrengths team workshop. Now what?
In my previous article, I explored what really happens in a CliftonStrengths team workshop—and why it so often reveals much more than just people’s strengths. The buzzing energy in the room when people start to really “see” each other is addictive; as is the shift...
Part 1: Are CliftonStrengths team workshops worth it?
One of the most common reasons teams contact me to run CliftonStrengths workshops is this: they want to strengthen team spirit and help team members get to know each other from a different perspective. But very often, the real value of these conversations lies...
Your weekly poem: THE SOUND OF SILENCE
🌿 A poem a day keeps the blues away... THE SOUND OF SILENCE —by Paul Simon (1964) 🌻 For copyright reasons, I’ve woven in only a few excerpts below.For the full lyrics, check Paul Simon’s website 🌻 🪴 “Hello darkness, my old friend,I've come to talk with you again” I...
Your weekly poem: CAGED BIRD—or the world of coaching in the advent of AI
🌿 A poem a day keeps the blues away... I’ve just come out of an Association for Coaching AI Virtual café session that left me feeling both angry and depressed… I will probably be writing an article about it at some point, but I’m not ready yet. What I can offer you...
Why coaching skills training are turning managers into robots—and what to do about it
Something very strange happens to managers who attend a coaching skills training—they lose their ability to speak! I was invited to observe a coaching skills training for managers to see if I would wish to facilitate the programme—and I left wanting to rewrite it....
“We’re not here to be quiet”—Your weekly poem on being REAL
🌿 A poem a day keeps the blues away... REAL 🌻 I’ve cried when I’m happyAnd cried when I’m sadI’ve smiled through the good timesAnd smiled through the bad I’ve screamed in excitementI’ve screamed out in painI’ve gasped at the sunshineAnd gasped at the rain I’ve...
A donkey named Balthazar… and your weekly poem on SERENDIPITY
🌿 A poem a day keeps the blues away... Meet Balthazar. Yes, him, the donkey in the picture :)... What was meant to be a short walk by myself turned into a two-hour stroll through the woods of Binningen with one of the most calm, curious, and empathetic creatures I’ve...
Gestalt coaching: an introduction
I recently offered a free interactive 90-minute webinar for coaches curious about Gestalt coaching—an opportunity for them to bring all their questions, ask me anything, watch a demo, and learn about my upcoming Gestalt Coaching Practice Labs and Relational Community...
Weekly Poem: HOPE
🌿 A poem a day keeps the blues away... 🪴 Every poem I share is one that has moved me during the week. Today's poem is about hope. I originally wrote the reflection below as an article for the Association for Coaching, for their April 2026 Coaching Perspectives...
Weekly Poem: STILL I RISE
🌿 A poem a day keeps the blues away... 🪴 Every poem I share is one that touched me that week.Today's poem is about oppression. STILL I RISE 🌻 You may write me down in historyWith your bitter, twisted lies,You may trod me in the very dirtBut still, like dust, I'll...