“Nowhere to go and all day to get there…”

As promised, here’s my story about our Thailand adventures. This could be a very short email because there was only one word to describe our vacation: paradise.

We exclaimed: “This is paradise” at least twenty times a day. Funny enough, the last resort was called Paradise. So how could it not be manifested with a name like that?

Who knew that the Universe would dare me if I could stay in undisturbed bliss.

To give you an idea of the spirit of the vacation, the phrase underneath my swing photo, above, was our mantra even though we traveled to four different islands. It felt like we had all the time in the world… no hurry, no rush… just going with the flow.

We visited the most beautiful bounty islands off the beaten path. These were islands with hardly any tourists, white beaches with palm trees, and turquoise pristine waters with fish that would eat out of your hand.

There are three things particularly worth sharing:

1. When you go with the flow, the Universe helps and makes your journey effortless.

It orchestrates and synchronizes the loose ends. It brings people and places together seamlessly.

It organizes how you meet your kids, who fly in from four different places (and different times and locations!) in the world. It helps you find them when you don’t have a meeting place because you trust the wi-fi works to message them. And then there’s no wi-fi, and you wonder how to find your kids in Thailand…

It organizes boats ready to bring you to faraway islands at the exact moment you arrive. It then organizes 7 scooter taxis waiting at a forlorn dock when the boat arrives and you have no idea how to get to the Bamboo Huts in Bamboo Village.

When you don’t live with a Plan B, the Universe ALWAYS steps in because you trust it will all work out. Therefore, it does.

It’s magic when you go with the flow and the divine hand takes care of all the unforeseen.

2. Life happens no matter where you are, and it depends on your mindset if you can handle bliss.

Who knew that you can be in paradise and feel awful because your mind goes in circles. I got a taste of it in the first days.

There were challenges at the home front with the animals, the dog-sitter fell on the icy roads, the front door blew out because of the storm, the oil could not be delivered because of the snow. Our dogs suddenly could jump over the gate…

Next to that, the Universe must have wanted me completely off the grid because my email provider blocked my access to email in Thailand for 15 days. Oops… You get the picture.

I had to surrender and let go of everything related to my home life if I wanted to really be in and enjoy paradise.

It’s magic when you realize that you have a choice to be in paradise, give up control, and let the divine hand take care of everything you worry about. That’s when bliss sails right back into your life. And so it did.

3. The Sunsets take your breath away. Every night.

And then, of course, the reward of the day. The sunsets were so beautiful.

Every night we sat on the beach and watched the sun go down. And we fantasized who would see the sun come up at the other side of the world. What a blessing.

After 35 hours of travel we came back, and all the issues at home were peacefully resolved. The six animals were in great shape, the house was wonderful, the dogsitter had done a fantastic job, and suddenly my email was working again. I was allowed back on the grid.

Life is good. The Universe is abundant and always supports your dreams… as you let it.

Much love,

Saskia

The post How to Stay in Undisturbed Bliss first appeared on Breakthrough Miracles.

“I lost power last week. And you?”

I can’t tell you how many times recently I’ve heard this phrase. It came out of my mouth, too. Until I was aware of what I was actually saying. Oops! I learned a big lesson.

We live on the East Coast, and in the last weeks we have been showered with snow. Unbelievable amounts of white blessings fell from the sky. Our little town changed into winter wonderland. And even though it was magically beautiful, it caused a lot of stress. The schools closed (which I LOVE), the roads were too messy to drive, and all of our schedules went to mush.

And then the electricity went out. Did we really lose power? No, but I did.

How did that happen?

I lost my power… and not because we lost the electricity in our house. That was actually kind of romantic. We lit lots of candles, cuddled under warm blankets, and went to bed early. I had cooked for two days, so there was not a concern in the world that we would survive this historic storm.

I lost power because I had a plan to drive to Andover for an appointment. Days before the storm, I joined the talk of the town and the weather craze on TV. We all anticipated the massive amounts of snow coming our way. I tried to figure out how much snow would fall, and if I could still keep my plans. Given the fact that I am the worst driver in the snow, I should have known that I would never leave the house, even with only three inches of snow on the ground, let alone the three FEET of snow forecast by the weather people.

So this is what I learned:

You lose your power when you start anticipating. If you start entertaining the ‘what if’ scenarios, you always lose. You become powerless.

Your power is in the present moment. In the present moment, you go with the flow and remain flexible. That is how you keep your power. You weigh your different options and make choices based on those.

Gosh, it’s that simple.

Next to that, always watch your words because they have manifestation power. To say “I lost power” says it all.

How will I go from here? As I am writing to you, we are in the midst of another snowstorm. But this time I will go with the flow and be flexible.

The phone just rang… the schools are closed. I love it.

I’ll let it snow…

Much love,

Saskia

The post “I Lost Power Last Week. And You?” first appeared on Breakthrough Miracles.

Today I am reposting one of the most favorite stories from my archives.

This story was forwarded by email around the globe. I hadn’t realized that so many moms were going through the same emotions. That is why I am posting this again. If there’s anything you want to let go, take three minutes and read ‘til the end!

As the sun rises this morning, I can’t believe it’s really happened. It almost feels surreal. The house feels empty and so do I.

When I walk into the bathroom, the emptiness strikes me like an unexpected punch in the stomach. I don’t stumble over hairdryers, make-up, or piles of laundry. All signs of my daughter are gone. I turn around and go downstairs. In the fridge is her vegetable juice that from now on will never be touched.

Yesterday, I took our 18-year-old daughter, to the airport and gave her the final push. She left the nest to spread her beautiful, strong wings to fly across the ocean and start her new life in Amsterdam.

Hours before her departure, I drove to the shopping mall to buy her a pair of black suede boots. As my last gift to her before she left, these boots were symbolic. These specific boots will “fit” her into the new world of being a college student in Amsterdam.

For days before she left I pondered about what to give her. I wanted to come up with something special that would help reduce culture shock and help her shift from being an “All American Girl” to a down-to-earth Dutch girl. These boots would surely do the trick.

The day before she left, I saw her go out of the house in a bikini. I wondered whether she was ever going to pack. We were getting pretty close to departure day, but when I asked her if it would be a good idea to start packing, she announced that today was a “Beach Day.” Of course, the sun shone brightly and the sky was blue.

What more could I have wished for her?

I admire this brave, courageous girl who takes her first footsteps in Amsterdam today. At our final goodbye, I whispered in her ear that her wings are powerful and strong, and that the world would welcome her with arms wide open. She just stood there and looked at me. She must have been wondering what the future will bring for her.

Upon arrival in Amsterdam she has no housing (in Holland you don’t live on a campus) and the arrangements for the school she’ll attend aren’t finalized because she still has to take a language exam.

I ask myself why our life isn’t simple and easy, or maybe even less extraordinary. The answer is simple, because deep my heart I know I didn’t sign up for “simple and easy.” This extraordinary choice of my daughter’s brings extraordinary challenges, and – as we trust – extraordinary results, not only for us, but for her too.

Sometimes even I worried about why she didn’t worry more herself, about all the things that were unsure. But I know why. In her mind, there’s no place for worry about anything, about how she’ll find housing on the day of her arrival in a city where the housing need is beyond telling, about how she’ll become enrolled in school without the language exam, about whether or not she’ll be “lucky” in the sorority lottery.

Her mind’s not programmed with worry or fear, but with lots of faith and trust. She firmly believes that all will be well, that she’s safe no matter where she lands.

Yesterday, she told me that her level of anxiety goes only as far as finding it annoying that nothing is finally arranged. The rest of the “how” she leaves to her parents and to the Universe.

In the last weeks before she left, I watched her having non-stop fun with her friends. Her life was One Big Party. I smiled a lot because I saw how she stayed in the NOW. It almost seemed that she was never going to leave.

Then the day arrives. As I wave my final goodbye, tears stream down my face. I run to the car and drive away, and it goes against every fiber in my being to leave her behind. I wonder how we mothers do it.

Back home, before I go to sleep, I climb the stairs to her pink room. I must admit that it takes some courage to face my pain. Her door is wide open and the room looks like a hurricane has paid a visit to our attic. Clothes are strewn everywhere, the bed is a mess – indeed, nothing has changed. It looks as though she’ll be coming home tonight.

But in the doorway I find one black Cinderella mule from her prom – forlorn and forgotten in her hasty packing. How could it be more symbolic? Is this a sign that she hasn’t completely landed on the other side? Is one foot still here in this world she just left?

I pick up the mule and put it on the mantel above the fireplace. My mind drifts back in time. Oh, how I loved her first footsteps in her golden sandals, and all her steps in all the different shoes that came after.

I close my eyes and tell the Universe, “Now it’s your turn. You take care of her.” I promise myself I’ll make sure our son who flies to Amsterdam next week, takes that mule to our daughter so she’ll fully land, so she has the right shoes to dance in, until the morning comes.

And as I watch the sunrise this morning, I surrender.

Much love,

Saskia

P.S. Right now I am getting our fourth kid ready to fly out into the world. He will go to Peru in September and to Thailand next year.

P.P.S. If you know anyone who can benefit from this story, feel free to forward.

The post My story about letting go… first appeared on Breakthrough Miracles.

Can you imagine that I almost missed out on the most fun family trip of the year? Fear makes us stupid; it stops our logical thinking. The truth is: you can’t argue with insanity. I tried it, but it didn’t work.

In our family we plan things at the last minute. When the idea came up to go rafting, I was very excited. We booked the trip the next morning, and it all seemed like a great idea to me. Little did I know what whitewater rafting actually entailed.

If I had stayed in that place of not knowing, everything would have been fine.

As soon as my sons showed me a video of whitewater rafting, I freaked out. Not a little bit, but I freaked seriously to the point of thinking that I should stay home. I told myself, ‘I am not the kind of girl who enjoys this kind of activity’. I envisioned how miserable I would be for 4-1/2 hours. It was bad.

In my mind I went into EVERY worst-case scenario.

I even called the organization and told them of my trepidation. I asked them if the boat could flip over and if people could fall out… They told me that there were no guarantees and that anything can happen. Phew, I thought. It sounds a lot like real life. Why did I even call?

The morning of the trip we were all instructed at base camp. They showed us a video of all the worst-case scenarios, and we went over what we must do in case of emergencies. I didn’t watch it. I could not listen. I just prayed. And I shivered…

And when I set foot into the boat, everything changed. Reality kicked in. I became present again.

Nothing that I had anticipated or feared was true. I loved it from the first minute I got onboard.

And YES, we almost flipped in the first five minutes in the biggest rapid. Our guide Dustin saved us. And YES, all of us almost fell out. And YES, it was fun and amazing. It was a wild ride like no other. I loved it!

So what did I learn?

• I learned that I don’t know myself very well. It turns out that I like whitewater rafting! Who knew?
• Don’t anticipate the worst-case scenarios. Focus on what will be fun.
• Stay in the not knowing. That’s a much more powerful place.
• Be surprised. Don’t over-analyze what you do or don’t like.
• Laugh at yourself. Don’t be righteous about your fear.
• Trust that everything works out in the end; it always does.
• Never chicken out on family trips, no matter what!

Love,

Saskia

P.S. What did you freak out about this summer? I’d love to hear!

The post Whitewater Rafting Lessons first appeared on Breakthrough Miracles.

Do you know the #1 secret to why Olympic champions win GOLD?

Their minds have seen the glory.

Let me share the story of Emily Cook with you…

Emily Cook, a U.S. freestyle aerial skiing Olympian, does more than visualization in her training. “You have to smell it. You have to hear it. You have to feel it, everything,” she said.

Emily Cook prepared herself with a success script and said, “I’m standing on the top of the hill. I can feel the wind on the back of my neck. I can hear the crowd. I was going through every little step of how I wanted that jump to turn out.”

She said that her mental preparation made her a better jumper and that she used imagery to break the cycle of negativity.

Whenever fear came up, she would picture herself pricking a red balloon with a pin.

Interestingly enough, another athlete named Jacqueline Hernandez said that she struggled with recurring images of crashing. “I’ll see myself fall because that happens in my visualization, and then I have to make sure I clear it out before I go.”

Several days later, she crashed.

The American psychologist Dettling commented that in images it’s absolutely crucial you don’t fail; otherwise you train your muscles to fail.

It is the same for us no matter what dream we have.

To succeed and make your dream happen, you must prepare yourself mentally and emotionally with a success script. You cannot let past experiences come up in your positive visualizations.

I believe that everyone can win. And for each of us there comes a time to commit to that. That time is now. You might dream of being successful in your business, becoming a mom, being a comedian, or finding true love.

Whatever it is, make sure you have a success script, and make sure you have a mentor or coach to get you to the top.

Trying alone has never brought anyone to the top. Every successful person has help. You deserve to make your dream happen. And the world deserves to have you share your gift.

Love,

Saskia

The post #1 Success Formula first appeared on Breakthrough Miracles.

Jin Shin Jyutsu is an ancient Japanese practice that works like acupressure to balance your body’s energy by using the fingers and hands.

Through holding certain fingers with one hand you can influence your spiritual, physical, and emotional wellbeing.

You only need:

• 1 minute
• 2 hands

You use one hand to wrap around the specific finger of the other hand.

• Hold your thumb to ease your worries. This also helps for digestive problems.
• Hold your index finger to ease your fear. This also helps to supply energy to your muscles, bladder, and kidneys.
• Hold your middle finger to ease anger. This also helps for headaches and problems with your gallbladder, liver, and blood.
• Hold your ring finger to ease your sadness. This also helps for problems with your lungs and large intestines.
• Hold your pinky finger to bring balance when you have little energy and life feels tough. This also helps for problems with your heart, small intestines, and bones.

With Love,

Saskia

The post Six Second of Soul Guidance first appeared on Breakthrough Miracles.

A few days ago, I buried my beloved dad in Holland.

When you stand at your father’s grave, you walk through memory lane and realize that remembering (re – member – ing) means that part of him that is part of you.

It means that I must own that which I’ve judged and that which I loved in him so dearly.

Because our technology is so advanced today, I was able to talk with my dad as he was dying in Holland, even though I live in America.

I told him through face-time (on my iPhone) how much I love him and what a great dad and granddad he’s been. And as I said my last words to him, I suddenly understood why he was so full of love and light.

Until that moment I never knew that dying people give off light.

All the stories drop and the masks fall off. Only the love of their Soul remains. How blessed I was! The next day he passed.

This was a rare opportunity, and I cannot encourage you enough to tell your beloved ones out loud what they mean to you. We assume they know, but they don’t always. The spoken word is powerful.

I believe (and I acknowledge that you might have another point of view) that you choose your parents before birth for the highest evolution of your Soul’s journey. Therefore, in order to live your Soul’s purpose you must take responsibility for your choice. And I promise you, it’s liberating. I found deep peace in doing so.

Two of the questions in The Soul Signature Program are:

• What have you learned from being the daughter or son of your dad? 
• What was the most difficult and what was the gift in this?

When I spoke my dad’s eulogy, it was so precious and vulnerable to feel that I asked myself: Do I want to claim my legacy in full? Can I? Will I?

I say Yes. And with my deepest gratitude for being his daughter, I am no more. It feels very powerful, and I know that this will greatly impact my life.

With love from Holland,

Saskia

The post I Buried My Beloved Dad first appeared on Breakthrough Miracles.

At least five times per week I pass this sign along the road, and it always redirects my mind from the daily grind into the direction of my dreams.

One of my dreams is to help women to birth their babies and create beautiful families by launching my Fertility, Birth & Motherhood Program.

What dream do you want to birth this year?

But why do we need to be cautious with our beautiful dreams ahead? Many times I’ve asked myself this question, and I know why.

Dreams need to be treated like unborn babies in the womb, and we need to nourish them with great care.

    * Dreams long to be born.

    * Dreams are always bigger than you are. That’s why it’s scary to dream BIG.

    * Dreams get stuck in the birth canal if you don’t believe in them.

    * Dreams don’t die, but a part of YOU will never see the light of day if you

       don’t embody them, and that hurts.

    * Dreams in action are God’s way of showing you (and the world) who you are.

    * Dreams equal an enormous amount of risk taking.

    * Dreams make the world a better place.

    * Dreams that are given up on become nightmares when you look back at your

       life someday.

Let me ask you this. Are you worth your dream? Do you value yourself enough to invest in yourself? And are you open to the most amazing possibilities possible ahead of you?

Make your commitment and write out ONE commitment for this year.

What action step can you take today in the direction of your beautiful dream?

Love, Saskia

The post Caution… Beautiful Dreams Ahead first appeared on Breakthrough Miracles.

Do you love to create magic and miracles during Christmas? So let’s focus on what makes you feel good instead of frustrated in this busy time just before Christmas. We all know that feeling good sets the Law of Attraction in motion.

Here are a few ideas that you might find helpful…

This week I interviewed Sue Elliot (creator and editor-in-chief of the Law of Attraction magazine) on my Breakthrough Miracles radio show. We had a wonderful conversation about how we can spend the holidays with more joy in our hearts.

It inspired me to write to you about how to feel joy in your heart and stay open for magic and miracles in this “tricky” holiday time.

A lot of us feel stressed; therefore, I want to address some of the questions I talked about with Sue.

#1  What is the perfect gift?

There is no such thing as a perfect gift other than choosing to give from your heart. Focus on the appreciation and love for that person instead of crossing her off your to-do list.

Think “out of the box,” and let your heart speak. At our Christmas party last Friday, my friend Karen gave me a bag of organic homemade scones from a very special bakery in Salem. That’s a gift that touches my heart deeply.

#2  How can you say NO to all the delicious foods?

Tune into your body and say YES to the foods that not only taste good in your mouth, but feel good in your belly too.

There are plenty of healthy and delicious foods to eat. Be sensible and don’t beat yourself up if you slip. Go into the season with some extra love for your body, instead of fear that you might eat too much. Feed your Soul with appreciation.

#3  How NOT to lose your mind in the long lines at the mall.

Okay, I actually use that term ‘lose your mind’ on purpose because it’s easier to remember. Get out of your mind when standing in line. You can’t change the outer circumstances, so you better make the most of it. For example, you can take a few deep breaths. Or count your blessings. Or shift your focus to your dream for 17 seconds. That’s powerfully playing with the Law of Manifestation.

And here’s one more tip to shift energy and align your energy to a higher vibration:

Move stuck energy in your house. Take out the clutter of 2013.

Last week I hosted an event in our house for over 200 people. Some of you reading this were even there!

Therefore, I cleaned out corners that I’d rather not touch. You know, that stuff you don’t even notice anymore because it’s just there… It felt so good! And the shift it created was MAGIC.

Shifting and moving things around in your home creates positive shifts in you, too. It energizes you.

Look around your house now. Spot a place with stuck energy. Don’t judge it. Move it.

Wishing you a heart full of joy during this magical season!

Love,

Saskia

The post 3 Tips to Create Magic and Miracles During Christmas first appeared on Breakthrough Miracles.

For the last few days my sons have been asking me if I remembered to call Café Sicilia to order the tiramisu cake for Thanksgiving.

I joked that the Universe would probably take care of that…

Last year we dreamed for months about the tiramisu cake we would eat for dessert at our Thanksgiving dinner. We could almost taste its deliciousness.

And then I completely forgot to order the cake until the day before.

When I called the café they told me I should have ordered the cake five days ago. It was TOO LATE.

A few hours later they called me back. They didn’t understand how, but somehow they had an extra tiramisu cake with no name on it. They didn’t know who had ordered that cake, but there was one extra cake, just standing there waiting to be picked up (by us).

If we still wanted a tiramisu cake…

The next day, on Thanksgiving Day, I went to Café Sicilia to pick it up.

You can imagine how big my smile was when they handed me the cake over the counter. It was the biggest tiramisu cake I’d ever seen. 

The Universe was kind and generous enough to provide a cake for up to 40 persons!

Most of our kids were in Europe, and my husband was too. I was at home with our two youngest sons. This was the smallest Thanksgiving dinner I’d ever cooked, but this was the biggest dessert I’d ever seen and eaten!

The cake in this picture looks smaller than the real-sized one I picked up that day, but let it be an inspiration for your delicious dream.

What do you want to manifest?

The post How You Can Manifest a Miracle for Thanksgiving first appeared on Breakthrough Miracles.