This is my story and my pursuit for connection within myself and with others. It isn’t extraordinary or more different than any other story, but it’s mine and I want to share it so that others might feel inspired, less lonely than I was on this road, or just have a good laugh because this has always been my medicine.  Do you care to join me? Welcome. 

You want the conclusion? I was struggling to connect with others since ever. Everything was “too” about me. Too direct, too much energy, too loud, too passionate, too bored, …  And on top of that I was always looking for recognition of others but it was never enough. No matter how much recognition was given to me, I did not feel loved or worthy. 

Life happened, shit happened and someday I discovered Nonviolent Communication. It offered me the key to real self-connection and connection with others became truly possible. 

On my journey, I encountered the people at DAS Belgium, fell in love with these people who on a daily basis try to make a difference and for the first time, I felt like coming home. Nowadays, I work at DAS Belgium as Corporate Connection Partner because connection is my biggest passion and simply matters in everything we do. It matters between colleagues, between teams, between people and their managers, between clients and the company, between providers and the company, …. It can make life so much more beautiful.

In my biggest dreams I share what I discovered with the world and inspire whomever I can  around connection and social change. Today I realize more than ever that the more I have healed myself the less recognition I need from others. So, say it loud, say it proud: “I do not longer need long and complicated titles on my LinkedIn profile, many fancy courses and zillion certifications to prove that I’m worthwhile and lovable. I am me and that’s what it is.”

And now for those who want to long version, thanks for staying with me 😉

I guess my search for meaning and finding my place started when I was born. As a kid, I remember being very curious about the world, especially how people interacted with one another and also with themselves. While going to the grocery store with my mother, whenever I started to fixate people and lean my head, she would hold her breath! I started asking spontaneously: ‘Why do you buy all those cookies when you are already so fat?’. ‘Why are you so small and your car so big?’. I even asked to a fellow pupil why her nose looked like a potato? As you can image, my genuinely asked questions where generally not appreciated. And I was mostly terrified by the damage that I caused. Growing up wasn’t easy and interacting with people even less. When I started working, I always needed a challenge and after six months I needed a new one. That led to working in 4 different companies doing 10 different jobs without ever being fired. A little reminder that this was in the early 2000’s and job-hopping wasn’t much appreciated. 

By that time I needed constant recognition from others to find my place, to feel worthwhile and loved.

After our second daughter was born in 2007, I started a career counselling and went back to school. I studied fulltime three years to become a teacher, best choice of my life, loved it and that’s where the true healing started. I was one of the students, made friends that I still see today. One of the courses of my studies was the book of Marshall Rosenberg called Nonviolent Communication (NVC) and my journey took another level. 

After that I worked for a couple of years in schools but my longing was to explore new horizons. We were blessed with another child and I worked more and more with students who faced difficulties. Looking back, I realise that every time I helped one of them, I helped myself. I started calling myself a coach for student and I also wanted to ‘gain’ this title and started following many trainings. The following years I invested in my journey where I met angels and demons and they both showed to be equally valuable. I learned a lot during the several certifications trainings that I did and the one that truly encouraged my healing was my NVC journey. This is still ongoing. M. Rosenberg said: “You don’t have to be brilliant. It’s enough to become progressively less stupid.”

Last but not least. I live and share this journey with my husband and children, they are the first place where I can heal myself, and for that I will be eternally grateful. 

Why sharing all of this? It’s my way of giving myself acknowledgement for my f* journey and at the end it was and still is about longing for connection in my whole life. What a drive I had to get back on the road again and again all those years. I’m done seeing myself as a person needed to be fixed and just longing to live. Today, I don’t see myself as a trainer, a coach, a practitioner, a mediator, a consultant, a mentor, a whatever word that will sound cool and likeable for a while. I no longer limit myself as a wounded person or as a healer. 

I’m on my journey with my back pack and on my way. Sometimes open and ready to play, sometimes scared and closed, sometimes the best version of myself and sometimes the worst.

I yearn to inspire and being inspired, listen and being listed to, being triggered and being the trigger, love and to be loved. I’m 43, it’s time to live another layer of acceptance of being me.

Thanks to all of you for all the gifts on the way. Wish you all a connecting and meaningful road, wherever you are.

Much love 

Catherine, Doudou, Mamy, Kate, Cathje, Kiki, Catoch, …