Everyone has stories that have shaped them.
Some are beautiful, some challenging and some you would probably rather have been spared. They all leave something behind – experiences, memories, insights and sometimes values that at some point simply become part of who you are.
My life hasn't always followed straight paths. There were a few detours, some pretty steep climbs and also situations in which, at first, I couldn't see any way forward at all.
The whole story doesn't belong on the internet – and it won't be told here.
But there are individual stories I'd like to share. Not because what happened should be the focus, but because they say something about what matters to me today and why.
There is always a way
Giving up is hard for me.
That doesn't mean I'm always strong or have an immediate solution for every problem. I know doubt, feeling overwhelmed and also moments when I simply can't go on.
But over the course of my life I have learned that such moments don't have to be the end of a story.
At the end of 2019, Boris and I were facing a situation in which we didn't know whether his company still had a future. What followed became a pretty extraordinary journey for both of us.
A story about responsibility and perseverance, about setbacks and new beginnings – but above all about honesty, trust, loyalty and what two people can achieve together.
My heart project – the Digital Café
Sometimes something big starts with a pretty small question.
In this case, with an elderly lady who was looking for someone to help her with her computer.
Out of this one visit, at some point, came the Digital Café – a volunteer project that has become particularly close to my heart.
It has long been about more than computers, smartphones or apps. It is about people, independence, patience and making digital participation possible.
And out of many questions, explanations and shared experiences, a reference guide of its own has even emerged.
→ My heart project: The Digital Café
Perhaps that is exactly the connection between these two very different stories:
One was about finding a way myself.
The other is often about accompanying someone a little way along their own path.
Both are part of me.
And both have shown me again and again that you don't need an answer to everything right away.
Sometimes it is enough to find the next step.
And professionally?
If you would like to know what I do professionally, you'll find that side of me – quite deliberately – in a different place.