The travel, the amazing work I have had the chance to do, the

The words of Saskia de Brauw — “The travel, the amazing work I have had the chance to do, the meetings with different people are all very inspiring and give me lots of positive energy.” — rise like a song of gratitude for the gifts of movement, creation, and human connection. They speak to a truth as old as the human spirit: that to step beyond one’s own borders, to labor with passion, and to exchange thoughts and experiences with others, fills the heart with renewal. In her reflection, de Brauw unveils the fountain of strength that comes not from possessions, but from encounters, from journeys, and from shared humanity.

To travel is more than to cross distances. It is to awaken the soul to what lies beyond its familiar circle. Each new place carries not only landscapes but lessons: a mountain teaches endurance, a city teaches resilience, a village teaches simplicity. To the one who is willing to look deeply, travel becomes a teacher, offering a thousand perspectives that no book alone could provide. De Brauw reminds us that the movement of the body across lands ignites the movement of the spirit within.

The work she speaks of is not mere labor, but creative endeavor — work that is alive, that has meaning, that calls forth the gifts of the soul. When our work is aligned with passion, it ceases to be drudgery and becomes nourishment. The ancients understood this well: the Greeks spoke of arete, excellence in one’s craft, as a form of honor to both self and the gods. For in such work, the human spirit does not wither; it flourishes. De Brauw’s gratitude reveals that true work, joined with travel and human connection, becomes a wellspring of inspiration.

Equally vital are the meetings with different people. To encounter those unlike ourselves is to expand the horizon of the mind. Each person carries within them a world of stories, wisdom, and experiences. When we meet another with openness, we are not diminished but enlarged. History tells us of Marco Polo, whose encounters with distant cultures brought back knowledge that changed Europe forever. His meetings were more than conversations — they were bridges between worlds. De Brauw reminds us that such encounters, whether grand or small, are the sparks that light the fire of inspiration.

And what is the fruit of these things? It is energy, not the weary exhaustion of toil, but the bright force that flows when life is lived in harmony with its higher callings. This energy is the vigor of the soul, the fuel of creativity, the radiant strength that empowers one to continue onward even when the road is long. The one who draws inspiration from travel, work, and human connection does not grow tired, but renewed, for these elements feed the spirit as food feeds the body.

The lesson for the generations is this: seek experiences that bring inspiration, not merely accumulation. Do not measure life by how much you own, but by how much you have learned, created, and shared. Make it your goal to travel, even if only to new places in your own land. Pour yourself into work that speaks to your spirit. Cherish the people you meet, for each is a messenger of lessons you could not learn alone. From these will flow the energy that sustains a meaningful life.

In practice, let each listener commit to cultivating this rhythm. Step beyond the familiar, even in small ways, and allow your eyes to see the world anew. Give yourself wholly to your craft, whatever it may be, and let it be an offering of beauty to the world. Approach every person you meet as a teacher, with ears ready to listen and a heart ready to learn. In doing so, you will draw from life the same inspiration that de Brauw names, and your spirit will be filled with light.

Thus her words endure as counsel: that the gifts of travel, of meaningful work, of heartfelt meetings with others, are not luxuries but necessities of the soul. They are the fountains of joy, the rivers of inspiration, and the fires of strength. Let us drink from them often, and carry their energy into all we do, so that our lives may be lived fully, richly, and in harmony with the great song of creation.