Inspiration on Sunday

Starting today, I will write a short column every Sunday in which I will share my perspective on the world and invite you to join me in taking a look and then forming your own opinion. At Holistic Centre Brabant, we naturally always look at things from a holistic perspective, so we like to look at the big picture.

On Friday, I had an exceptionally pleasant conversation with an entrepreneur who likes to serve as a pastor in an evangelical community in his spare time. He owns a large furniture store with exclusive furniture in Eindhoven and, as a matter of principle, is closed on Sundays. At first, I thought: that's not the way things are done anymore. A time when we find it completely normal to order a dishwasher at 11 p.m. on Saturday evening and have it delivered the next day, on Sunday.

But his motivation got me thinking: that free Sunday isn't such a bad idea after all. Just a day to not plan too much, reflect on the week and make some plans for the coming period. Because let's be honest: do we really need those Sunday shopping days? We probably can't and don't want to do anything else anymore. Still, I think it's cool that an entrepreneur like that says: not us, we choose Sunday as a day of rest to do other things with the family.

For me, it's not really about that Sunday, but about that moment of peace, a moment of reflection. How many people actually plan their moments of peace? Those moments when you don't have to do anything, when you can read a book, go for a walk or just daydream on the sofa with a cup of tea or a good glass of wine.

In recent months, Sunday has become a day when I don't have to do anything, like today; sleeping in a little, working on my book and going for a run, wonderfully relaxing. And then came the decision to start writing a weekly column, just like that, out of the blue.

When is that “nothing” slot in your diary? Let yourself be surprised by the inspiration that comes to you in that silence. I wish you a meaningful week with a beautiful moment of silence, reflection and contemplation somewhere, and that certainly doesn't have to be on Sunday.

Ben ter Horst