This post isn’t about life lessons—I’ll save those for when I’m 80. Besides, I’m still learning every day:

Learning how to run a businessLearning how to be a good motherLearning how to make the biggest impactLearning how to balance it all.

What I’ve learned is something we teach our children every day: The power of kindness.

To me, kindness isn’t just about helping an old lady cross the street. It’s also about being kind with whatever privilege you have.

This is important.

Most of us were lucky enough to be born in a stable, prosperous country. That is far more fortunate than children in many other countries, let alone children in Sudan or Gaza.

It breaks my heart to see the images from those areas. I feel powerless and angry. With kindness, we can turn our empathy into action.

Even if we can’t help that specific child, there are other children who also need help, and there is always something we can do.

Through organizations like the Dutch Red Cross, UNICEF, or The Hunger Project, we can help children in need. Even if we don’t see them directly.

You can be kind in every role in life and in every profession you choose.

Dus voor mij is dit het moment van 40 worden. Dankbaar voor mijn familie en het voorrecht dat ik heb, en blij om te werken met The Social Handshake - B Corp, waar we mensen en bedrijven ondersteunen die hun vriendelijkheid willen laten tellen.

Dank aan iedereen die met mij op deze reis is geweest.