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#1 – Harnessing The Wind

February 1, 2020 · Wilderness, South Africa

When I first saw paragliding from below, it looked like it's pretty easy. Gliding high in the sky and pulling the ropes to change directions. Yesterday, we were at the place where the paraglider starts their flights. It's much harder than I thought. There were hundreds of small ropes, the very long wing, and wind blowing from each direction.

It looked difficult to bring it into the air, except for more trained people, the movements were really skilled and within an eye blink, they were flying. But that's with every professional I thought. When a pro does something, it looks like it's pretty easy, but we forget about the years of hard work before, we only see the success and our mind tricks us into thinking that it's easy.

What astonished me even more, was the fact how the paraglider wing latched onto the wind and was gliding perfectly balanced, no matter how the wind blew. It adjusted and was very smooth. I remember thinking about life and that the wind blows from many directions and there will be obstacles, but if your mind is focused, relaxed, and trained, you'll adjust and glide your way through it – no matter how the wind blows.

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#2 – The Green Building

February 2, 2020 · Port Elizabeth, South Africa

As I was driving to Port Elizabeth, South Africa with my wife, we saw a green building from far away. It had my attention since I saw it because it had the attributes of a mosque.

But even I was not quite sure.

So I told my wife, that this looks familiar with a mosque.

Her answer was that it is not a mosque. She has never seen a green mosque before.

I was surprised by her argument that only because she's never seen a green mosque in her life, it couldn't be a mosque. I did not continue the argument and was thinking to myself that this happens a lot in life. Just because we haven't seen, felt, smelled, or touched something before, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It's our imagination that is limited and not the world.

And yes, as we drove next to the green building, I read the words "Masjid", which is "Mosque" in Arabic. So it was indeed a beautiful green mosque.

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#3 – The Body Remembers

February 3, 2020 · Cape Town, South Africa

Practice makes perfect – ever heard this before? When I was younger, I used to play soccer for almost 10 years. We trained 3-4 times a week, amateur league, frankly speaking. I stopped playing regularly for nine years.

Last week, we were walking past the stadium in Cape Town, where Roger Federer, Bill Gates, Rafael Nadal, and Trevor Noah played Tennis for the great "Match in Africa". We tried to get Tickets but found out, that they were already sold out in September after a couple of hours. Back to our story, we walked past the stadium, and on a big soccer field, there were about 20+ men playing soccer. For the soccer goal, they used their backpacks. It was very fun watching them from the sideline and indulging in olden times.

As one of the players made his way to the goal, he shot and missed the goal. The ball was now speeding up in my direction. Without thinking, my body reacted exactly the same as it reacted nine years ago when someone passed me the ball in a match. I was sprinting to the ball, stopped it with the inside of my right foot, as I always did, pushed the ball a little forward, and kicked it back to the players direction. After I've done that, I was amazed at how my body knew exactly what to do and did it without me thinking about it.

This reminded me of a quote from J.L. Moreno: "The body remembers what the mind forgets!"

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#4 – Expect The Unexpected

February 5, 2020 · Cape Town, South Africa

Ever heard of The Big Five? The term "Big Five" comes from the difficulty in hunting elephants, rhino, leopards, African buffalo, and lions. When hunters wanted to kill one of these animals, they needed to get a license for each of them. But as the paperwork grew and grew, the government created one license called "The Big Five", which included the animals above. But back to the story now. We were visiting a Game Park right next to Port Elizabeth and our Tour Guide asked us, which one of the Big Five kills most humans. I, as a non-animal specialist, thought of the leopard or rhino. But I was wrong. It was the vegetarian African buffalo.

We were sitting in a big bus and were three meters next to the buffalos. When you observed them, they look pretty calm and reminded me of cows as they were laying there and eating their grass. In life, it's the same. So many times we are so sure about something to be true. It must be true. But when you have a closer look, you'll find the problem where you're least expected it – because it looked innocent. Just like with the buffalo with his nickname "Black Death" or "the mafia of the jungle" as they work in a bunch and kill others like that as well.

So next time you think you're sure of something, don't overlook the "this can't be it", because mostly, it is.

Life is unpredictable, so be prepared for the surprises and expect the unexpected.

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#5 – We All Have Plans

February 6, 2020 · Port Elizabeth, South Africa

"Please get up, I want to be early at the Addo Elephant Park," my wife says to me at 6 am in the morning on a beautiful Sunday in South Africa. So instead of getting up, I ended up checking my smartphone notifications and was distracted for 15-20 minutes. This is one of the bad habits I am trying to change. Not checking my phone in the morning, but each day I tell myself "tomorrow, I'll do it." Yes, we all have plans and dreams of things we would like to do. As we have, when we started our drive to the Addo Elephant Park. The park is approximately 60 minutes away and it was very quiet in the morning.

The road was bumpy and we drove next to some townships, more about the townships in another story. The streets in SA are very farsighted. So we saw far away two cars standing on our line and as we got closer we recognized that one car, which was standing slightly off the street, was a police car and one was standing in the middle of our road. The policeman was standing next to the car and signaled to us with his hands that we should overtake and keep driving.

As we did so, we saw the reason.

In the middle of our road, there was a man, laying on the street. His arms and legs are outstretched and with a blanket over his upper body.

He was dead.

And given the situation, it was a fatal traffic accident. We both saw him in slow motion and we didn't talk for the next 6-8 minutes. Here we are, driving to our day trip, having plans, and forgetting the privilege to do so. And there he was, the man whose name I do not know, also having plans, maybe going home to his family, or visiting his parents, which he won't be able to do anymore. Yes, they all had plans as we do. Your time here is limited, use it wisely.

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un (2:156)

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#6 – Plans Change, A Traveler's Thought On Cancelling His WorldTrip.

February 7, 2020 · Cape Town, South Africa

I don't know what to say. I'm devastated. On February 05, 2020, we set off on our world trip and just a month later we are sitting at the airport heading for home.

Last night… 7:30 pm — the president, Cyril Ramaphosa, of South Africa speaks to the people and inhabitants. We sit in our AirBnB, which we have rented for another week, in Cape Town and listen to him and hope until the last second. But it happens, he declares a national emergency and speaks of drastic measures. We look at each other and do not know what to do.

Review: Since 2012 I've been planning this trip in my head. Since 2012 I have been gathering information via travel blogs, following travel influencers and have been mentally ready for it for years. The obstacles (work, selling everything, etc) that my wife and I have overcome to even start in February 2020, all for nothing?

We are thinking, shall we go on? Go where? The news changes hourly.

Countries are closing their borders. Where do we want to be stuck? We don't know the country and we don't know how people will react in a lockdown. Are they getting aggressive? In Vietnam, aggression against foreigners has increased because people are worried they are infected. Everything feels dirty. We feel uncomfortable when a foreigner comes too close. Be it in a shop, in a cafe or just on the promenade by the sea.

What happened?

Our psyche is playing a game and we don't know how to fight it.

Now we sit here, at the airport of Cape Town and do what our head recommends us to do, but our heart is breaking. Cancel the journey.

Why did we decide? Actually, it's logical.

Why did we first want to travel? People!

We are both very communicative people and love to get to know the inhabitants of a new country and to settle into its culture. We wanted to meet digital nomads like us, exchange ideas, go to workshops and concerts. Sitting in a full coffee or chatting with other travellers or locals on the beach. Go to the mosque and just pray — but the mosques are closed. What a strange thought.

Yes, we just wanted to experience the world as it is. Or rather, the way it was…

Now that every country is announcing drastic measures like a domino stone, taking away from us and from hundreds of thousands of travellers what travel was all about, then it is no longer travel for us.

How can we ignore this situation? At home, the measures are getting worse and worse, the number of infected is increasing and we sit here and travel the world? We cannot go any further.

We must now fight together as human beings against an invisible enemy.

But without weapons. These are useless.

No, with patience and prayer. With family and friends.

Why should we in a foreign country go in isolation, when our family and friends need us so badly. So we have decided… Back to the roots to face this difficult and stressful situation together.

As I am sitting by the sea and it is a beautiful blue sky. The weather is warm and my heart is getting heavier and heavier as I turn around, back to the apartment. Packing my things.

But we will manage. Together.

Our thoughts are with family and friends and we are looking forward to seeing them all again.

I know we are very privileged to be able to do something like a world trip and we can't complain, which we don't do either.

But every traveller in the world who has dreamed months or even years towards this moment knows what I am trying to say with my words here. It was one of the most difficult decisions in my life, but the right one. Yes, the trip is cancelled — for the moment.

We, as humanity, will make it and then people will come out of this phase much stronger.

The little things will be appreciated a thousand times over.

The hugs, the social contacts, the workshops, the events and the carefree travelling. The offline networking with people.

I wish everyone lots of strength and health and clarity.

We can only connect the dots if we look backwards. And I am really looking forward to the good times after this chaos when we can meet each other again in cafes all over the world and shake hands or hug each other, smile, talk and just do what humans must do in order to make progress, socialise!

That's why, Maktub. It all has a meaning.

May peace be with you, Lark

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#7 – Decisions & Principles

February 8, 2020 · Sargans, Switzerland

Choices. Every day we are confronted with hundreds if not thousands of choices to be made. I know my weaknesses and one of them is after a decision was made, thinking "What If..?" or "I should have.." I am really trying hard to avoid that thinking but the harder I try the more I do it. To give you some examples:

- We should've gone to the beach rather than going into the city.

- We should've eaten at home rather than going out.

- We should've booked a hostel rather than sleeping in an Airbnb.

- We should've gone to South East Asia rather than South Africa.

- Etc. Etc. Etc. Etc.

… I wonder where this back-and-forth thinking is coming from. Why do I have to question myself every once in a while my decisions? It doesn't happen in a particular area in life, it is spread throughout my life.

Today, as it happened again and was affecting our day negatively, I wondered where this came from. I finished my audiobook from Mark Manson, The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A Fuck (I didn't vibe with the book, except for the last three chapters) and I needed a new book. My partner Valon Asani recommended the book Principles from Ray Dalio to me. I just started to listen to it but I already know where my decision-thinking came from: poorly defined principles.

He states in his book that with clear and written principles, by which you "Walk the Talk", your decisions will be clear. So as I am listening to this audiobook and "almost" sitting in quarantine in Switzerland – I want to write down all my principles and manifest them. Based on my principles, decisions will be executed quickly and if my principles are strong enough, I won't question them.

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#8 – The World Has Never Felt That Small

February 9, 2020 · Sevelen, Switzerland

Airplanes were always very important to me. Not that I am pro-climate pollution, but because when I watched them fly high in the sky from my classroom, office, car, or wherever I happened to be, it meant freedom to me. Freedom to choose your destination. Freedom to get into an airplane and just fly wherever you want to go. I always imagined who was sitting in that particular plane, where they came from, where they went, what they did, and so on. I also played a game guessing where this plane was flying to. The adventures they are about to take or already taken. Strangers in a strange land, maybe so long that they weren't strangers anymore… Maybe that's why I love airports so much, so many different nations meet there, and it doesn't matter where you come from or where you go.

Today, it changed.

It seems like everything is about to change and where joy was is now the unknown, fear, and panic.

Friends are afraid to greet each other. Family members who haven't seen each other for weeks and months are afraid to hug each other. Social distancing. My logical brain understands why we need to do that, but my emotional side doesn't. My grandparents haven't seen my wife and me for more than two months. We came back with one of the last airplanes, we've self-isolated before we went to my family but still… there, where once has been hugs, kisses, and handshakes, is now a sort-of cold greeting from a distance. My grandparents were afraid to come near to us and it was really painful to witness, see, and feel the pain caused by their and our decision.

I am not here to comment on the decisions by the government but has anybody thought about what this will cause to our social life? Locals in foreign countries are getting aggressive to foreigners, to fellow human beings. Once people loved to connect, they are being forced to disconnect.

Let's pray and hope this will end soon and people around the world will come together like they never have before.

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#9 – The Beauty Of Silence

February 10, 2020 · Cape Town, South Africa

It was a very beautiful day as we trekked up the Lion's Head in Cape Town, South Africa. The sky was blue and the weather was just perfectly warm to go on a hiking tour. My wife and I are not die-hard fans of hiking and there are certain routes that we prefer over others. Frankly speaking, we love it when there is a change in the hiking path like straight out and some parts upward and so on. At the Lions Head Hike were also some parts where you almost had to climb. But it was never dangerous except for people with a fear of heights. Anyway, as we arrived at the top of Lions Head after 60 minutes, we were really proud of ourselves and first, we enjoyed the moment and of course took some pictures. After that, I was looking for a place to sit down and enjoy the magnificent view over Cape Town and the South Atlantic Ocean. It was breathtaking. There were of course other hikers too and not far from us, there was a man and woman also enjoying the view. That's what I thought.

I noticed that it wasn't a couple like us, they obviously just met in Cape Town. Probably in a hostel or hotel and went for a hike together. One of the first reasons I noticed it was: the talking.

The man couldn't stop talking, not for literally one second. He tried to impress her with stories of his life and other adventurous things he'd done, but he completely missed the point of the whole hike. Being on top of that mountain and just letting the view, wind, sun, and energy through your body. It seemed like he didn't want to embarrass himself on their first date by not talking with her or just being silent for a couple of minutes.

It was at that moment, that I was really grateful for my long-lasting relationship with my wife. We were sitting there, both completely quiet for 15-20 minutes and not talking anything. Just embrace the moment together. By not talking with each other, we communicated more than the couple next to us.

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#10 – The Writings

February 11, 2020 · South Africa

On a sunny day, I was walking with my wife at the beach. It was a sandy beach and the sand was like powder. The wind was getting stronger and stronger, blowing from the ocean to the land. For the first time ever, I noticed that it caused the sand to transform itself into a sort of writing. Each sand corn was blown into its place for the writing to be seen. The whole beach was like this and I just stood there, amazed by the way those forces leave their signs on earth.

I experienced the same with water when I went for a swim at the beach in Knysna and the writing was identical. It was beautiful! Like a symphony. It occurred to me an inscription on a lovely path in Sandbay, which stated: "Listen, music composed by no one, played eternally!"

And right in front of it was the infinite ocean, and the waves crashing into the cliffs, creating sounds no human will ever be capable of. That being said, I'd like to end this with a quote:

"The wise men understood that this natural world is only an image and a copy of paradise. The existence of this world is simply a guarantee that there exists a world that is perfect. God created the world so that, through its visible objects, men could understand his spiritual teachings and the marvels of his wisdom." — The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

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#11 – That Can Never Happen To Me

February 12, 2020 · Sargans, Switzerland

Today I'd like to share something with you from one of my favorite books, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I am re-reading it again and found a passage I wanted to share with you. Enjoy.

"He became friendly with the camel driver who traveled alongside him. At night, as they sat around the fire, the boy related to the driver his adventures as a shepherd.

During one of these conversations, the driver told his own life.

'I used to live near El Cairum,' he said. 'I had my orchard, my children, and a life that would change not until I died. One year, when the crop was the best ever, we all went to Mecca, and I satisfied the only unmet obligation in my life. I could die happily and that made me feel good.

One day, the earth began to tremble, and the Nile overflowed its banks. It was something that I thought could only happen to others, never to me. My neighbors feared they would lose all their olive trees in the flood, and my wife was afraid that we would lose all our children. I thought that everything I owned would be destroyed.

The land was ruined, and I had to find some other way to earn a living. So now I am a camel driver. But that disaster taught me to understand the word of Allah: people need not fear the unknown if they are capable of achieving what they need and want.

We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it's our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand.'"

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#12 – It Might Be In Front Of Your Nose

February 13, 2020 · Sargans, Switzerland

As we had to postpone our world trip because of this "situation", my wife and I are staying in an Airbnb apartment in Sargans, Switzerland. It is mentally a challenge to not think about where we actually would have been as digital nomads traveling the world. So we tried to forget it and do something outside today because it was a beautiful, sunny Sunday.

We lived in this area our whole life but never thought about visiting some waterfalls in our region. Today was the day. We decided to trek to Berschnerfall in Berschis. We parked our car in the center of the village, we started to walk to the waterfall upriver. The walk alone was amazing. Listening to the sound of nature, hearing water splash around, and being in complete silence with nature to enjoy the moment.

As we arrived at the waterfall, I was speechless. It was breathtaking. To all the countries we've been to and all the waterfalls we have searched and trekked to. This was by far, one of the most beautiful waterfalls we've seen and felt.

I was staring at the water falling down and a cold but refreshing breeze was blowing through my face. Then a thought popped into my head. In all our backpacking trips through South East Asia, we've been walking for hours of hours searching waterfalls but we never took the time to visit nature around us in our own hometown and home country.

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#13 – The Travels Of Ibn Battuta

February 14, 2020 · Sargans, Switzerland

I was reading Vagabonds by Rolf Potts last year and somewhere he mentioned a quote by Ibn Battuta. I have never heard of Ibn Battuta before and therefore I did some research and what I found out was just surprising, so I thought I wanted to share that with you.

Ibn Battuta was born in Tangier, Morocco on 25 February 1304 to a Muslim family. He studied Islamic Law and with only 21 years he started the longest travel journey ever done by a human being in his time. His first destination was Mecca in Saudi Arabia to fulfill his duty by doing the Islamic pilgrimage, which every Muslim once in his lifetime has to accomplish. While traveling he wrote down everything he did, saw, felt, smelled, and observed. One of those first notes were:

"I set out alone, having neither fellow-traveller in whose companionship I might find cheer, nor caravan whose part I might join, but swayed by an overmastering impulse within me and a desire long-cherished in my bosom to visit these illustrious sanctuaries. So I braced my resolution to quit my dear ones, female and male, and forsook my home as birds forsake their nests. My parents being yet in the bonds of life, it weighed sorely upon me to part from them, and both they and I were afflicted with sorrow at this separation."

He was a globetrotter, touring the continents for almost 30 years and covering 120,000 km by foot, camel, and ships to over 40 countries. He traveled three times further than Marco Polo. He collected stories about the most amazing people and places. He sees coconut palms for the first time and describes them as the "strangest trees ever". The nuts of the palms appear to him like human heads.

His way leads the man from Tangier to India, the Maldives, and the Chinese coasts. He even reaches Sumatra. But finally, he turns back. Ibn Battuta's last journeys include a detour to Andalusia and an expedition through the Sahara to Timbuktu. He gets to know the desert as a merciless place, "haunted by demons" who confuse travelers by sandstorms and other tricks and lead them astray. At the court of Mali, he is disturbed by the subservience to the ruler, the people throw themselves into the dust before the king. Since the Sultan of Morocco insists that the traveler record his experiences for posterity, Ibn Battuta dictates his experiences to a scribe in the months following his final return. In addition to colorful descriptions of the strangers, this report also contains a song of praise for the homeland. Why did he set off to wander for a lifetime? It all began with a pilgrimage to Mecca; he dreamed on this journey that a bird would carry him through the world. He followed this dream and reached the remotest corners of the earth.

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#14 – Writing vs. Calling

February 15, 2020 · Sargans, Switzerland

I am now working with remote teams for more than three years. Be it software developers from other countries, our own software developers in North Macedonia, or my newest team in Kosovo. Remote work doesn't only consist of writing through tools like Slack, Skype, or MS Teams but also demands having calls either via Voice or Video.

Of course, the fastest way to interact is by writing, but… only writing can be dangerous:

- you can't express yourself as you would via voice

- you shorten things up to save time (might forget something)

- you can't immediately correct yourself if you wrote something wrong/inappropriate

- and the worst of all: no emotions.

Emojis can help if used correctly. But if someone writes with a little bit of temperament because something is important to him, there is a possibility that it sounds rude. ESPECIALLY IF HE DOESN'T CONDUCT THE RULES OF COMMUNICATING WITH EACH OTHER.

The problem isn't that one time that happens, but when it happens a lot. In the worst case, it can cause resentment towards others and also anger, which will grow until it bursts one day. This then leads to very complicated discussions until you get this back on track.

That's the problem with only writing to communicate with each other and I urge people to learn and master the skills of common sense when writing with other human beings.

I for myself try to always re-read what I wrote and put myself in the shoes of my counterpart, be it my friend, coworker, or banker.

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#15 – Read, But Better Watch What You Read!

February 16, 2020 · Sargans, Switzerland

I stopped reading media articles and newspapers a long time ago. To be honest, I only read them to see how and what people are reading to justify the reactions I come across within life. Since we had to postpone or "cancel" our world trip and came back to Switzerland until we're ready to take off again, I needed some quality time with me. That's why I wasn't posting anything new the last couple of days… Which doesn't mean I wasn't writing.

But this topic, which all of you know, is now the main thing people care about. It fills out our newspapers, blogs, posts, podcasts, interviews, and news. Our government spoke this week, that they were going to extend the lockdown but ease some restrictions. Which is, indeed, something positive. But instead of focusing on the positive side, the media found ways to make people believe that this was the wrong move. It wasn't economically nor scientific. It was just some posts on how bad certain things "could" be. Watch the words… But people believe a lot of things and this caused another wave of fear and uncertainty.

So if you want to keep a clear mind — stop reading and listening to the news/newspapers, I highly recommend this to you. If a certain subject interests you, go and do your own research.

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#16 – Hunt Food Or Become Food

February 17, 2020 · Sargans, Switzerland

We were staying in Knysna, South Africa in a lovely little hostel and one day we drove to a beautiful and tiny island called "leisure island". What an interesting and suitable name, I thought.

We went for a walk right next to the ocean – there was a bay and the water was therefore very calm. Somewhere we found an insightful walk with lots of information about the underwater world on the island. What I wanted to share with you is what we read about seahorses:

"Seahorses have excellent eyesight and their eyes are able to work independently on either side of their head. This means they can look forward and backward at the same time! This is particularly useful as they hunt for food by sight."

I thought it to be very useful and thinking about our current situation, freedom of speech, and what is happening all around the world, it's very important not to focus only in one direction but also be aware of what is happening around us to react properly.

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#17 – Trapped

February 18, 2020 · Sargans, Switzerland

In my whole life, I have never felt so trapped as I do now.

When I used to look up at the sky and see the airplanes at the top of the world, I was overcome by a wanderlust deep in my soul.

I read books and adventures about traveling the world and I couldn't wait to start my own.

Since 2012 I have been planning this journey in my head and in my heart. Every year I postponed it for another year. Until we finally started in January 2020.

But after almost 8 weeks it was already over.

The world is closed. What happened?

We have been sitting between chairs and benches in Switzerland again for over a month now and the return hits me very hard on the psyche. Before I could handle the feeling better because I knew I could get on a plane in Zurich and fly away. But now I cannot do that anymore.

The cozy mountains in my hometown are changing from day to day into prison walls and the sky no longer radiates a desire to travel. Trapped without a home of my own, without a plan, without anything. Waiting for the world to open up. But at what cost? What will change? How long will it last? Questions, questions, questions, that hit my mind very profound and let me experience the feeling of being on a rollercoaster.

Next to me is a book which we received as a gift at our wedding: "Wanderlust – Inspiration for a whole life". How much my heart suffers when I open a page and look at, for example, Djema El Fna marketplace in Marrakech and think about how it is now empty and bare. How long will it take until people inhabit the world with joy and social distancing is removed from our vocabulary? I don't know, but I do know that human beings need other human beings.

Social gatherings will flourish.

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#18 – Humanity Fades Away

February 19, 2020 · Sargans, Switzerland

What concerns me most about this madness:

"Moroccans are usually a very warm, friendly, welcoming nation. It is not uncommon for foreigners to be approached on the streets or even to get invitations to lunches with Moroccan families.

At the beginning of March, nothing seemed different than the friendly normal. But as it was becoming clear that the situation is serious, some foreigners reported being treated differently and even harassed.

'The atmosphere is different,' said a French national. 'There is less happiness on the streets these days.'

During the days following the lockdown, some Moroccans treated every foreigner as carrying a highly contagious, deadly disease, covering their faces with pieces of clothing and moving as far away as possible."

— Morocco World News

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#19 – Why Do We Do What We Do?

February 20, 2020 · Prishtina, Kosovo

When I feel like reading profound stories that make me think about life and the world, I read "Like The Flowing River: Thoughts and Reflections" from Paulo Coelho.

I just read the chapter "The Importance of the Cat in Meditation" and it reminded me of another story, which I'd like to share with you.

"A little girl was watching her mother prepare a fish for dinner. Her mother cut the head and tail off the fish and then placed it into a baking pan. The little girl asked her mother why she cut the head and tail off the fish. Her mother thought for a while and then said, 'I've always done it that way—that's how my mother did it.'

Not satisfied with the answer, the little girl went to visit her grandma to find out why she cut the head and tail off the fish before baking it. Grandma thought for a while and replied, 'I don't know. My mother always did it that way.' So the little girl and the grandma went to visit great-grandma to find out if she knew the answer.

Great-grandma thought for a while and said, 'Because my baking pan was too small to fit in the whole fish.'"

Sitting outside and enjoying a beautiful Sunday evening in Prishtina, I tell myself: If we find ourselves following the majority blindly, it is maybe time to rethink why we do what we do.

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#20 – The Future Of Offices

February 21, 2020 · Prishtina, Kosovo

The Future Of Offices

If the last year has taught us something, it is how to remote work.

I'd like to share some notes with you:

AngelList Founder Naval Ravikant says he thinks remote work's time is coming. "It is probably going to be the single most important new category in hiring," he says. (This was in March 2019.)

I've also seen a lot of (if not all) job posts in tech adding the following word into their job title: (Remote).

Not only in tech companies, for example, Ernst & Young Global Consulting Services posted a blog article with the following statement:

"As only 43% of the employees are daily present in the office, desk sharing has been implemented here and will follow in Barcelona, Malaga, and Valladolid."

We at dua.com are slowly switching to remote-first, fully.

Take a look at Buffer:

"Buffer is a fully remote team, spread across the whole planet. We have Bufferoos in 15 countries, 11 timezones, and 42 cities (and counting!). As a member of our team, you will be invited to work wherever you're happiest and most productive."

Will offices as we know them be needed?

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#21 – The Golden Middle

February 22, 2020 · Prishtina, Kosovo

Ever heard of the term "the golden middle"?

The golden middle way is the desirable middle between two extremes, one of excess and the other of deficiency.

If you read and research about its meaning, you can find it in any religion and spiritual community of the world. It has been with us since time began and the meaning is very profound.

The golden middle method is something, I believe, that can be learned, trained, and applied to everyone's daily life.

When defining your principles and values, when standing before a big decision, when trying to decide who and how to work with, when setting the ethical foundation of yourself and/or your business.

I strongly believe that if you act within the golden middle in any area of your life, it will balance your mind, body, heart, and soul.

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#22 – 29 Years With 29 Thoughts

February 23, 2020

Last week I turned 29 and I just wrote down 29 thoughts I had in mind. Each one of them is and might become its own post. Just sharing how it is with you.

1. Life's beautiful.

2. Pray.

3. Say the truth.

4. Time > Money.

5. Make mistakes. The older you get, the more expensive lessons will be.

6. Own your mistakes.

7. Learn from your mistakes.

8. Guilt-free free time > free time with guilt.

9. Family first. Time spent with family is worth every second.

10. Travel. Yes, all around the globe.

11. Embrace new cultures.

12. Trust your gut. If you don't, blessings might turn into a curse.

13. Read. A lot.

14. Learn to code.

15. Write. A lot.

16. It is possible to have both. But not all.

17. Question the status quo. Dare to not be normal.

18. Connect the dots.

19. Don't overthink. It'll be alright.

20. Spend time with old friends! Stay in contact.

21. Love. Be faithful.

22. Ask for help and accept it when you receive it.

23. Write down your principles and values.

24. Mental health is as important as physical health. If not more important.

25. Say "no", if it isn't a "hell, yes".

26. Remote-first is here to stay.

27. No amount of money can remove remorse.

28. If it doesn't match your values and principles, just don't do it.

29. Build your personal brand, early.

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#23 – Accept The Blessings

February 24, 2020 · Vlora, Albania

As I was watching the sunset in Vlora, Albania with my wife, daughter, and parents-in-law – I was absent at that moment and thinking of future events. Work that needed to be done, decisions that needed to be made, meetings that needed to be scheduled. I realized that even though God gifted me with one of the most beautiful sunsets in my life and the ability to spend that moment with my loved ones, I was not appreciating the blessing at that specific moment.

The master says: "Make use of every blessing that God gave you today. A blessing cannot be saved. There is no bank where we can deposit blessings received, to use them when we see fit. If you do not use them, they will be irretrievably lost. God knows that we are creative artists when it comes to our lives. On one day, he gives us clay for sculpting, on another, brushes and canvas, or a pen. But we can never use clay on our canvas, nor pens in sculpture. Each day has its own miracle. Accept the blessings, work, and create your minor works of art today. Tomorrow you will receive others." — Maktub, Paulo Coelho

It's the ability to enjoy and make use of the small things in life, that make life exciting.

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#24 – Thoughts

February 25, 2020 · Vlora, Albania

I've read many things about the law of attraction and always found it very impressive. Simply by focusing all your attention on what you want to attract, you will eventually attract it. Is it really that easy? If it is, why don't more people use that concept? Apparently, it's not that easy because the sole thought is not enough. It's not only the thinking, but it's also the way we formulate what we think. For example, by saying "I never want to become like that!" our mind removes the "never" and what will stick is "I want to become like that!".

But that's another topic I'd like to discuss in a different post.

What I was thinking about today was the possibility to set things in motion just by thinking about it. What do I mean? As I was walking at the beach, I thought heavily about a response I was waiting to receive. I've not thought about the response before as I forgot it, but during the walk, I thought a lot about it and why I didn't get it. I did not have my smartphone with me at that time. The moment I arrived at my apartment to check my emails, I saw that the e-mail arrived at the exact time I was thinking about it. This made me wonder if our thoughts can trigger certain events to happen. I know this sounds perhaps absurd, but I experienced similar situations multiple times previously. Especially with close family, friends, or my wife. The sole act of thinking about a person made them write or call me.

It feels like there's a giant spider web around the world. This needs much more research, but sometimes it's just best to experience wonders and appreciate them instead of questioning them.

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#25 – Water

February 26, 2020

My mood, physical and mental health improve drastically when I am by the seaside – why?

- Walking on the beach provides considerably more exercise than walking on a flatter surface.

- Being by the seaside, you're more likely to walk barefoot — grounding (earthing).

- Swimming in the sea is a full-body workout, improves circulation, and boosts your immune system.

- Vitamins, minerals, and amino acids in seawater produce antibiotic and antibacterial effects that improve immunity.

- Swimming in seawater stimulates the body's healing mechanisms.

- Seawater increases skin's elasticity, hydrates it, and improves its appearance.

- Negative ions in sea air accelerate your ability to absorb oxygen and balance your serotonin levels, a body chemical linked with mood and stress. This is why you feel more alert, relaxed, and energized when being by the seaside.

- The rhythmic sound of the waves pounding the shore enables a meditative state. The benefits of meditation are far-reaching: stress reduction, deep relaxation, increased happiness, improved peace of mind, spontaneity, and heightened creativity.

- Vitamin D is enabling your endocrine system to secrete endorphins – your body's feel-good chemicals.

- The salt in seawater also supports your mental wellbeing by maintaining the melatonin, tryptamine, and serotonin levels in your brain — which fight off depression.

- A lot of people do sports by the seaside which motivates you to do the same.

The by far biggest positive influence on my mood and health is being by the seaside. What's yours?

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#26 – Who Are You?

February 27, 2020 · Vlora, Albania

Most of you would answer with your first name, last name. Well, that's not who you are. That's just two words. Your parents gave them to you. If you answer by indicating at yourself, well that's not you either. That's just your body. Your hand, your head.

So, who are you?

That's a very profound question. It needs studying.

We live simultaneously in three planes of understanding.

1. We're spiritual human beings.

2. We have an intellect.

3. We live in physical bodies.

Because we lack understanding of who we are, we are totally locked into our physical world. We let things outside of us, control us.

95% of the population are reacting to life, they're not living at all.

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#27 – The Universal Language

February 28, 2020

During my travels, I noticed that you do not need to speak the same language in order to understand each other. I encountered it in many Southeast Asian countries, where I couldn't speak the local language and my counterpart couldn't speak English, so we had no language to interact with.

That's what I thought, at least. But if the positive desire to share something is here, the universal language applies and through many different ways, it is possible to transmit the message. Not only simple things like the direction, but full conversations about travels, profession, questions, and answers. It's pretty interesting to be fully aware of when that happens and observe it.

My parents-in-law were visiting Albania this year, and even though they didn't speak Albanian with the locals, they were able to have multiple conversations and they understood each other.

There's been only one case where I witnessed that this is not working. Trying to communicate with negative intent or negative emotions. In cases like that, the "communication" was surrounded by a bad aura and the universal language wasn't applied.

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#28 – Dreaming Language

February 29, 2020 · Prishtina, Kosovo

I always thought by being born and raised in a German speaking country like Switzerland, that the language I think, feel, and express myself deep down is German. I learned Albanian through my Mother who always spoke to us in that language, but I never went to a school or anything to learn the language properly. This meant that during our vacations in our home country, I was very shy when I used Albanian. Other children laughed at me and I didn't like speaking Albanian. Even with my brothers I only speak in German.

So I didn't give much thought to it.

But one day my wife told me that she heard me two or three times speak in Albanian in my dreams. I couldn't believe it. During the day, when I'm awake, I never ever think in Albanian.

But as it happens, I dream in Albanian.

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#29 – Notes

March 1, 2020 · Prishtina, Kosovo

There are two things I take with me all the time:

- My E-Book Reader

- My Diary / Notebook

I love hardcopy books, more than my e-book reader, but if I travel light, it's my first choice because:

1. I can take as many "books" as I want with me.

2. I improve my English every time I read a book because I can long-press on a word to open a popup with the definition/dictionary.

3. Words I look up are added to the vocabulary builder so I can look them up later.

4. With "Word Wise", I can see simple definitions and synonyms displayed inline above more difficult words while I read.

Just to mention some.

My notebook is with me for my daily notes incl. highlights from reading e-books, which I want to keep track of in two places.

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#30 – What is the 265 Challenge?

March 2, 2020 · Prishtina, Kosovo

The average reading speed of an adult is about 265 words per minute. I've always wanted to write. But my writing isn't good and the only way to improve it is by constantly writing. So I set myself a goal of writing 265-word stories every single day.

I don't write a diary but always wanted to start, so this is it. It can be a learning, an insight, a tip, a how-to, an experience, a feeling, spiritual/religious, or whatever happens to go through my weird mind. It's an experiment to:

A) get better at writing and

B) collect my daily learnings.

Why do I post them online? I just feel like sharing them and maybe they will positively influence you.

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#31 – Procrastination

March 3, 2020

By definition, procrastination is the habit of delaying an important task. It varies from laziness, which is the displeasure to act at all. By procrastinating we do act on an important task but in parallel, we also work on less important or more enjoyable tasks instead of finishing the one important task we started.

A habit is a system of behavior that is repeated mechanically and usually occurs subconsciously. It needs a lot of time and effort to form a habit. That is why it is so hard to not procrastinate. It's a strong habit and for a habit to change you first need to fully recognize that you do it.

I had this a-ha moment when I was skimming through my old notebook. I saw that I have been procrastinating on this website (www.larklind.com) since around 2017… wow. I never realized it. I found like 8-10 notes "finish larklind.com", "finalize the design on website", "create a blog article on larklind.com" etc. I've re-created this website at least 10 times with all different themes on different content management systems. I was never happy with it. I was stuck. Stuck at the improve vicious cycle.

Now the time came to hit publish.

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#32 – Buying My First NFT-Cat (08/21)

March 4, 2020

The first time I heard about NFTs was in a podcast hosted by Tim Ferris in April 2021. Tim was talking to Vitalik Buterin (co-founder of Ethereum) and had his good friend Naval Ravikant join as a guest. So even though I am tech-savvy, I didn't understand the concept right away. After the podcast, I forgot about NFTs, and last week I was talking to Valon and he made research about exactly this topic. I saw on Twitter how Gary Vaynerchuck was giving away free NFT cards, how Lenny Rachitsky created a NFT collection of his newsletter community and how Sahil put his Twitter profile pic on auction. Then I was like, alright. I don't need more signs. Time to buy my first NFT.

How I bought my first NFT cat:

- First, I had to find out where best to buy NFTs. I saw that most of the people I followed on Twitter were using OpenSea.io (the eBay for NFTs).

- But in order to create an account there, I first had to create an account on MetaMask.io — this is basically your crypto wallet which you need to connect to your OpenSea.io account. You need to install the Brave or Chrome extension of MetaMask in your browser.

- Then I had to buy (or transfer) ETH to your MetaMask.io wallet. You can only buy NFTs on OpenSea.io with ETH.

- So back to MetaMask. You either have the possibility to buy ETH with a credit card or you can transfer it from another crypto wallet. I had a Kraken Account and bought ETH there and just transferred a small amount to my MetaMask account. (I transferred a small amount on purpose just to be sure that everything works)

- After the ETH arrived in my MetaMask wallet (within 1 min) I was ready to purchase my first NFT.

- Be careful what NFT you buy, unfortunately, everybody with an account on OpenSea.io can upload NFTs to the platform which means there's a lot of BS on there.

- Following some research, I found the company CryptoKitties which was selling crypto cats on the platform. I really liked the idea as it reminded me of my childhood Tamagotchi time. So I welcomed Dieter Spicytot to the fam.

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#33 – What is an NFT in 1 Min (08/21)

March 5, 2020

Yesterday I bought my first NFT and told some friends. The first question was: "What is an NFT?" Let's dive into it.

NFT stands for Non-Fungible Token. Mhm… That does not make it clearer.

Maybe it's easier to explain first what a Fungible Token is. It is a token, like Bitcoin, which can be traded for another Bitcoin. You will have exactly the same thing. I know you exchanged Bitcoin but in the end it does not matter, you have 1 BTC and the other person gets 1 BTC.

But NFTs can't be replaced. It's unique. Think back to your youth, do you remember trading cards? Like Pokemon, Yuh-Gi-Oh, NBA or anything similar? There's only a certain amount of them and once you trade one card with another, it's gone. Ownership changed and someone else owns the card. Same for NFTs. It's a mechanism to give ownership of digital arts to the creators/artists.

Most NFTs are part of the Ethereum blockchain, meaning that transactions are being verified through a smart contract, which means: no middle man. (Like eBay, Banks etc.)

So that's basically the simplest explanation I came up with.

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#34 – There Is No Spoon

March 6, 2020

I'm a big fan of the movie The Matrix and one of my favourite scenes is the following part:

When Neo says "There is no spoon", it signifies his evolution to a consciousness beyond logic, where anything is possible.

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#35 – Write

March 7, 2020

Currently reading Maktub by Paulo Coelho. This part resonated with me:

The master says: "Write! Whether it's a letter, a diary, or just some notes as you speak on the telephone – but write! In writing, we come closer to God and to others. If you want to understand your role in the world better, write. Try to put your soul in writing, even if no one reads your writing – or worse, even if someone winds up reading what you did not want to be read. The simple fact of writing helps us to organize our thoughts and see more clearly what is in our surroundings. Paper and pen perform miracles – they alleviate pain, make dreams come true and summon lost hope. The word has power."

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#36 – Talking Bad About Someone

March 8, 2020

I've come to realize that if someone is talking bad about another person (in their absence) in front of you, this person will also talk bad about you in your absence.

If you recognize this, don't start talking bad as well. Rather change the topic and do not invest more time with that person.

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#37 – Question To You

March 9, 2020

If you go for your dream:

What's the worst that could happen?

Write it down. Evaluate it.

It's probably not the end of the world.

And then, just go for it.

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#38 – The Changing World Order: The New Paradigm

March 10, 2020

Ray Dalio posted a very interesting article today. It is very insightful from the financial perspective and very frightful from the peace-on-earth perspective. The main point is the shifting or changing world order and what that (possibly) means. It's his point of view and he asks us to challenge him, but if you know Ray Dalio you can be pretty sure he did his homework. He said it's explained more in detail in his new book "Changing World Order – Why Nations Succeed and Fail". I'll added the book to my to-read list and will order it the next couple of days.

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#39 – Don'ts

March 11, 2020

Stop doing these things:

- Don't lie to yourself. You know what you want.

- Don't be jealous of someone you don't even want to aspire to be like.

- Don't take your blessings, no matter how small, for granted.

- Don't take criticism to heart from people you wouldn't even ask for advice.

- Don't argue with people who won't even try to understand you.

- Don't change your personal values and principles to fit in. Do your own thing.

- Don't say yes to things you'd rather say no to.

- Don't reject your gut feeling.

- Don't beat yourself up if you do. Be kind to yourself.

- Don't say "one day…". Say "Day One!".

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#40 – Multitasking Is Overrated

March 12, 2020

[This post consists of an image only — no text body was published.]

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#41 – Got Me Thinking

March 13, 2020

Just recently I saw a post on LinkedIn about a guy who was diagnosed with cancer and he just received one of the worst feedback a doctor can give you. It's untreatable and he has approximately one year to live. He is married and has two kids. A 5-month-old son and a 7-year-old son.

As a freshly baked father myself, I immediately had tears in my eyes while reading it.

How heartbroken must his wife be? How heartbroken must he be, thinking about not seeing his kids grow up?

It got me thinking about myself. My relationships. My family. My friends. My daughter.

If you know you only have 12 months to live. How would you spend the rest of your life?

How would you treat your loved ones?

Would you get angry for every little thing? Would you waste time watching TV instead of spending it with your family?

I guess not.

And while thinking about those questions – another one popped up in my mind.

Who guarantees you how long you have to live?

Who says you have more than 12 months to live?

By acknowledging your own death, which for sure will come. You start to see things from a different perspective.

If you don't know how much time on earth you got left, why get angry with your loved ones? Why waste hours of hours watching TV or gaming or scrolling down news feeds like a zombie?

Call your loved ones today, meet them and tell them, or at least make them feel you love them and they are important to you.

You may not have as much time as you wish. So use it.

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#42 – What is your mind-full of?

May 5, 2020

Mindfulness, a term often whispered in the corridors of wellness, isn't just a fleeting trend. It's an age-old practice, deeply rooted in the essence of being, a subtle art of living in the present. At its core, mindfulness is about awareness – a gentle, yet profound awareness of the now.

In our fast-paced world, where seconds slip into minutes, unnoticed and uncherished, mindfulness is the pause button. It's the quiet observer in us, noticing the way the morning light dances on the kitchen tiles, feeling the texture of the coffee cup, savoring each sip. It's about being present in these small moments, allowing them to unfold, free from the clutter of thoughts about past or future.

Mindfulness isn't confined to meditation cushions. It's in the way we listen to a friend, in the steps we take during a mindful walk, in the patience with which we wait in line. It's about finding stillness within, amidst the chaos around. This stillness isn't about inactivity; rather, it's about being actively present and engaged with the current moment.

There's a subtle beauty in practicing mindfulness. It doesn't demand perfection or extraordinary moments. It simply asks for your presence. And in this presence, there is a deep connection – with yourself, with others, and with the world around you.

As we journey through the ebbs and flows of life, mindfulness can be our anchor, grounding us in the here and now. It's a reminder that in this very moment, we are alive, we are breathing, and that in itself, is enough.

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#43 – Islamic Mindfulness

July 11, 2020

In the intricate tapestry of Islamic tradition, the threads of mindfulness are deeply interwoven, particularly within the mystical realm of Sufism. Mindfulness in Islam, often referred to as "muraqaba" or self-vigilance, is about a conscious awareness of the Divine presence in every moment of life.

Sufism, the spiritual dimension of Islam, holds mindfulness as a central tenet. It teaches that to be mindful is to witness the Divine in every aspect of existence. This perspective transforms mundane activities into acts of worship, where even the simplest tasks are infused with a sense of higher purpose and connection to Allah.

At the heart of this practice is Dhikr, the remembrance of God. Dhikr goes beyond mere recitation; it's an immersion into the presence of the Divine, a rhythmic chant that echoes the heartbeat of the universe. In repeating the names of Allah, Sufis seek to polish the heart, clearing it of distractions and worldly concerns, to reflect the divine light.

Mindfulness in Sufism is also about introspection and self-awareness. It's a journey inward, exploring the landscape of the soul, understanding one's inner workings, and aligning them with divine will. This introspective mindfulness cultivates a deeper empathy and connection with others, seeing beyond the surface into the shared human experience.

Sufi teachings emphasize the beauty of the present moment, viewing each as a unique opportunity to draw closer to the Divine. This mindfulness is about seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary, recognizing that every moment is a sign of Allah's endless mercy and wisdom.

In a world where distractions are plentiful, mindfulness as taught in Islam and Sufism offers a sanctuary of peace and presence. It's a call to slow down, to breathe in the essence of the moment, and to find in it a reflection of the Divine.

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#44 – On Control

July 11, 2020

A disciple and his master were walking the fields when the disciple asked his master:

"How can you give up control?"

"Do you see that river flowing in the fields?" asked the master.

"Go and make the river flow upstream."

"That's impossible. People would look at me like I'm mad.", answered the disciple.

"Then why do you want to control God's plan?"

"What can I control then?", mumbled the disciple.

"How you respond to God's plan written for you."

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