One of my biggest lessons in life I learned when I was 19 years old. I was so eager to become a national radio presenter that I decided to knock on every door of every producer and tell them I was the voice they were looking for.

I had already been doing my weekly radio show at several local radio stations and I simply knew I had this radio vibe in me.

Those days the Saturday morning show “Somers & Verschueren” was one of the most popular radio shows on the national radio 2 presented by two radio and tv celebrities Dirk Somers and Luc Verschueren.  

Being super ambitious I also introduced myself to these two national superstars who were like “radio gods” to the 19-year-old me.

And to my biggest surprise, I became the presenter of their summer show every Saturday in prime time. 

It was the beginning of a wonderful radio career.

Those days I studied communication and helped my parents pay my studies by cleaning offices at 5 am in the morning. 

This was such an interesting experience for me. 

Being radio superstar in the weekend, student during the week and in the early mornings cleaning lady. I noticed how people would treat me differently accordingly to the “role” I played.

Some would LOOKUP to me because I worked for the national radio, others would LOOK DOWN on me because I cleaned their office, and the student in me would simply observe this different behaviour towards me and say “HOW interesting.”

You see. Although I played different roles and people saw different parts of me….

IT WAS ALWAYS ME…. My essence….in the cleaning of a desk….in the voice presenting to a million listeners….in the student making her first video…..

We tend to GET LOST in our FIRST IMPRESSION about someone. 

We see a person in a certain context and our mind already “ LABELS ” this person as poor or rich, intelligent or stupid, beautiful or ugly, young or old, fashionable or not- fashionable…..

And we believe the story our mind tells us about this person. 

WE FORGET TO LOOK DEEPER AND SEE WHAT IS REALLY THERE.

We get LOST IN THE STORY WE MAKE OF OTHERS.

JUST LIKE WE GET LOST IN THE STORIES WE TELL OURSELVES ABOUT OURSELVES.

If you would look DEEPER, behind the JUDGMENTS and the STORIES you would see the REAL

ESSENCE of a person.

You would see that there is a HUMAN BEING who just like you is on a LIFE ‘S JOURNEY.

Who JUST LIKE YOU is LONGING TO BE LOVED.

But…..

YOU HAVE TO BE BRAVE TO LOOK BEYOND THE COVER……

Then you would realise…..the cleaning lady, the superstar, ……

WE ARE ALL UNIQUE BEINGS and WE ARE ALL CONNECTED

WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT SHADES AND COLORS OF ONE BIG PAINTING

In order to see the TRUE COLORS of your neighbours you NEED TO BE BRAVE ENOUGH 

TO SHINE YOUR TRUE COLORS first.

So never judge a book by its cover. 

You might miss out on so much beauty and wisdom…….