Tag: #care

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International Volunteer Day

Together We Make a Difference

Today, December 5th, we celebrate International Volunteer Day.

A day to honor the millions of people worldwide who dedicate their time and energy to helping others. Volunteers are the silent force behind countless initiatives. They bring hope where it’s needed most, build bridges between communities, and share something priceless: love, care, and wisdom. Without them, our world would look very different.

Why are volunteers so important?

Volunteering is more than giving time. It’s an act of connection and compassion. It shows that we are stronger together and that change begins with people willing to do something for others—without expecting anything in return. In a world full of challenges, volunteers prove that solidarity is alive and thriving.

At BOOST The World, we are deeply grateful for our own volunteers.

Thank you to everyone who helps us create opportunities for children and young people in South Africa and the Netherlands to grow in leadership and sustainability. You make our mission possible. We proudly mention our heroes: Declan, Ellen, Etiënne, Ivo, Jula, Odilia, Robert, Rosanne, Siyenna en Tom—and many others working behind the scenes to make a difference. Your dedication is invaluable.

Looking ahead to 2026

We have big plans. In 2026, we aim to expand our impact, and for that, we need many volunteers—across every imaginable area. From communications and fundraising to education, events, and project support in the Netherlands and South Africa.

Do you have a talent you’d like to use to make the world a better place? Please tell us, and submit your email to info@boosttheworld.org with your personal contact data. Together, we make the difference.

Thank you to all volunteers—you are the engine of change.

#InternationalVolunteerDay #BOOSTTheWorld #Volunteering #Impact #SDGs #Love #Care #Wisdom

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Identity Shift

The power of becoming who you already are

A heart-centered exercise to change your reality

Most people try to change their lives by working harder, doing more, or trying harder. They think that when circumstances change, when they get better grades, have more money, feel less stress, they will finally be able to behave differently.

But real change works exactly the other way around. Your circumstances only change when you change. When you choose a new identity. When you decide who you are — and live as if that’s already true.

Not by putting pressure. Not by pushing yourself. But by choosing from your heart.

⊗  Your reality doesn’t change when you ‘re finally good enough .

 ♥   Your reality changes when you choose that you are already good enough.

Why identity determines everything

Your identity is the silent story you believe about yourself. It determines:

  • how you appear in public,
  • what choices you make,
  • that you dare to trust,
  • what you allow into your life.

And that identity always shows itself through your behavior.

Identity

I’m someone who always struggles

I am someone who grows  

I am someone who is valuable

Behavior

Procrastination, stress, self-criticism

Show up, ask for help

Setting boundaries, choices from calmness

Result

Even more struggle

Progress and opportunities

Respect and abundance

So you don’t have to wait for “evidence”. You just have to be the version you already are.

The Identity Shift Exercise

10 minutes a day from your heart

Grab pen and paper. Take a deep breath. Put your hand on your heart. Feel your body, feel your presence. Exhale slowly. Continue breathing – slowly and consciously.

Step 1. Recognize your old identity

Write down:

“What identity am I holding on to now that keeps me small?”

For example:

  • “I’m someone who is always behind”
  • “I’m someone who has to be perfect first”
  • “I am someone who needs luck to succeed”
  • “I’m someone who never has enough money”

Be honest, not harsh.

Step 2. Choose your new identity

Close your eyes and ask:

“Who do I want to be? Who am I deep down already?”

Write down one powerful identity statement – from love – for example:

  • “I am someone who grows and flourishes”
  • “I am someone who is supported and led”
  • “I am someone who attracts abundance”
  • “I am someone who lives present and self-aware”
  • “I am someone who creates opportunities by being who I am”

Choose one. Feel it. You don’t have to earn it – you can receive it.

Step 3. Behaviour from this new identity

Ask yourself:

“If I’m already this version, how do I behave from today onwards?”

Write down three concrete actions that fit your new identity. For example:

  • Take five minutes of breathing and start resting instead of stressing.
  • Talking to someone instead of waiting for someone to come to me.
  • Taking a small step towards my dream.
  • Don’t procrastinate, but start softly.
  • Saying yes to an opportunity that feels exciting.

One small action is enough to shift the timeline.

Step 4. Embodiment

Say softly or silently:

“I am this version – now – I choose me”

And feel what is changing in your body.

What’s happening now

When you live from a heart-centered identity, something magical happens:

  • You attract other opportunities and people
  • You feel more peace and confidence
  • You stop fighting and start receiving
  • Your reality moves with you.

Not because you work harder, but because you will show up differently. You don’t have to force anything. You just have to be.

Your assignment for today

Ask yourself three times a day: “Who am I now?” and perform one of the three actions that come with this new identity.

Let the rest follow naturally. Good luck!

by Rosanne van Zalingen
Founder of BOOST The World

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Manifesting from a Heart-Centered Identity

Why mainstream manifesting doesn’t work for students and what does work

You probably know it. Vision boards full of dreams. Pinterest quotes anywhere on your screen. Affirmations that you keep repeating. Diary pages in which you write until your wrist hurts. And yet it feels like nothing really changes.

We have come to believe that if we try, heal, work and wait hard enough… our lives shift by themselves.

But deep down you know: transformation does not come from forcing, but from choosing.

Manifesting is not about tricks, but about truth

Manifesting is not about rituals, schedules, techniques or proving yourself.

It’s about identity. About who you believe you are inside and what reality you create from that belief. Not by pushing harder. But by becoming softer. By choosing from love instead of fear.

You don’t manifest by writing something down 1000 times. You manifest by embodying the version of yourself that knows it is already safe to receive. Before the evidence is visible.

Heart-centered identity in practice

Everything starts with the question: “From what energy do I live today?”

From lack — or from trust?

Out of a sense of proof — or out of self-love?

Out of fear — or out of choice?

Here are practical examples for students, translated into heart-centered identities: 

Identity from Fear:

I have to perform, otherwise I’m not good enough

I’m afraid of making mistakes

I never have enough time/money/opportunities

I hope it works out

Identity from the Heart:

I am valuable just the way I am, and my growth can be gentle

I trust that every step makes me wiser

I live in abundance and open myself to possibilities

I know I’ve been carried 

This is what it looks like in everyday life

Exams

Heart-centered identity: “I’m someone who learns with peace and confidence, because I don’t have to prove myself.”

Behavior that goes with it:

  • Learning from care and structure, don’t panic
  • Taking Breaks Without Guilt
  • Breathing before you start
  • Remind yourself that you are more than a number.

Internship and future

Heart-centered identity: “I am someone who builds relationships from authenticity, not impression.”

Behavior that goes with it:

  • Real conversations, not perfect scripts
  • Show yourself as you are
  • Asking for help and showing gratitude
  • Creating opportunities through connection.

Money and abundance

Heart-centered identity: “I trust that there is always enough, and that I may receive without fighting.”

Behavior that goes with it:

  • Making decisions from calm, not fear
  • Being open to new ideas and ways of earning
  • Negotiating with dignity.

The real shift

Your reality doesn’t change when you’re finally perfect. Not when you’ve done enough. Not when someone else validates you.

Your reality changes when you decide who you are inside. When you choose from your heart, the world around you shifts by itself. That is heart-guided living. That is quantum thinking. That is not (yet) mainstream.

A question for you today

Close your eyes. Take a deep breath.

And ask yourself, “Which version of me deserves space today?”

The version that is waiting? Or the version that feels like it’s already complete?

Freedom. Rest. Abundance. Softness.

Not later. Not ever. But now.

by Rosanne van Zalingen
Founder BOOST The World

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Back to Connection

A message to the youth

In the past fifteen years within the world of personal development, I have spoken, guided and observed thousands of people. One-on-one, in groups, in halls full, on stages. And through all those conversations, one insight came to the fore more and more: we have lost the connection with each other. Not only with each other, but especially with ourselves.

We live in a time when knowledge is infinitely available. We read “books, listen to podcasts, devour YouTube videos, scroll through Instagram and TikTok for hours looking for answers to questions like “Who am I? Why am I here? What is the purpose of life?”

But the more we know, the less we seem to know.

The more prosperity we have, the emptier we feel.

The more connected we are online, the more we are alone offline.

We live in stories

We identify en masse with stories. Stories that were once invented or told by others through upbringing, religion, society, culture, marketing. We believe them, adopt them and live them as if they were absolute truth. We judge who thinks, believes differently or lives differently because we are so convinced that our way is the right one.

And in the meantime, an industry has emerged that teaches us how to be someone: successful, visible, perfect.

Social media is full of images of lives that are often not real. We compare ourselves to illusions and thus become even further removed from who we really are.

What do we teach our children?

We teach them:

  • perform according to the standards of others
  • meet expectations they never chose themselves
  • always be strong
  • avoid failure
  • and above all: to no longer feel.

But a person is not a brand. A human being is not a performance machine.

You are not what you own, you are not your followers, your numbers, your likes, your perfect photos.

You are human. With a story. With mistakes. With dreams. With feelings.

Where did we lose connection?

We have forgotten that we are part of something bigger. Whether you call it God, the universe, the cosmos, or energy—it doesn’t matter.

What matters is being connected. With the earth. With each other. With your own heart.

Look at people like the Dalai Lama, Jesus, Gandhi. Not because they were perfect — but because the stories we tell about them breathe hope and humanity. Stories that connect instead of divide.

A message for you – if you are between 8 and 21 years old

Maybe you feel lost in all expectations. In all the books, all the videos, all the advice, all the filters, all the voices that tell you who you should be.

You may think you’re failing. That you are not enough. That you are too late. That others are further along than you.

Then know this:

There is someone who sees you when you dare to feel.

There is someone who hears you when you dare to speak.

There is someone who stands next to you when you dare to be vulnerable.

You are allowed to fail. You can change. You can start over.

You can search. You can learn. You can cry. You can be human.

What we want to build

Boost The World Foundation believes in a world in which young people do not have to survive, but are allowed to live.

A world in which we do not judge each other, but understand each other.

A world in which we learn to feel instead of perform.

A world in which stories connect instead of divide.

We can’t change everything. But we can start.

With listening. With sharing. With loving. With being human.

“May we Boost the World” by returning to connection.

by Rosanne van Zalingen
Founder of BOOST The World Foundation

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When everything falls silent

We were in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis. I still remember well how we stood there in South Africa. With 19 people. Waiting for hours in line to get a swab up our noses. Because without a test, we weren’t allowed to go back home.

It felt like the beginning of a lot of misery. Volunteers stopped helping. People were afraid to give money. The world was turned upside down. And everything seemed to come to a halt.

However deep down, Barrie and I knew: we must not stop. So we kept going, often working behind the scenes, managing our projects. We worked double hours. Worked extremely hard, also for our own family. While everyone around us switched to survival mode, we chose to keep pushing forward.

And believe me: it wasn’t easy. Following your heart doesn’t mean everything will work out on its own. It demands sacrifices. It demands perseverance. It requires trust, especially when everything around you is uncertain.

That’s the Power of the Heart. It whispers, sometimes almost inaudibly: “Don’t stop. You have to get through this“. And exactly at those moments when life feels heavy, when you think you can’t handle it anymore, that is the call of your heart. Then you discover that you can bear much more than you think. And yes, after that period of struggling and holding on, a turnaround came. Slowly we got into the right flow. We met exactly the right people, at exactly the right moment. Some call that coincidence. I call it synchronization.

The lesson from that time

What I learned during that period is that the heart always guides you, even through storms. Sometimes by making you persist when everything inside you is screaming to give up. Sometimes by opening doors that you would never have imagined yourself.

The path of the heart is not an easy path. But it is the only path on which you truly remain faithful to yourself. And that is also the reason why we help others to learn to hear the voice of their heart again. Because when you listen to your heart, not only does your life change, but also the lives of the people around you. So when life feels heavy, don’t just ask yourself: why is this happening? Instead ask: “What does my heart want to tell me now?“

With love,
Rosanne van Zalingen
BOOST The World Foundation

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The Way of the Heart

The way of the heart is not always easy. It requires courage. It requires trust. And often it asks you to step into the unknown, without certainty or a plan.

Years ago, when I first spoke my dream out loud—against my neighbor, no less—I truly had no idea what would come next. I told him that I felt called. A dream, an inner voice that kept returning.

A week later, I was in South Africa. Without experience. Without knowledge. Without my own network in that country where I did feel a deep calling. I did not know where to start. I did not know whom I could trust. And honestly? I did not know if I was “good enough” to make a difference. The only thing that kept me going was the voice of my heart. Some call it the spirit. That gentle whisper inside that does know what you are meant to do, even when your mind can think of a thousand reasons not to. That little voice says: “Go. Trust. Take that Step“.

And so my journey began. A journey that was anything but easy. Full of falling and getting back up. But that was precisely what was needed to learn that strength does not lie in perfect circumstances, but in daring to listen.

The Heart as the Temple of the Soul

The heart is more than an organ that pumps blood. It is the temple of the soul. It speaks. It feels. It guides. But the question is: do you listen?

We often live in a world of noise: the opinions of others, external expectations, the speed of life. And because of that, we forget the softest, yet most powerful sound: our own heart’s voice.

Why we do this work?

Through BOOST The World Foundation, we help people, especially young people and students, to reconnect with their hearts. Because I know from personal experience what can happen when you dare to follow that path. Your life changes. Your choices change. And the impact you make on the world becomes greater than you ever imagined.

It is not always the easiest path. But it is the truest one. And so today, I ask: “When did your heart speak last? And… did you listen?“

With love,
Rosanne van Zalingen
Founder of BOOST The World Foundation

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YOU can make a difference

“You can’t save the whole world”

I have heard those words often. And maybe you recognize them too.

But you know what? You don’t have to. Because imagine if every person helped another person. With something small. A meal. A glass of clean drinking water. A safe place. A listening ear. Then the world changes. Every day, a little bit.

In the beginning, I sometimes felt discouraged by such remarks: “There are already so many foundations“, “You won’t achieve anything with it“, and “You’d better just focus on your own country“.

But deep down, I knew: this is a calling. A voice that says: go ahead. Do it anyway. And today, I see what happens when you follow your inner voice. BOOST The World Foundation started small, messy, with trial and error. It was not an easy start. But we kept going. And slowly it grew, stronger, more impactful. Now we see results that change lives:

  • Healthy food on a plate that otherwise would not have been there
  • Drinking water that gives hope and saves lives
  • A safe place where people come together, grow, and laugh.

For you, perhaps, self-evident. For many, a miracle.

Heart-centered leadership

All this begins with heart-centered leadership: living and leading from your heart.

Not from fear or lack, but from trust and connection.

Because when you truly live from your heart, you naturally become a good person for those around you. Your neighbor who feels seen. Your colleague who gets a listening ear. A student who learns how to stay closer to their own heart.

Helping one person can create a ripple that touches dozens of others. This is how a chain reaction of love and impact arises.

Your role

That is why my call to you today is: choose where you will make a difference.

  • Perhaps by becoming a volunteer at our foundation here in the Netherlands, where you can directly impact multiple lives
  • Perhaps by extending a helping hand to someone in your own street or village
  • Or simply by living more from your heart yourself, so that your children, friends, and colleagues take that energy with them.

We provide training to students to make them aware of that connection with their heart. Because a new generation that lives from love and awareness has the power to truly change the world.

And it doesn’t start far away. It starts today. Right here. With me. With YOU!

So… what difference are you going to make today?

With love, Rosanne van Zalingen
BOOST The World Foundation