Tag: #care

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World Environment Day – Growing the Future, Together

Today marks World Environment Day, a powerful reminder that the health of our planet and the future of humanity are deeply intertwined.

But this day is about more than awareness.
It is about responsibility.
It is about action.
And above all: it is about hope.

Because while the environmental challenges we face are immense – climate change, water scarcity, soil degradation – the solutions are already taking root. Not in distant policies alone, but in local communities. In the hands of people. In the courage to do things differently.

This is where the story of BOOST The World comes alive.

The Environment Is Not “Out There”

Too often, we think of the environment as something separate from us. Something distant, abstract, or global.

But the environment is personal.

It is the soil that grows your food.
It is the water that sustains your family.
It is the ecosystem that supports your community.

And for millions of people around the world, environmental challenges are not tomorrow’s concern. They are today’s reality.

In Hoedspruit, South Africa, where BOOST The World Foundation is active, the impact of climate change is tangible. Water scarcity is not a statistic. It is a daily struggle. Dry land is not a concept. It is a barrier to survival.

Yet, even in these conditions, something extraordinary is happening.

From Scarcity to Sustainability

At BOOST The World, we believe that real environmental impact begins at the grassroots level. Where people and planet meet.

Our work is not about imposing solutions. It is about co-creating them.

Together with the local community, we are transforming land into living ecosystems:

  • Sustainable food gardens that nourish families
  • Water solutions that restore resilience
  • Learning environments that educate the next generation.

What may look like a simple vegetable growing in the soil represents something far greater:

🌱 Restoration of land
🌱 Restoration of dignity
🌱 Restoration of possibility

Because when people are empowered to care for their environment, they don’t just sustain it. They regenerate it.

A Voice That Inspires Us All

As the renowned environmentalist Wangari Maathai once said:

“It’s the little things citizens do. That’s what will make the difference. My little thing is planting trees.”

This simple truth lies at the heart of everything we do at BOOST The World.

Because real change doesn’t start with grand gestures.
It starts with small, consistent actions. Multiplied across communities.

The Power of Local Action

Global challenges require local solutions.

Every seed planted matters.
Every drop of water saved matters.
Every child who learns about sustainability matters.

And perhaps most importantly: every community that becomes self-reliant becomes a force for change.

At BOOST The World, we see how environmental action and social impact are inseparable.

When communities grow their own food:

  • They reduce dependency
  • They lower environmental pressure
  • They build resilience against climate shocks.

When children learn about sustainability:

  • They carry that knowledge forward
  • They become conscious leaders
  • They shape a different future.

This is not charity. This is transformation.

A Future We Can Grow

World Environment Day reminds us that the future is not something that happens to us. It is something we create.

The question is not whether change is possible.
The question is whether we are willing to act.

At BOOST The World, we choose action.

We choose to invest in nature.
We choose to invest in people.
We choose to invest in a future where both can thrive — together.

Because environmental sustainability is not just about protecting the planet.

It is about empowering people to live in harmony with it.

Let’s BOOST the Planet

At BOOST The World, we believe that when you empower communities, you empower the environment.

When you restore balance locally, you create impact globally.

And when you invest in both people and planet…
you don’t just sustain the future You grow it.

Take Action – Be Part of the Growth

Real change doesn’t happen by chance. It happens because people choose to act.

At BOOST The World, we are building sustainable ecosystems together with local communities. Creating food security, restoring land, and empowering people to shape their own future.

But we cannot do this alone.

YOUR SUPPORT helps us:

  • Create sustainable food gardens
  • Provide access to water solutions
  • Educate the next generation in environmental stewardship.

Every contribution — big or small — plants a seed of change.

JOIN US. BECOME PART OF THE 1000.
Build the Future.
Raise Generations.

Please visit our membership page here.  

Because together,
we don’t just protect the planet,
we regenerate it.

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A Legacy of Love, Backed by Impact

Today, we celebrate the International Day of Parents. A day that honors the most influential force in a child’s life, and arguably, in society itself.

Parents are more than caregivers. They are architects of the future.

And the research is clear: the impact of parenting is not just emotional. It is measurable, powerful, and life-defining.

The Power of Parents: What the Numbers Tell Us

Across the world, studies consistently show that parental involvement is one of the strongest predictors of a child’s success, often outweighing background or income.

  • Children with actively involved parents are up to 60% more likely to graduate high school.
  • They score 10–15% higher on standardized tests and are significantly more likely to succeed academically.
  • Students with engaged parents are 15% more likely to earn top grades and show stronger motivation and confidence.
  • Parental involvement can lead to an average of 4 months of additional learning progress.
  • It also reduces absenteeism by around 10% and improves behavior and engagement.

Beyond school, the impact continues:

  • Children with strong parental support are 30% less likely to experience depression and 25% less likely to develop anxiety.
  • They are less likely to engage in risky behavior and more likely to build resilience and life skills.
  • Parenting and family relationships shape cognitive, emotional, and social development far into adulthood.

Differences in a child’s development can already be seen by the age of three. Largely influenced by the home environment and parental support.

The Reality Behind the Numbers

Yet for many families around the world, the challenge is not willingness. It is opportunity.

Children growing up in poverty face higher risks of cognitive and emotional challenges. Not because of a lack of love, but because of limited access to resources and support.

And that is where real change begins.

BOOST The World: Empowering Parents, Transforming Futures

At BOOST The World, we believe that sustainable impact starts with families.

In Hoedspruit, South Africa, we see daily how empowering parents creates ripple effects that transform entire communities.

When parents gain access to food security, knowledge, and opportunity:

  • Stress decreases, allowing for more attentive and nurturing parenting.
  • Children benefit from better nutrition, education, and emotional stability.
  • Families move from survival to growth and from growth to leadership.

A vegetable harvested is not just food, it is dignity.
A new skill is not just income, it is confidence.
A supported parent is not just surviving, they are leading.

 

When you invest in parents, you change the trajectory of generations.

A Voice from the Field

One parent from the BOOST community in Hoedspruit shared:

“Before, I worried every day if I could feed my children. Now I grow food myself. But more than that, my children see me trying, learning, and not giving up. I am not just feeding them. I am teaching them that their future can be different.”

This is the impact behind the statistics.
This is what transformation looks like.

Parenting Is Leadership

The data confirms what we already know in our hearts: parenting is the most powerful form of leadership.

Not defined by titles, but by impact.
Not measured in numbers, but in lives changed.

Every parent who chooses love over fear…
Every parent who keeps showing up despite adversity…
Every parent who believes in a better future…

It shapes the world.

A Collective Responsibility

On this International Day of Parents, we are reminded that raising the next generation is not a task parents should carry alone.

It is a shared responsibility.

When we invest in parents, we invest in stronger families, healthier communities, and a more hopeful world.

Let’s BOOST What Matters Most

At BOOST The World, we choose to stand alongside parents, because that is where real change begins.

Because when parents are empowered:

  • Children thrive
  • Communities grow
  • Futures expand

And when we BOOST parents,
we don’t just change lives,
we change generations.

Happy International Day of Parents.

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Living Together in Peace

Today, the world pauses to reflect on a simple yet powerful idea: Living Together in Peace. Peace as something everyday. Something that doesn’t live only in treaties or speeches, but in how we see one another, how we listen, and how we choose to act. In how we live together – locally and globally.

For BOOST The World Foundation, this day touches the very heart of everything we stand for.

Peace Is Not a Given

We live in a world of contrasts. On one hand, unprecedented technological progress, global connection, and access to knowledge at the click of a button. On the other hand, we see polarization, conflict, inequality, and exclusion – sometimes far away, but often uncomfortably close to home.

Peace is too often defined as the absence of war. But true peace goes much deeper than that. It is about justice, opportunity, safety, being heard, and being included. It is about knowing that you matter, regardless of where you were born or the circumstances you grew up in.

Peace does not start with world leaders.
Peace starts with people.

What Does “Living Together in Peace” Really Mean?

Living together in peace does not mean we must all think the same. It means we make space for difference, without fear or judgment. It means choosing dialogue over division.
Cooperation over confrontation.

At BOOST, we believe peace grows where people are empowered to:

  • trust themselves and one another
  • access education and leadership development
  • take responsibility for their communities
  • care for their environment and shared future.

Peace is not an abstract concept. It takes shape through small, everyday actions. And it is precisely at that level where local initiatives create lasting change.

From Values to Practice: BOOST in Action

The story continues after this picture of our Mothers-in-Farming in South Africa.

BOOST The World is built on one clear belief: sustainable change comes from within. Not by imposing solutions, but by strengthening people. By investing in young people, communities, and local leaders.

In our projects – including those in South Africa – we witness what happens when people are given perspective and opportunity. When young people discover that their voice matters. When they learn to collaborate, take responsibility, and dare to dream.

When a young person learns that leadership is not about power, but about service, something profound happens.
When a community works together to secure access to water, food, and education, not only self-reliance grows, but mutual trust as well.
When people feel seen and valued, space for peace emerges.

Peace as a Daily Practice

Peace is not a destination. It is a practice. Sometimes uncomfortable. Sometimes challenging. Sometimes requiring the courage to listen when we disagree.

But peace is learnable. And that is where hope lives.

At BOOST, we see peace as a muscle: the more you use it, the stronger it becomes. By teaching young people reflection, cooperation, and responsibility, we help build communities that are resilient against division and conflict.

This work may not always make headlines.
But it transforms lives.

From “Me” to “We”

The International Day of Living Together in Peace reminds us that none of us stands alone. Our future is deeply interconnected.

The challenges we face – climate change, inequality, access to water and education – do not stop at borders. They call for cooperation, solidarity, and compassion.

Every step toward greater humanity, understanding, and inclusion is a step toward peace.

Not perfect.
But real.

Hope Is an Act

Hope is not something you wait for.
Hope is something you do.

By investing in projects that don’t just talk about peace, but make it tangible.
By choosing to contribute to opportunities for young people who might otherwise be left behind.
By believing that small actions, together, can create great impact.

At BOOST, we see every day that hope works. In the eyes of young people who realize that their lives matter. In communities that come together to build a better future.

That is living together in peace.
Together.

Join Us. Make Peace Possible.

On this May 16, the International Day of Living Together in Peace, we invite you not only to reflect, but to take action.

With your donation, you help us to:

  • empower young people through leadership and self-confidence
  • build communities grounded in cooperation and care
  • make sustainable peace possible – from the inside out.

👉 Donate today via: https://www.boosttheworld.org/donate

Together, we can show that peace is not a lofty ideal, but a shared choice.
Every single day.

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Earth Day – Caring for the Planet Starts with Leadership

Today, we celebrate Earth Day. A day that reminds us that the Earth is not something we own, but something we are entrusted with. A shared responsibility. A moment to reflect on an essential question: what kind of world are we leaving behind, and what are we giving forward?

At BOOST The World, we believe that real and lasting change begins with leadership. Leadership rooted in love, care, and wisdom. Leadership that looks beyond short-term gain and chooses long-term well-being for people, communities, and our planet.

Turning words into action

Across the globe, we see the consequences of overexploiting the Earth: droughts, food insecurity, loss of biodiversity. In Hoedspruit, South Africa, where BOOST The World is actively engaged, these challenges are part of everyday life. Water is scarce. Food security is fragile. And yet, this is exactly where hope grows.

Together with the local community, we invest in:

  • sustainable food production
  • education and leadership development for children and young people
  • awareness and action aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Not by imposing solutions, but by building together, that is, strengthening resilient communities that care for their environment today and for generations to come.

Small contribution, meaningful impact

Earth Day invites us not only to reflect, but to act. We often think that meaningful change requires big donations. Our experience shows something else: sustainable impact is built through consistent commitment.

With a monthly donation of €10, you help us:

  • invest structurally in sustainable projects
  • support long-term leadership programs
  • connect care for the planet with opportunities for people.

€10 a month may seem small. For our work, it means continuity, stability, and the ability to grow impact where it matters most.

Take action – consistently, consciously, and with heart

Would you like to use Earth Day as a moment to truly contribute to a better world? Then join BOOST The World.

Get in touch with us to explore how you can set up a monthly contribution, for example through direct debit. Please send an email to rosanne@boosttheworld.org and we are happy to explain the options and guide you step by step. 

Together, we turn care for the Earth into concrete action.
Together, we build leadership that makes a lasting difference.
Not only on Earth Day, but every day.

BOOST The World – change hearts, shape leaders, protect our planet. Thank you so much!

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Why Health Is at the Core of What BOOST The World Strives to Achieve

Every year on April 7, the world celebrates World Health Day – a moment to reflect on something that seems so self‑evident, yet remains deeply out of reach for millions: health. Not only physical health, but also mental, social, and environmental wellbeing.

For BOOST The World Foundation, this day is much more than a spot on the calendar. It connects directly to our mission, our work, and our belief that every child, every young person, and every community deserves a life where health forms the foundation for growth, potential, and opportunity.

Health as the foundation for development

Health is not a luxury. It determines whether children can go to school, whether young people can grow into leaders, and whether communities can thrive. In many regions, including Hoedspruit, South Africa where BOOST The World is active, health is far from guaranteed.

Drought, lack of clean drinking water, food insecurity, and limited medical facilities are not abstract concepts; they are everyday realities.
And this is exactly where BOOST The World aims to make a difference.

Clean water and food security: the basis of wellbeing

Our work in circular agriculture, the BOOST nursery, and the pursuit of a water source and storage tank connects directly to World Health Day.

Because without water, there is no health.
Without nutritious food, there is no growth.
Without a safe and resilient environment, there is no future.

With every water well, every row of vegetables, every fruit tree, and every lesson on sustainability, we help build long-term health. Not just for today, but for generations.

Health also means mental strength, connection, and leadership

BOOST The World believes that health is more than physical wellbeing. It includes:

  • Mental resilience
  • Self-confidence
  • Safe and connected communities
  • Personal leadership development.

Our leadership programs, the BOOST Learning Community, and our work with children and youth all focus on strengthening inner health: the ability to dare, to dream, and to act.

This aligns deeply with the message of World Health Day: health is holistic, human, and universal.

Health and the Sustainable Development Goals

BOOST The World contributes to 14 of the 17 SDGs, including:

  • SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
  • SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
  • SDG 2: Zero Hunger
  • SDG 4: Quality Education
  • SDG 13: Climate Action.

World Health Day is an annual reminder that health is interconnected with all these goals. But for us, it is the daily reality that drives our work.

Why this day matters to us and to the world

For BOOST The World, World Health Day is an invitation:

An invitation to keep building.
To keep believing in a world where children can grow up healthy.
To bring water where it is scarce.
To cultivate food where the soil is dry.
To nurture leaders where the world needs them most.

It reminds us that health is the golden thread running through all our work. And that every step we take, however small, can create lifelong impact.

✨ Join Us: Invest in Health, Future, and Leadership

We invite entrepreneurs to make a lasting impact.
By committing €125 per year for 5 years – or more, if you choose – you help us:

✅ Provide clean drinking water,
✅ Grow nutritious food,
✅ Strengthen youth leadership,
✅ Build sustainable development in Hoedspruit.

Your annual contribution fuels health, resilience, and opportunity for the next generation.

👉 Become a BOOST The World partner and invest in a future that is healthy, sustainable, and full of hope.

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International Day of Happiness

International Day of Happiness

How It Resonates With BOOST The World's Mission and Vision

Every year on March 20, we celebrate the International Day of Happiness. It’s a global reminder of the importance of well-being, connection, and living a meaningful life. It invites us to reflect on what truly matters, both personally and collectively. For BOOST the World, this day aligns seamlessly with everything we stand for.

Happiness as a Movement, Not a Moment

Happiness means something different to everyone, but one truth is universal: happiness grows when we create space for personal development, connection, and positive energy. BOOST the World believes that happiness is not something you passively receive. It’s something you consciously nurture, within yourself and around you.

Our Core Values: Love, Care, and Wisdom

At the heart of BOOST the World’s work are our core values:

  • Love – building genuine connection with yourself and others
  • Care – offering presence, attention, and support where needed
  • Wisdom – making conscious choices aligned with what truly matters

These values form the foundation for sustainable happiness. When we live from love, care, and wisdom, we don’t just create positive change. We become it.

Why Sharing These Values Matters

Happiness spreads most easily when it is shared.
And love, care, and wisdom are naturally contagious.

When you show love, others feel seen.
When you offer care, others feel supported.
When you share wisdom, others feel empowered.

This ripple effect is central to BOOST the World’s mission: positive change starts with one person, but gains strength when it’s passed on.

Our Mission: Creating Positive Impact

BOOST the World helps individuals discover their inner strength so they can inspire and uplift others. We offer programs, coaching, training, and initiatives designed to strengthen personal power and increase social impact.

By fostering authenticity, resilience, connection, and purpose, we help people create lasting happiness. Not just for themselves, but for the world around them.

A Day to Remember Why We Do What We Do

The International Day of Happiness is more than a date in our calendar. It is a reminder that:

  • happiness is a human necessity, not a luxury
  • everyone can create and share happiness
  • a more connected world starts with individual action
  • small gestures can create enormous impact.

A Warm Invitation

Whether you’re part of an organization, a team, a community, or shaping your own path, today is a perfect moment to reflect on what brings you joy, and how you can share that with others.

At BOOST the World, we believe happiness begins with you, but it never ends with you.

Let’s build a world with more love, more care, and more wisdom.
Let’s boost the world – together.

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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