The whole and its parts

The whole & its parts

About this blog

Why this blog?

This is a blog about seeing both forests and trees.

There are days where we stand in the forest and can only see the trees around us. That’s the moment to remember that we are in a forest. As long as we keep this in mind, we’ll know we have the choice to stay or to leave the forest.

We can choose to enjoy the forest and stay in it to discover what it has to show us. We’ll learn what a forest consists of. In that case, finding ourselves outside of the forest will only happen by chance.

We can also decide to find our way out of the forest. In that case, we won’t have the time to learn more about all the interesting details we see on our way. We’ll have made the forest a milestone in our journey by finding a path through the forest.

Being outside of that forest allows us to discover a larger perspective. While there is beauty in an individual tree, seeing them together with other trees creates an image of a very different kind. The forest appears when moving away from it and individual trees start to disappear. It then is more than a group of trees, it has become an ecosystem.

In life, we can choose to chase the larger picture or to seek a better understanding of its construction. Neither of both allows finding a way nor create guidance. It’s by gaining the ability to connect both and see both, that we begin to create and lead.

With this blog, I’m seeking to share ways we can use to see the world and be able to see how it connects with the details we see. I believe that our ability to observe what is happening around us and make sense of it is key. There are no readymade solutions out there. By chasing solutions we forget that we are capable to create them ourselves and rob ourselves of the tools we need.

We can only see if we enable ourselves to see.

Reaching solutions is based on the hard work of collecting information, link it with its context and our decision. Our work consists of drawing a map for our future. Drawing a map means to be able to see the reality that surrounds us in such a way that we can make sense of it. Using it for our journey will mean to use our ability to see the world as we move and populate our map with our next milestones.

Who am I?

My name is Françoise.

You can learn to pronounce it by clicking here.

I was born in Brussels, Belgium. Growing up with French I switched to learning German after some 10 years as we moved to Essen in Germany. It was a move into a new environment, new language, different culture, and restructured family. Some 8 years later I repeated that change, this time by staying for a year in the US in a school exchange program.

It shaped the way I see the world and find my way to new horizons.

The other side

The writing I share with this blog is a window into my reflections and way of thinking. It’s also a way for you to learn to know me. If it raises your interest to learn more about what I do professionally, do take a look at my professional website.