About How to be an Original
The title of the blog is How to be an Original. Being an original doesn’t mean you have to come up with original new ideas all the time, or that you have to be different or behave different. Being an original is about discovering and being connected to your authentic self, to your own values, needs and wants.
How to be be an Original aims to help people (including myself) to get to know WHO you are, WHAT you want and HOW to get there. It’s about being successful in accomplishing those needs and wants, by changing habits, setting and achieving goals, learning, growing and being successful. To accomplish this How to be an Original covers three main topics:
- Discovering WHO you are - Authenticity
- Deciding WHAT you want - Goal Setting
- Learning HOW to get there - Self Improvement and Productivity
Short bio
My name is Lodewijk van den Broek. I live in the Netherlands, married to a loving wife, daddy to a wonderful boy. I’m a projectmanager, blogger, entrepreneur and an aspiring runner, trainer, coach and writer. I’m passionate about people, about their astounding abilities to accomplish almost anything, as long as they set their mind and heart to it. And I like technology too 
The name Lodewijkvdb explained
I’ve been getting a lot of remarks about my nickname, mainly about the number of consonants at the end of it. It may look random, but in fact it’s an abbreviation of my last name. My full name is Lodewijk van den Broek.
Lodewijk is the Dutch version of the German name Ludwig and the French name Louis, the name of kings. The name comes from the Germanic Hludwig, which means “famous warrior”. I have yet to live up to that expectation 
The old (and long) bio
This is the original bio I wrote for the blog in April 2007.
You can read about how this biography came to be in this post.
The past: It took me a while to wake up
I was born in the spring of 1976 in the Netherlands, 10 days late, and sleeping. The hospital did not believe my mother would go into labor and gave her something to calm down. It worked…for me anyway. Caused by my relaxed birth or not, I have adapted a relaxed attitude in life. In my pre-teen years I cruised through life and through school without a sweat. I had a happy time as a kid, and we were outside seeking adventure all the time. Somehow, somewhere halfway along my teen years, I lost interest in stuff. My relaxed attitude gradually turned into passiveness, and I wasted a lot of time on video games, listening to music, watching tv … mind numbing entertainment. Not that I was depressed or something, I just wasn’t enthusiastic or passionate about things.
At the end of my schooldays, my parents made it very clear that it was not an option to not go to university. Without having a real passion for something, making a choice that defines your active life for years to follow, is hard. I chose by down selecting from the list of available studies, and came up with Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences. This was broad enough to basically postpone a real decision, and with an acceptable (i.e. low) amount of math (I knew what I didn’t like). However around my 18th birthday some things changed, I started to practice taekwondo, I met my girlfriend Lianne, and I was allowed to drive a car. I actually had passionate feelings about all three of them. I cruised through my study, still without enthusiasm.
In 1999, I had to finalize my study. This was done by writing a graduation thesis, based on research in a company. This is where I really started to wake up. The people who worked in that company, scared the living daylights out of me. They were unhappy, cynical, unsatisfied, uninvolved and passive. They did not care about their work, and all the joy in their lives (if any) came from the time not at work. This made me feel so sad. I decided then and there that I would not let that happen to me. I actively searched for a job that would encourage me to change towards an active enthusiastic attitude for work. My first job was at Ormit, a network for management development, that hired trainees for two-year jobs with very intensive training and coaching. In my two years, I learned a lot! I owe them a great deal. After this, my life and my career have been evolving around actively finding my path, and learning life’s lessons (and boy, it does present a lot of them…).
The present: Awake, and actively creating
Not long ago, I overcame my tendency to avoid or postpone decisions. I finally proposed and married Lianne, the love of my life. Shortly after getting married, we became parents to a wonderful little boy Jesse.
Currently I work as Operations Manager project manager IT at Adimec Electronic Imaging. Adimec is a fascinating company. Why fascinating? Well for me it’s very ambivalent, it inspires, frustrates, tires and energizes me…all at the same time. I learn a lot, that’s for sure. In the long run, this is not the right job for me, but as long as we create value for eachother it will fit.
Some hints on my circuitry: INFP, enneatype 7, (very) dominantly yellow (profile dynamics), Aries (ascendant Virgo, element Fire) and Dragon (element Fire).
The future: Wide awake, and a catalyst for authentic change
I’m passionate about what it is that makes people achieve greatness, while maintaining their authenticity. This is what my active life in the future will be about, how can I help people in achieving authentic greatness. Authenticity is only part of the equation for me, being passionate about something and striving to be the best you can in that something are equally important parts. My passion is to gather wisdom about these topics, and to help people in their path of discovery and success.
…..Inspired by People:…..
Richard Branson, Paulo Coelho, Guy Kawasaki, Tom Peters, Majora Carter, J.K. Rowling, Oprah Winfrey
…..Quest for Wisdom:…..
Psychology, Neuro Linguistic Programming, Getting Things Done
…..Path of Vitality:…..
Martial Arts, Organic Food
Gordon R. Vaughan
Sun 2007.08.26
Hi Lodewijk, just found your blog. Congratulations on the marriage and baby.
I like what you say about “I’m passionate about what it is that makes people achieve greatness, while maintaining their authenticity”. So many people forget along their way to success why they’re even doing it.
Here in the U.S., it’s becoming increasingly clear that we’re in desperate need of some real leaders. Both political parties as well as many business leaders have really let us down and failed to do their jobs. Authenticity is something that’s become rather scarce, unfortunately.
Good luck with your blog & family.
Lodewijkvdb
Sun 2007.08.26
Hi Gordon, Thanks for your kind words.
I recognize what you’re saying about leaders letting us down, though I feel it’s more widespread than just the US. Keeping in touch with your true inner drive and values is so valuable, both for your own happiness as for that of others. Our society keeps on pushing us in directions that seem good, but if the connection to the inner self is not there, it will only lead you away from fulfillment.
Barbra Sundquist
Wed 2007.10.03
It makes perfect sense that as an INFP your quest would be for an authentic life.
Interesting bio and may I say that your English is amazing (I’m assuming that you still live in the Netherlands)
Lodewijkvdb
Thu 2007.10.04
Thanks Barbra. I never thought of the relationship between INFP and my quest, but it does seem logical. My preferences in MBTI are very outspoken, except for the I/E dimension. The scores are much closer together on that dimension, when I do tests I often get ENFP as a result.
Now I think of it, when I feel super and I’m on my path, I’m more ENFP. And when I’m not feeling good and drifting away from my path, I feel more INFP.
Karin H.
Wed 2007.10.24
Hi Lodewijk
Finally found your about page (had been wondering if the name was an indication of you being Dutch too
Will ‘hang-around’ for a while I think.
- that typical Dutch ‘treat’ always startles my English friends.
(p.s. not sure if Liz understood the three kisses on the cheek
Karin H. (Keep It Simple Sweetheart, specially in business)
Lodewijkvdb
Wed 2007.10.24
My name is typically Dutch, wouldn’t you say?
I’ve found that my domain and nick aren’t as easy and logical for native English speakers. It looks like Lodewi followed by a lot of consonants
Freelance Writing
Sat 2008.02.02
Hi Lodewijk,
I found you via SU and I’m glad I did. Actually I think you found me and in return you just gained yourself a new reader. You have a great blog and I just Luuv your topics. They are close to my heart so when time permits I’ll be back as often as I can.
Monika
Lisa Marie Mary
Thu 2008.03.27
Thanks for following me on Twitter! This phrase, alone, prompted me to subscribe by email to your blog: discovering who you are, deciding what you want and learning how to get it
Love it, good stuff! I was an ENFP as a teen, but, have since tested as an INFP as an adult!
How old is your son?
Annet
Tue 2008.07.08
Hi Lodewijk,
With a lot of interest I read your blog. I must admit it took me quite some time to read it all. Gradually I experienced getting lost in thought.
Over the past years a lot of information has become availble about visionairy and authentic leadership. About living passionately. It seems to me you have gathered from these resources and made an eclectic whole out of it.
Can you tell me something about how this developped, and still develops, within you?
You write a lot ABOUT how to become an original, matching it with your own - very personal -experiences, thoughts and insights.
From my perspective and experience passionately writing and thinking about this mind-map and setting your goals is very different from passionately living it all. Isn’t it?
I noticed your difficulty with that in your weekly blogs, resetting your goals from week to week.
I guess you are not superman, are you?
Walking your talk is hard work, don’t you think?
Question arising:
How do you manage to stay rooted in creative potential energy, being present in every living moment, not getting lost in a mind-made reality?
Looking forward to your respons,
Regards,
Annet.
Lodewijk
Thu 2008.07.10
Hi Annet,
Thanks for your reply and your questions. There’s a lot to answer, so I’ll just start at the top.
Over the past years a lot of information has become availble about visionairy and authentic leadership. About living passionately. It seems to me you have gathered from these resources and made an eclectic whole out of it.
Can you tell me something about how this developped, and still develops, within you?
I’m interested in a great variety of subjects and I gather from various sources. I read about management, coaching, and leadership, but I also extend to the more spiritual books like Paulo Coelho’s books. Surprisingly I have not read books about authenticity and authentic leadership, although I know they are available. There’s no particular reason for this though.
I do shy away from books on spiritual management or spiritual leadership, they don’t appeal to me very much. I don’t think spirituality should be a central theme in leadership or management. Spirituality is highly personal and differs in great extent from person to person. Some people have their religion as their spiritual experience, whereas others have something totally different. For me that topic is too personal to integrate into topics as management or leadership.
Making an eclectic whole of what I read and learn is more or less automatic. Isn’t that what we all do? We live and learn and build a view of the world accordingly. I do realize that I have a big tendency to interrelate various topics and theories, because I see similarities or additions elsewhere. That’s just the way my mind works, and I’ve found that has an added value for other people.
You write a lot ABOUT how to become an original, matching it with your own - very personal -experiences, thoughts and insights.
From my perspective and experience passionately writing and thinking about this mind-map and setting your goals is very different from passionately living it all. Isn’t it?
They are different, but not that much for me anyway. Not everything I write about is part of what I do, because writing about something is part of my learning experience. If I write about 10 things to do be more successful, I pick two or three that fit me and work for me. Other people might take 2 or 3 other lessons.
I like this quote from Goethe: “Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.”. That’s very true for me anyway. I learn to apply, and by applying I learn again. Reality is the best school for real and lasting learning experiences, but it’s best to come prepared.
I noticed your difficulty with that in your weekly blogs, resetting your goals from week to week.
I guess you are not superman, are you?
Walking your talk is hard work, don’t you think?
I have reset my goals a couple of time over the past year that’s true (not on a weekly basis though). I’ve accomplished some, discarded some and am still working on some. I’ve learned a lot about goal setting and the dynamics that surrounds it.
As far as the renovation project is concerned, I’ve learned a lot from that goal. I had too little experience in most jobs to make an accurate estimation of the time needed to finish them. I over estimated my capabilities. I underestimated the effect of outside factors (mainly my son who would simply not sleep when I worked at the project). It’s a project that taught me valuable lessons. It’s a good example of living it and writing about it at the same time
And I’m hardly Superman indeed. Thankfully I’d say, because I enjoy the learning process. Walking your talk is hard work indeed, but hard work is the road to success in my opinion. Especially if you combine it with an attitude of growth. But I’m loving every step of it…most of the time anyway.
How do you manage to stay rooted in creative potential energy, being present in every living moment, not getting lost in a mind-made reality?
Mind-made reality isn’t reality at all in my opinion. It might be tempting to get lost there, but you’re fooling yourself. The way I try to stay rooted in that creative energy is by staying in touch with my personal core values and my mission statement. They represent what I want to achieve in life and what’s important to me. I review on a regular basis how much the present is contributing to them. If I find that I’m not progressing, I need to change stuff.
It’s a lengthy reply, but I hope this answers your questions. And gives you a tad more insight in my inner workings
Annet
Sat 2008.07.12
Hello Lodewijk,
Thank you very much for your open and sincere reply!
I very much agree with your opinion about spirituality. Spirit is what we are… not what we should become through any rule or regulation.
It is higly personal indeed how to live and express this.
You make a difference between books about management and books about spiritual management.
The last ones you shy away off.
I guess that’s also to do with your opinion and thoughtforms about this?
Even though the interpretation and connection is higly personal, they too can still offer an inspiring source about (cosmic)wisdom, isn’t it?
However that is not a main issue and up to each individual.
Evolution will do it’s job anyway, regardless all we think about this….
What I like very much about your reply and about your blog is your connection with and reflection on Life as a learning school, a moving and learning organisation! I do agree!
There is a lot more to say but my english is not so good to express it all.
I want to thank you for replying and wish you lots of luck in you life and on your pathway!!!
Regards,
Annet.