And suddenly months slipped by.
*Traveling from Port Williams to Halifax, NS, is about a 95 km drive (taking roughly 1 hour and 10 minutes)
Finding My Footing Again
Due to some unexpected issues in our application process early November, I started reconnecting with my Brave Thinking. The reason for this I will reveal later in this post.
I had to realign with my inner self, I had to remind myself to accept where I am in time and space, to let go of control and to focus on that what is present now. Because being present calms my mind and nervous system, just as gratitude for all that is does. It makes me feel grounded and safe again - something I needed to return my focus to because of the issues I will address later.
I realized then that this mindset didn’t come naturally, nor was it ever introduced to me by any of my educators. I had to learn it on my own, later in life, shaped by the places I lived, the people I met, the books I read, the challenges I endured, and the moments that forced me to grow. I have always been driven by curiosity and a deep desire to learn and develop. Which has helped me during my endeavors in life. Maybe that drive is part of my personality. But I also believe that, as a human species, we are born with an innate curiosity to learn.
Over time, however, that curiosity often fades. The overload of knowledge that Western society defines as “important” can numb us. Instead of fueling our eagerness to explore and grow, it often shuts it down.
We were never taught that
perspective-shifting is possible. Nobody told us we could step
outside fear, victimhood, our comfort zones, or the patterns we inherited.
But we can.
And we can teach it - preferably before the age of fifty.
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Reconnecting With What We Forgot
What I experienced personally - and will share more about later - reflects a much deeper issue in how we’ve built our way of thinking and even our systems.
To move forward in a healthier way, we need to reconnect with ourselves, with the planet, with
the species we share this Earth with, and with the deeper laws that help us create our own reality. We have forgotten
that connection. Now we need to remember it.
I believe this is what’s internally wrong with our systems. We need to
integrate what is missing. And what’s missing is not just teaching children how
systems work or how formulas function. Those things matter - but alone, they’re
not enough.
We’re pumping our youth full of knowledge, rules, structures, expectations. And people say, “But that’s what we need! That’s the world we live in!” Yes, the world we created is full of systems. And yes, some of those systems might have worked for a while. But many were created to control and constrain humanity, to keep us small and confined within an industrialized world ruled by money and power.
But that is not what human life is about. Humans have hearts, emotions, and feelings, and a deep need to feel connected and loved.
There are deeper things we need to learn as human beings
living on this planet. And those deeper things need to be woven into the
systems we’ve built, especially education. We need integration. Harmony.
Balance. Connection. Love. Acceptance. Healing. Stillness.
The Wisdom We’ve Silenced
For generations, we’ve cut ourselves off from the wisdom carried by different groups, cultures, and our elders.
We’ve shut out the wisdom of countless cultures: ignored, secluded, or suppressed. Instead, we’ve listened only to systems born from a patriarchal worldview deeply shaped by Christianity and other religions. Those structures pushed aside the wisdom of women, the perspectives of so-called “heathens,” the insights of Indigenous cultures across the planet.
They tried to erase them.
We have to listen again. We have to acknowledge what
Einstein already told us:
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created
them.”
Our planet is warming. People are losing their homes.
Islands are disappearing. Farmland is dying. Whole populations need shelter and
safety, and they will have to come to the mainland to find that.
We cannot
pretend not to see it. And we cannot “solve” it by pointing fingers.
This is real. This is now.
We need to think Brave.
Our Unexpected Immigration Challenge
Now, let’s pivot back to the reason behind my reconnection with Brave Thinking.
We had hoped to have received our permanent permit by now; unfortunately, that has not happened yet. Therefore, we need to extend Kristiaan's work permit which expires on January 30rd of 2026.
In mid-November, we learned that my work permit cannot be extended in the same way it was originally issued. My partner, Kristiaan, is the main applicant for our permit here. The kids and I were added to his file, and we were screened as a family.
After COVID, Canada significantly increased its immigration
levels. In 2022, the country welcomed over 400,000 newcomers, and in 2023 that
number rose to about 472,000 permanent residents. These surges put a noticeable
strain on housing, healthcare, education, and other essential infrastructure.
In response, the government adjusted its long-term immigration plans and
introduced tighter rules for some temporary-resident programs; including
changes to family open work-permit eligibility.
For us, that meant my permit - and the kids’ permits - could no longer be extended through Kristiaan’s. Thankfully, we were able to talk to our advisor Erwin Gotthold, who saw an alternative path for me; applying for my own permit through the Mobilité Francophone program. But to do that, I needed to pass a French language test.
And for those who know me… French and I had not had the best relationship. I had avoided it for fifteen years. And suddenly, it was deciding my fate in Canada. Without this application, the kids and I would become tourists, with no right to work, to attend school, or to access healthcare. I didn’t even know what would happen to my driver’s license.
So after learning all of this, I began exposing myself to French on a daily basis. We had until the end of January to prepare, take the exam, pass it, and send everything to my employer and the government so they could file the application.
After hearing the news, I went through all the stages of grief: anger, frustration, fear, and sadness. I kept asking myself, “Where will I be able to fit all of this in? And how will I possibly become fluent in French in less than two months?” I felt completely trapped by the “how” question and utterly overwhelmed.
And when I am overwhelmed, I freeze. That is my fight–flight–freeze pattern. I wanted to stay in bed, eat chips, and watch TV. I didn’t - or only a little - but the urge to just stay in bed was definitely there.
Eventually, instead of thinking in terms of lack, I began to think bravely again. I paused and gave myself a few days to look for the good. I felt the fear, accepted it, looked ahead, reminded myself of what I wanted to see happen, and started envisioning my goal. I tuned in to a deeper knowing that everything would work itself out, even if I did end up failing the test.So, I began listening to French radio stations and music, reading, studying the language, and trusting the process. And thanks to a new friend here in Nova Scotia, I was even able to practice speaking French with her once a week.
I’ve even grown to enjoy listening to and connecting with the French language. I believe it’s brought me closer to my European roots, and ICI Première often reminds me of its Belgian counterpart, Radio 1.
I also have to admit that I genuinely love learning, and challenges bring me growth and expansion. So perhaps the universe drafted this law on purpose, just for me.
Nevertheless, I recognize the need for moments of desperation or resistance. They’re important too. Some things must be said and brought to one’s attention.
And this whole situation is not okay.
Don’t treat people like this.
And I’m not just speaking to Canada.
This is global. Our immigration systems are broken.
A Broken System I’ve Seen Before
In the early 2000s, I worked with asylum seekers. I saw
firsthand how inhumane many processes were. We had to inform people they were
being removed, often with no options. In some cases, they were handed a train
ticket to Brussels and expected to somehow make their way home and all of this while having no money, since they were forbidden to work.
Meals and housing were provided, and they received maybe €6.50 a week to
purchase necessities in the asylum center: soap, toilet paper, secondhand
clothes. Basics. They didn't have money to return to mostly a broken and often hostile world.
The system was - and probably still is - shockingly naïve, even insensitive. It’s no
wonder so many ended up reapplying for asylum or surviving in the shadows,
undocumented, because there simply was no other way. And then we acted shocked
when they couldn’t “figure it out.”
Come on.
Let's wake the bloody hell up!
We all need to wake up and understand our toxic relationship we have with the systems on this planet.
Most lawmakers have never lived through such circumstances. Many have never even spoken to someone who has. Many are simply playing a game - a game of blame and shame.
Even women who enter politics or positions of power leave their feminine values behind and feel compelled to be aggressive rather than assertive. They pursue personal gain instead of compassion and understanding, largely because they are operating within male-dominated power structures that reward such behavior in order to maintain their positions.
There is a clear lack of emotional intelligence within our systems - the kind of intelligence that recognizes suffering and understands the need for compassion and grace. We need those who work within these systems to truly understand this, and we need leaders who bring consciousness and wisdom into their leadership.
We need leaders who inspire and create positive impact, who serve as representatives and foster circles of collaboration instead of opposing chairs.
I honestly believe we are entering a phase in which the matriarch must once again be given a seat at the table. We need to reintroduce feminine values that have long been suppressed. A world driven by greed and ego does not serve the greater good.
Connection, understanding, awareness, growth, love, and kindness are what this world truly need.
And Back Again to Education
Before I get too angry about immigration, let me
shift. Because all of this ties back to a deeper issue: the systems we’ve
built, and how they fail people.
At The Edge on Employment in Kentville, I work with youth who’ve been
traumatized by society and unfortunately also by the educational system. These youth are smart, some brilliant even, but
they struggled with reading, writing, ADHD, autism or suffered major trauma. The traditional model of
sitting still in a classroom all day, without any sufficient mental support, never worked for them.
And despite everything we know today about learning; interactive methods, hands-on engagement, different learning styles and the importance of feeling safe, healing trauma, we are still not able to integrate that knowledge into our schools and into our life. How is that possible?
This is not the teacher’s fault.
Stop blaming teachers.
This is not the principal's fault.
Stop blaming them.
We need to learn more about how to access our inner worlds, connect to our bodies, clean up our limiting beliefs and some of our hurts that have caused us to be disconnected from ourselves, and from the world we live in.
If education were a business and, according to Ipsos data, more than a third of its “customers” consistently said they were unhappy with its quality, it would have been completely overhauled years ago. But education isn’t a business, it’s a long-term investment. And our capitalist systems don’t
understand long-term value.
Governments everywhere:
A substantial share of your educational customers is unhappy. What are you going
to do about it?
Bringing Back Wisdom, Perspective, and Humanity
Life is a school. Our whole life is a school, and that understanding needs to be included in our schools here on Earth.
We need to listen again. To embrace different needs and
values. To welcome new wisdom - and ancient wisdom - from cultures that have
lived in harmony with the planet for so long.
No, I’m not suggesting we return to caves.
But we can integrate old wisdom with new systems.
We can find balance again.
We can create harmony between everything we’ve learned and everything
we’ve forgotten.
I don’t have all the answers.
I don’t need to.
But I know there are people; emotionally intelligent people, wise people
from all cultures who hold pieces of the puzzle. I hope governments begin to
listen. I hope we bring these perspectives together. And all of us start thinking bravely.
For the sake of the planet.
And for the generations who will inherit it.
Extra News: A Breakthrough in Our Application
After finishing this piece, life offered us an unexpected update. One that feels important to share.
In mid-December, we were finally invited to apply for Permanent Residency. While this is a major step forward and extends our status, we are now experiencing technical difficulties in the immigration process. We’re not certain that everything will be entered on time, and with mid-January already here, the uncertainty remains.
This also means that I technically no longer needed to apply for a separate permit, so my French test was no longer strictly required. I still took it - and I’m happy to share that I completed and passed the test two weeks ago!
However, due to the ongoing technical issues, there’s still a possibility that I may be pushed to apply for the Mobilité Francophone program after all. Fortunately, having passed the French test, I am fully prepared to pursue this option if it becomes necessary.
Even with the uncertainty, the learning continues. I am continuing to study and read in French. This challenge has reintroduced me to the language, built my confidence in speaking it, and will undoubtedly open more opportunities in the future.
Although the process is not entirely smooth, this news still feels like a small gift as we navigate 2026, one I remain deeply grateful for.
I wish all of you patience, courage, and hope in the year ahead. May the best truly be yet to come.
I hope you all enjoyed a happy holiday season, and I wish you a truly magical 2026.
* Want to learn more about the art of Brave Thinking?
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