Review of the year - Kerstin Hack

On the train on the way to Franconia, I use the time for a review of the year.

First a few figures:

• 4000 hours of work by volunteers and professionals.
• 8 new titles written: Coco Chanel, Johannes Gutenberg, Slim and Fit, Nonviolent Communication, Friendship. And three that will only be published in January: Mindfulness, Questions of Success, Releasing Blockages (with Christoph Schalk).
• 14 new impulse booklets, quadros and calendars published.
• 20 lectures and seminar days held.
• 1 large fundraising programme - Defeating rust„ project“ to raise the money to de-rust and repaint the decks.
• 100 hours of coaching given.
• 2 new freelancers at the publishing house: for order processing and organisational support.

Lowlights - the most difficult times

• When we realised in January that we had painted 20 square metres of surface in the ship with a two-component paintn... but had forgotten component 2, the hardener - so that the colour did not dry. And applying hardener afterwards only worked well to a limited extent.
• When I received a lawsuit for alleged copyright infringement. Although I was able to successfully defend myself against the accusations, I am still stuck with several hundred euros in costs: Research costs that are non-refundable and therefore also a portion of the legal fees and court costs - as well as the countless hours of work and nerves that it cost me. I learnt a lot, but it cost me a lot - both emotionally and financially.
• Injuring my leg in a fall on the boat - with the result that I had to watch the World Cup final on the sofa with ice on my leg - and to this day the muscles and knee have not fully healed.

Highlights

• Time with many wonderful people on board my ship - working together, laughing, crying. And seeing the ship transform from an empty steel hull into a cosy place: Rust off, insulation, floors, walls, toilet, doors, water tanks... it's getting there.
• The 7:1 against Brazil - probably the craziest football match of my life... and then of course becoming world champion.
• Being able to celebrate the birthday of a dear friend in Sweden.
• To be able to run my online course „LEA“ for lightness, energy and charisma in English for the first time.
• The many hours of coaching on professional and personal topics, where I experienced how people's lights came on - simply wonderful.
• Being a balloon sponsor at the Wall of Lights to mark the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall - a wonderful moment.
• Further training - especially in Wingwave, a coaching approach that can release blockages surprisingly quickly and sustainably - when a person who has been afraid of dark corridors for over 50 years after witnessing a bank robbery, and who has lost this fear after just one hour of coaching is gone, then it's good for a cry.
• To have found an excellent advisor to help me chart the course for Down to Earth for the next few years.

Everything has challenged me enormously - but has also helped me move forward. I am grateful for the many people who have accompanied, encouraged and supported me financially and practically during this good, but also very exhausting year. What a gift not to be travelling alone in life. Thank you all!