MAGNIFIK

MY PEN STROKES MY JOURNAL AS THE WARM BREEZE KISSES MY SKIN. I AM GRATEFUL AS I SIT ATOP THIS OCEAN CLIFF NEAR MY LITTLE HOME IN SOUTHERN BALI. THE SUNSET EXPLODES THE HORIZON WITH VIBRANCY; A DEEP ORANGE SOAKS THE SKY WITH MYSTICAL HUES OF BLUE AND PURPLE ACCOMPANIED BY UNDERTONES OF PINK AND RED. IT IS QUIET. I HEAR ONLY THE CRASH OF THE WAVES AND FEW ECHOES FROM AFAR. IT’S MOMENTS LIKE THESE, I FEEL MOST CONNECTED TO MYSELF. STILLNESS IN NATURE AND IMMERSED IN THE ELEMENTS WHILE FEELING EVERY BIT OF IT; MY HEART BURSTS OPEN. EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS AWAY IN THE NAME OF PRESENCE AND MY WORLDLY ANXIETIES AND FRUSTRATIONS ARE REPLACED WITH PEACE AND GRATITUDE

I’VE ALWAYS FOUND NOURISHMENT IN NATURE. IT’S UNDOUBTEDLY MEDICINE, HEALING MY MIND, BODY AND SOUL. IT’S ALSO MY TEACHER, OFFERING ME GUIDANCE, REFLECTIONS AND SOLUTIONS TO MY LIFE IN EVEN THE MOST SUBTLE OF WAYS.

I WAS BORN INTO A LOVING FAMILY. MY FATHER IS SWISS AND MY MOTHER IS FROM GUINEE- CONAKRY. I SPENT MOST OF MY CHILDHOOD IN SWITZERLAND WITH MY SISTER. TWO COUNTRIES THAT COULDN’T BE MORE DIFFERENT CULTURALLY AND ECONOMICALLY, I AM GRATEFUL BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE IT ADDED SO MUCH DEPTH AND UNDERSTANDING TO MY LIFE. SOME OF MY BEST CHILDHOOD MEMORIES ARE OUR TRAVELS TO WEST AFRICA AND ROAD TRIPS THROUGHOUT EUROPE IN OUR VW BUS. THESE EARLY ADVENTURES INSTILLED THE VALUE OF NATURE AND INSPIRED MY CONSTANT TRAVELS THROUGHOUT MY LIFE.

AT THE AGE OF 18 I LEFT HOME AND STARTED MY CAREER AS A MODEL. NO DOUBT A LATE BLOOMER FOR THIS INDUSTRY. AT FIRST, I WAS RELUCTANT TO MODEL BUT THE OPPORTUNITY KEPT COMING INTO MY LIFE SO I THOUGHT I WOULD GIVE IT A TRY ONCE I FINISHED MY STUDIES. THIS UNEXPECTEDLY BLOSSOMED INTO A CAREER AS I GOT SIGNED WITH ELITE IN MILAN AND AFTER THAT, HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH AGENCIES AROUND THE WORLD. MY DREAM WAS TO MOVE TO NYC AND I DID JUST THAT. BEING MIXED AND GROWING UP IN SWITZERLAND I WAS SO FASCINATED ABOUT NYC. THERE WAS SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT IT. PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS, CULTURES, ETHNICITY AND ALL WALKS OF LIFE LIVING IN ONE SPOT. IT ALWAYS FELT SO VIBRANT, ARTISTIC AND BEING INTO THE HIP-HOP SCENE INSPIRED ME EVEN MORE.

THE REAL BLESSING BEHIND IT ALL WAS THAT IT SERVED AS A GATEWAY TO EXPERIENCE NEW PLACES, EXPOSURE TO NEW CULTURES AND BROADEN MY WORLDLY PERSPECTIVE. THERE WERE MORE THAN A FEW TOUGH MOMENTS BUT EVERY EXPERIENCE CONTRIBUTED IN SHAPING ME INTO THE PERSON I AM TODAY.

IN 2015/16 I WENT THROUGH SOME MAJOR SHIFTS, MODELING DIDN’T FULFILL MY HEART ANYMORE AND OVERALL, I FELT KIND OF EMPTY. I STARTED TO UNDERSTAND THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THE FASHION INDUSTRY AND LARGER QUESTIONS STARTED POPPING UP IN MY LIFE. I VOLUNTEERED AT TWO MAJOR REFUGEE CAMPS IN GREECE AND FOUND THAT MY PRIORITIES BEGAN TO SHIFT.

I FELT AN INNER CONFLICT AS MY VALUES AND BELIEFS NO LONGER ALIGNED WITH THE LIFE I WAS LEADING. I STARTED TO TAKE A LOT OF TIME AWAY FROM MODELING AND BEGAN TO PONDER WHAT LIFE REALLY MEANT TO ME. I FOUND MYSELF TRAVELING TO PLACES WHERE I COULD JUST SPEND SOME TIME ALONE AND BEING IN NATURE WAS WHERE I FELT SUPPORTED. DURING THESE TIMES I ALLOWED MYSELF TO SLOW DOWN, RECONNECT TO MY HEART AND FEEL INTO LIFE MORE DEEPLY WHICH WAS ALL VERY SOUL EXPANDING.

I STARTED TO DEVOTE MY TIME TO THINGS THAT STEMMED FROM INSPIRATION AND CURIOSITY. BEING FASCINATED BY THE HEALING ARTS, I EXPLORED DEPTHS OF DIFFERENT MODALITIES. IN 2017 I FELL IN LOVE WITH BREATHWORK AND TRAINED AS A PRACTITIONER. TO THIS DAY, I AM HONORED AND INSPIRED TO GUIDE PEOPLE ON THEIR OWN HEALING JOURNEY USING BREATH AS THE PRIMARY MODALITY.

MY JOURNEY THUS FAR HAS BEEN NOTHING SHORT OF MAGNIFICENT. BUT PROBABLY NOT FOR THE REASONS YOU WOULD INITIALLY THINK. THE REAL MAGNIFICENCE ISN’T IN THE TRAVELS, THE STORIES NOR THE MEMORIES NO MATTER HOW DEARLY I TREASURE THOSE.

FROM BEING IMMERSED IN ONE OF THE MOST SUPERFICIAL INDUSTRIES TO A LIFE OF HELPING OTHERS THAT IS LED BY HEART-CENTERED INTUITIVE GUIDANCE, IT HAS BECOME APPARENT TO ME THAT MAGNIFICENCE ISN’T FOUND IN THE EXPERIENCES WE HAVE, IT CREATES THEM. ULTIMATELY, BEING MAGNIFICENT IS JUST THAT; A STATE OF BEING.

I BELIEVE THAT OUR INNER WORLD WILL ALWAYS BE A REFLECTION OF THE WORLD WE EXPERIENCE AROUND US, NO MATTER OUR EXTERNAL CIRCUMSTANCE.

IF I HAD ONE TIP THAT WILL ALLOW ANYONE TO CREATE A MAGNIFICENT LIFE, IT WOULD BE TO LIVE IN A PERPETUAL STATE OF GRATITUDE. THROUGH THIS, WE WILL BEGIN TO SEE THE MAGNIFICENCE THAT SURROUNDS US AT ALL TIMES.

I TRY TO PRIORITIZE THIS BY STARTING  MY DAYS BY GIVING THANKS TO PEOPLE AND THINGS THAT I WANT TO APPRECIATE AND ACKNOWLEDGE. IN MY EXPERIENCE, WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.

FOR ME, MAGNIFICENCE IS A STATE OF ACCEPTING, A STATE OF PEACE, A STATE OF ACTIVELY LOVING AND HONORING OURSELVES. THIS IS A LIFE-LONG PRACTICE THAT REQUIRES COURAGE; COURAGE TO LOOK WITHIN; COURAGE TO ILLUMINATE OUR SHADOWS. TO BE MAGNIFICENT WE MUST DECLUTTER; LETTING GO OF CERTAIN HABITS, PEOPLE, LIMITING THOUGHT PATTERNS AND PERHAPS INHERITED BELIEF SYSTEMS. THROUGH THIS INWARD JOURNEY WE BECOME A CATALYST FOR CHANGE TO THE WORLD AROUND US.

TO ME, BEING MAGNIFICENT IS TO BE THE EMBODIMENT OF AUTHENTIC EXPRESSION. TO HONOR MY SOUL WHILE SHARING MY GIFTS WITH THE WORLD. TO SEE THROUGH EMPATHETIC EYES AND CREATE MORE  BEAUTY, ABUNDANCE, JOY AND LAUGHTER WHEREVER I GO.

EVERY DAY WE HAVE A CHOICE. I CHOOSE TO BE AND SEE MY LIFE AS MAGNIFICENT.