travel far enough to find yourself
Born in the Canadian territory of Nunavut with a knack for languages, Taqulittuq (aka 'Tookoolito') began learning English while guiding for a whaling captain who brought her to London where she was introduced to Queen Victoria. "I liked the appearance of her majesty, and everything about the palace. Fine place, I assure you, sir," she is quoted as saying in her perfect English accent. Explorer George Frances Hall was equally impressed when he met Taqulittuq in the Arctic: "There was a degree of calm intellectual power about her that more and more astonished me."
Together with her hunter husband, she would work with Hall as a guide and interpreter on many projects, including his ill-fated Polaris expedition in 1871, during which the explorer was killed en route to the North Pole. After that, for six months, 19 members of the crew were trapped on a sheet of floating ice, drifting 1200 miles off course. Keeping everybody alive with her skills and courage, becoming the 'tormaq' (Inuit language for 'guiding spirit') for the group, Taqulittuq wrote herself into the history books, becoming the feminine face of stoic determination for many generations*.
*Taqulittuq was declared a Person of National Historic Significance by the Canadian government in 1981.
I don't believe we are born brave and fearless, not even the explorers on these pages. We become brave, by feeling all the fears and doing it anyways. Even if we're not dealing with frostbite or pissed-off polar bears, our journeys through the wilderness of our daily lives are still filled with obstacles - a career switch, health issue or breakup can feel as trying as any Arctic challenge. To tap into your inner hero, tell yourself it is better to try and fail, than not try at all. And never, ever give up. “A hero is no braver than an ordinary man,” wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson. “He is just braver five minutes longer.”
'Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.' – writer Anais Nin
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Building bridges
From the Erasmus Bridge and the Mercedes-Benz Museum to Qatar’s metro network; Ben van Berkel’s iconic landmarks bring people together in rapturous beauty, again and again. I talked with the Dutch architect and educator about sensuality, ‘healthy’ buildings and the remarkable parallels between our designs.
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More than a feeling
Don’t ignore your emotions; they are much more powerful than you can imagine. By linking the magical world of emotions with hard science, Dutch scientist Pierre Capel, professor emeritus in experimental immunology, shows us the consequences of our feelings and the power of our minds. The message: we can do much more than we think. “Meditate. It’s the single best thing you can do for your health.”
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Marlies Says
Keto curious?
The fact that I feel bikini-confident all year round is, of course, a nice bonus. But for me, the biggest payoff of following the keto diet is the way it optimizes my health and gives me tons of energy.
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Marlies Says
Super (skin) food
‘If you can’t eat it, why put it on your skin?’. I pretty much live by this beauty adage. After all, with your skin being one of your body’s largest organs, anything – and I mean anything! – you put onto your skin will end up in your bloodstream.
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