How was your first event or encounter with Possibilize?
In 2002, I took a course that challenged me to let go of limitations. After I had already discarded the first limitations in my own thinking, I was asked, ‘Who do you want to be?’ A leader, that was clear, but a leader who thinks in possibilities. Soon after, I asked myself what the pinnacle of thinking in possibilities in the music world would be. Then, one Sunday afternoon in March 2002, I attended a music event for Deaf people. That’s where it all started—thinking in those possibilities—but that wasn’t enough, because you also have to take action. At that time, I mostly had an idea I shared with others, but I wasn’t really pursuing it.
I was working at Night Town and had a phone conversation with Claudia de Breij. Somehow, we ended up talking about my idea, and by coincidence, Claudia mentioned that she was about to create a radio show for Deaf people. She wanted me to come share something, but all I could think was, ‘I have nothing!’ but I wasn’t going to say no. So, I went to the broadcast, and that’s when everything suddenly gained momentum. It had received national attention, so now it had to become something real. And it did. Everyone was incredibly enthusiastic, it got a lot of attention, and it was immediately clear that we had to move forward with it. In April 2003, we set up our own foundation, and that was the birth of Possibilize—the train had left the station.
What has touched or inspired you most during your work at Possibilize?
Every day, I enjoy the fact that we are here as Possibilize, for more than 20 years now. In those 20 years, there have been countless moments that have inspired me. One moment that still brings tears of joy to my eyes to this day is the moment with Ricardo, which is also written about in my book. It wasn’t just a beautiful moment for me, but it was also a revelation. We were asked to organize a party for an institution for people with intellectual or multiple disabilities, inspired by Sencity, an event that stimulates all the senses. There, we made an impact on Ricardo that I could never have imagined. The fact that someone who had barely received anything for years—because he is deaf, blind, intellectually disabled, and in a wheelchair—had lifted his head for the first time in three years, was truly special to hear. First of all, the fact that we were doing something with people that had such a deep effect that even someone who can barely perceive anything still had the urge to sit up. But also the symbolism behind it—that someone lifting their head means they are experiencing something they hadn’t experienced before. That was the moment I thought, ‘We have to continue this, no matter what.’ So, I quit my job and fully committed to working for Possibilize. This story still touches me to this day.
Another moment I would like to share is about Kirsten, who organized a Sencity event in Johannesburg. She wanted to do it in a Black neighborhood, and there was a lot of resistance leading up to it from the white people she was working with, as they couldn't envision white people going there. Then, she wanted to book a white band, and the Black people she was working with said that wasn’t a smart idea because Black people don’t dance to that kind of music. Kirsten saw it differently. She saw an opportunity, a beautiful place, and exactly what Sencity needed. So, she chose that place and booked that band. In the end, more white people showed up than Black people, even though it was a Black neighborhood, and ultimately, more Black people danced to the white band because they just loved the music. This was a true example of how thinking in possibilities—and the Deaf community—overcame racial divisions. The power of Possibilizing truly transcends on multiple levels.
What of Possibilize do you take with you in your personal mission?
I think it's human nature to limit ourselves with our thoughts, and most of the time, we don't even realize it. At the beginning of this journey, I had no idea how much I was limiting myself. I've learned how valuable it can be to thoroughly search for those limiting thoughts and to keep looking for new limiting beliefs that come up. These can be limitations within ourselves, but they can also be limitations towards others in the form of judgments or assumptions. It's so important—and also more enjoyable—to be curious rather than judgmental. The art of it is, first, to be curious about why something is the way it is or why someone behaves the way they do, rather than making a judgment. Then, you can step up one level and ask yourself why you are judging in the first place. At the very least, this brings more understanding and makes things more bearable. It almost happens automatically; within seconds, you’ve placed a judgment on something or someone, and you start gathering evidence to confirm that judgment. But to remain curious and ask yourself why you're doing that, that is pure gold.
If there’s one more thing I want to share, it’s that I let that train leave the station, and I know that if I ever choose to step off that train, I’ll be sure that it will keep racing forward, even without me. Moreover, I will always continue to think and act in possibilities in every situation, whether I’m teaching, working on other projects, or raising my son. That power of Possibilizing, that power of thinking and acting in possibilities, especially in every situation. Not just when everything is going smoothly, but also when things are tough, finding the strength and possibilities to lift yourself to the next level. I wish that for everyone, and I will always carry that message forward.
