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The Glass Dome

Quite a successful executive, Peter Woudenberg is heading for a position on the
board at his American employer. One day he is asked to deal with a small integration
project, of great strategic importance however, which he fails to deliver upon.
The top hold this against him personally and in a matter of a few weeks after he
had been put in charge of this integration he is forced to leave the company. He
doesn’t seem to have any control over the events in his life any longer and his life
actually seems to be falling apart. Initially having no idea why this has happened
to him he starts looking for clues and embarks on a journey of discovery with
surprising encounters and revealing insights. He gains an understanding of what is
happening with him and what is taking place on a larger scale. And he also finds
out he is not alone on this journey.

Check out the preface below.

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What readers say about 'The Glass Dome':

"Hi Geert, finished your beautiful novel yesterday night. Couldn’t resist visiting the Delhi Lotus temple again this morning to contemplate on your book a bit further. Thanks for writing such a wonderful book and for sharing your thoughts with us. I enjoyed every bit of it". KJ, Amsterdam

"Intriguing and thought provoking. It really makes you think again." AG, New York

"Just finished your book. Of course I am a sentimentalist and thus it brought tears to my eyes at various points. I believe you made the point somewhere yourself: that a story may bring this lesson of personal growth and the great changes taking place in the world, more vividly, more clearly even than a 'theoretical' expose would." HL, Brussels

"What a beautiful book. Truly a book fitting the spirit of the current times. It reminded me of the 'Celestine Prophecy'. JL, Amsterdam

"I truly enjoyed reading every single page of your beautiful novel. Your style of writing is very engaging and highly accessible and the story strongly resonates with my own quest in life." LR, Eindhoven (NL)

"What a great read! Cannot put it aside." CT, Muenich

"Impressive piece of work and very nice to read. Wonderful to see how lovingly you describe the main character's struggle with his transformation and him finally surrendering to it." ACT, Utrecht

"Thanks Geert for the book. It was a very pleasant reading, an eye-opener." IL, Paris

"Compelling story that everybody in a leading role should read." JD, Utrecht

"This may sound weird but I totally recognise my own life in the experiences of the main character. What a fascinating story." CB, Minden (D)

"I completely identify with what the main character is going through. What a gripping story!" LB, Hannover (D)

"What an inspiring story!"JC, Haarlem

 

Preface

 

These are interesting times. As I’m writing this [August 2011], we’ve witnessed the Arab spring, which has far from settled down, the earthquake in Japan with its devastating effects, countries on the brink of bankruptcy, Europe struggling to prevent the Eurozone from collapsing, there was the Oslo carnage and just recently the riots in various UK cities. Something of a rather large order seems to be going on, inviting us to take a step back, take a different look at who we are and to make different ways of living, of treating ourselves, each other and the planet possible. Nothing remains the same and what is going on could very well only be the beginning of even bigger changes.

 

As change is becoming more radical and occurring yet faster it is impacting all around the planet. With traditional sources for providing guidance losing their authority and therewith their relevance we’re left to ourselves to try to make sense of what is going on and of what apparently wants to happen. In order to find a justification for these changes, and to try to make sense of them, most will refer to sources from within the current reality, whether it’s science, religion, whatever. I’m pretty sure that trying to find satisfactory explanations within the current paradigm is going to be a challenge. Let alone that adequate solutions for the current challenges, these ongoing changes impose on us, can be found. You cannot steer a ship by looking at its wake. Whatever the source, it seems clear to a growing number of people that something is profoundly changing on the planet. I'm one of them.

 

These upcoming changes will have an effect on how we look upon ourselves, our relationships, our work, our societies, our planet, in short: upon how we have shaped our world. We will be sailing uncharted waters and whatever we have developed as practices over the past millennia will only be of limited help in setting out our next course. Individually and collectively we need to be able to connect to and mobilise other sources in order to successfully continue on our journey of development.

 

The story in this book has been written for all of you out there who sense there is something more to their lives than that you have been taught (and have learned) to believe ever since you were kids. Somehow this longing for this unknown is getting stronger in many people. You may see yourself faced with the question whether or not to heed this call and bring forward changes in your life that may lead to a radical change in the way you have been living up until now. Whether or not you decide to engage in this transformation is solely up to you. And the story has no intention whatsoever to persuade you in doing so. But since this calling gets stronger for many, so does the anxiety. Both individually and collectively. Why venture a giant leap into something completely unknown at the risk of leaving behind everything you attached so much value to? Or at least had gotten used to? Why leave behind a seemingly fulfilling life, which you have gained by learning how to play the game, through adapting to the context, often at the expense of yourself ? Why can the heart be so sure about what direction to take and why does the mind so persistently convince you not to do such a foolish thing? What are actually the stories you are telling yourself about yourself, about your relationships, about your career, about success, about your life, about leadership, about politics, about the world in general and how things go? And how well are they serving you?

 

The main intention of this story is to make you feel more comfortable with whatever really wants to manifest through you, with which you know deep inside you are connected. But from which you somehow shield yourself off. That’s why I’ve chosen to illustrate the journey of one individual. Again, it may be helpful to know that you are not the only one having those feelings. There’s an increasing number of people around the planet having similar feelings and looking for ways to deal with them knowing that no single person holds all the answers. So, I wish you happy reading with an open mind and, more importantly, with an open heart.