The Bottom Layer

I picked up my coffee cup and looked inside. A thick, muddy layer of coffee remained. I pulled a seemingly disgusted face, and my daughter, sitting across the kitchen table, grinned. "The bottom layer," I said. She gave me a knowing look in return.

I have a recurring morning ritual. Brewing fresh coffee. With filtered water and hand-ground beans. The coffee is Douwe Egberts*. A tradition I brought with me from home. My parents used to drink (and still do) Douwe Egberts. So now when they visit me, they get to enjoy one of my strong cups. Because that’s what they are. I love a strong brew.

These rituals – brewing coffee in the morning, that thick residue at the bottom of the cup – make me realize how attached I am to traditions and routines. Something I usually like to deny, because hey, life should be a bit more exciting, right? Try something new every day, travel whenever possible, discover different parts of the world and all that life has to offer. Nothing worse than a boring life, right?

Well, no. Actually, I love that so-called boring life. The kind that gives me peace. Trust in recurring patterns that have always been there and that somehow reassure the future. It’s only when things get truly intense and survival kicks in, that the lioness in me awakens...

*Not sponsored by Douwe Egberts, but be honest… don’t you hear that cozy harmonica jingle from Toots Thielemans right now?

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Reflection through the lens of Human Design

Gate 37.5 – The Family
My bond with tradition, with family, with care. Not as confinement, but as grounding. The coffee ritual at the kitchen table isn't just a habit – it’s an energetic anchor. A form of love through structure.

Gate 5.1 – Waiting
I am designed for rhythm. For endurance. For recognizing natural cycles and finding peace in them. This blog is rhythm – and it shows how peace doesn't mean dullness, but richness.

Gate 35.1 – Progress
The experience of life – even in its so-called 'boringness' – is progress. Not by moving around, but by going deeper.

Gate 34.3 – Power
The lioness. My inner survivor. She lives in me and only comes out when truly needed. No ego, no drama. Just pure force when it's called for.

5/1 Profile – The Heretic and the Investigator
This blog tells a personal story, yet it touches something universal. That’s my role: to help you see something in yourself. And to investigate it – again and again – for myself.

The bottom layer... that's where your Design becomes tangible.
Not as theory. But as Life in form.

Human Design, Blog, Reflection, Gate 5, Gate 34, Gate 35, Gate 37, 5/1 Profile, Survival, Rhythm, Emotional Process, Leadership, Boring Life, Aura, Structure, Family, Coffee, Self-awareness

Curious what your own chart reveals?
Book a reflection session via marykeighcoaching.nl or send me a message. I’d love to take a look with you.