top of page
Wadi Rum.jpg

The River Cannot Go Back
 

It is said that before entering the sea
a river trembles with fear.
She looks back at the path she has travelled,
from the peaks of the mountains,
the long winding road crossing forests and villages.
And in front of her,
she sees an ocean so vast,
that to enter
there seems nothing more than to disappear forever.
But there is no other way.
The river can not go back.
Nobody can go back.
To go back is impossible in existence.
The river needs to take the risk
of entering the ocean
because only then will fear disappear,
because that’s where the river will know
it’s not about disappearing into the ocean,
but of becoming the ocean.


By Jalil Gibran





 






Your Outer Game: Executive & Leadership Coaching

​

​

I understand you’re busy. The demands are high, the noise is relentless, and the next level often feels just out of reach.

​

Let’s pause.
Let’s clear the fog.

 

For over two decades, I’ve supported leaders in stepping into greater impact—with calm, presence, and grace. I help high-achievers and their teams navigate complexity, inspire others, and make bold moves. Together, we sharpen your vision, strengthen your communication, and prepare you to deliver keynotes that spark applause and action. We work to quiet the chaos, manage your time and energy, overcome stress, and broaden your influence with purpose. You’ll develop self-awareness, mental fitness, and a work-life rhythm that sustains—not drains—you.

 

But beyond the accolades, the titles, and the trophies...
What is your real quest?
Who are you becoming?

 

Will you dare to step beyond what’s expected?
To lead in a way that leaves behind a trail of shining eyes?

 

This is the journey into the unknown.
The steps are yours to take.
I’ll walk with you.
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Your Inner Game: Self-Leadership Coaching

 

 

​​​You are the conductor of your inner choir.
Some voices sing loudly, others are barely a whisper.
There may be dissonance, conflict, and noise inside you—especially if you’ve chased success at the cost of your own alignment.

​

You might have the title. The influence. The wealth.
But if your inner choir is out of tune, it will drain you.

 

Self-leadership is the art of tuning your inner voices.
It’s about knowing when to let a voice take the lead—and when to listen deeper.
It’s about turning the cacophony into a symphony.

 

Slow is fast.
Ease and flow are your allies.
Let’s explore what it means to truly master your mind—so you can lead from a place of freedom, not fear.

Chart Your Leadership Journey: 360 Leadership Profile

 

 

The Leadership Circle Profile (LCP) is the leading 360-degree assessment for leaders on the path of transformation.

 

It’s more than a mirror. It’s a map—revealing both your greatest strengths and the reactive patterns that might be holding you back.

 

With LCP, you’ll see how your leadership competencies (the skills that spark exceptional leadership) and your reactive tendencies (the habits that can sabotage it) are woven together.

 

You’ll chart a clear FROM–TO pathway:
From reactivity to creativity.
From fear to trust.
From surviving to thriving.

 

Maps are never the territory.
But they can guide your next steps.
The question is: How long will you keep your head in the sand?

 

 

Love After Love 

​​

The time will come

when, with elation

you will greet yourself arriving

at your own door, in your own mirror

and each will smile at the other's welcome,

​

and say, sit here. Eat. 
You will love again the stranger who was yourself. 
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart 
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you 

​

all your life, whom you ignored 
for another, who knows you by heart. 
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf, 

 

the photographs, the desperate notes, 
peel your own image from the mirror. 
Sit. Feast on your life.


By Derek Walcot 

You Outer Game: Executive & Leadership Coaching
Your Inner Game: Self-Leadership Coaching
Chart Your Leadership Journey: 360 Leadership Profile
Accenture.015.jpeg
Companions client logos BW.001.jpeg
Chanel.jpeg
Companions client logos BW.002.jpeg
Edwards.jpeg
Companions client logos BW.005.jpeg
Google.jpeg
Companions client logos BW.006.jpeg
IBM.jpeg
Companions client logos BW.008.jpeg
Companions client logos BW.010.jpeg
Salesforce.jpeg
Companions client logos BW.011.jpeg
slb.jpeg
Companions client logos BW.012.jpeg
Unilever.jpeg
Subscribe

The Breathing Room

A space for whispers and becomings

Subscribe to Cardboard Wings: A Constellation of Becoming

Cardboard Wings is a monthly story series by leadership coach and storyteller Dominique Bel.

 

Each email delivers a true, reflective story exploring leadership, resilience, creativity, and the courage to let go—written for high achievers navigating the challenges of modern leadership.

 

These stories don’t just inform. They invite reflection. They ask questions. They help you pause, breathe, and reconnect with what matters most.

 

Join the conversation. Subscribe to receive Cardboard Wings directly in your inbox.

Thanks for submitting!

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linkedin

© Dominique Bel, 2025. Cardboard Wings: A Constellation of Becoming. All Rights Reserved | Credits

bottom of page