From Artist to Humanitarian – Learnings from 10 Key Experiences in my Life
Many people have trouble understanding who I am.
And they are not wrong — I am hard to be put into a box.
We take different routes to get to the final destination in life, but mine was filled with a series of trails that I took over the years.
The High’s
First, I wanted to become a medical doctor like my parents, but I eventually became a painter and photographer and discovered my true passion — to become a humanitarian.
I cycled twice around the world (all of the km I’ve cycled my entire life) to raise funds for the less fortunate people, and negotiated with notorious warlords in conflicts as a humanitarian diplomat. Later, I worked for years in refugee camps and encouraged the world’s most influential to engage on social issues in my role at the World Economic Forum.
Today, I am CEO of World Vision Switzerland, a part of the World Vision family, helping the most vulnerable children and families across 100 countries.
So far, life has been an incredible adventure, understanding myself and what I wanted to be, and now it makes sense why the others struggled to understand me.
But, there’s one thing that has been a red thread throughout my life: I have always been a slave of myself, possessing an energy beyond my comprehension. It was like an invisible energy that was constantly pushing me beyond my comfort zone.
If I look back at my life, several moments and experiences changed life’s course forever. Some were planned, but most of them just rolled over me like a Tsunami that no one knew would come.
But when I look at it all today, all of these moments are interconnected, and it all made sense in the end.
Life is like that for everyone. Every person will have critical experiences and moments reflecting who they are today.
My life was built around 10 such moments.
1. Bullying and feeling inferior
I was a late developer and therefore entered manhood quite late. At 14, when I still had a boy’s voice, I was jealous of those who shaved already and had spotty faces.
In addition, I was not into typical teenage traits such as drinking and partying. I was not considered one of the cool ones and was bullied by some who led the pack. These people thought it was fun to go after the weaker ones.
I was beaten, humiliated, and called stupid, a loser.
Learnings
I had two choices. Either it would break me, or it would make me stronger — I chose the latter.
I learned to stand up for myself, and I realized that I had to shape my path, which made me eager to rise higher.
Have those bullies become happy? Some of them I met again decades later. I forgave them.
It was the best way to close a door and move on.
2. Carpe Diem
When I was 20, I decided to leave my small Swiss mountain village to venture into the world with a good friend. For one year, we travelled around the world with a tiny budget of 10$/day.
This journey changed my life and opened dimensions I did not even know existed. In every country, we choose different ways of travelling: by foot, by bicycle, by motorbike, car, public transport, etc.
Right at the beginning of the journey, I was confronted with extreme poverty. Coming from a wealthy nation like Switzerland showed me how unfair and brutal life could be. I could have also been born in a slum or a war zone.
I saw the fragility of our existence. Life suddenly gained a unique value.
What would I do if mine ended tomorrow?
I realized that I wanted more, and I wanted it all. ‘Carpe Diem’ started to run through my veins, and I decided that I needed more time in my days.
But where will I take time from when the day had only 24h?
Therefore, I cut my sleep from 8 to 6 h/night to gain two additional (conscious) hours.
In the last 25 years since I introduced this new modus operandi, I have gained 760 days of ‘awakeness.’ These are more than two years.
If I live up to 80, I will have earned five additional years in my life.
But it is not about how much you sleep or not. I realized that I did not need my 8 hours of sleep. The six-hour schedule was fine with me. My body adapted well. That might not be the case for everyone.
What would you do if you had five more years?
Learnings
The six-hour sleep schedule provided me with more time to invest in the things that mean so much to me. After all, time is the most precious asset we have in life. Better use it wisely.
Life passes fast and could end at any moment — death is a certainty in life. We all need to leave, some sooner than others.
Someone said to me once, “Some things you have to do just as you think, and you have to do them alone.” Her advice was so right.
Along the trajectory of my life, people had opinions about what I should be, what I should do or not, how I should dress, what I should think, and what steps I should take. Although most of it came from a good place, it was simply not me. It was their point of view. And even though I did not always understand my own decisions, I chose my path and did so with perseverance and compassion for myself and others.
3. Helping
During my student years in London, I started to share one day a week with homeless people. I volunteered in a large shelter, ran night food runs, and taught photography and arts to get people away from the cold streets, from drugs and alcohol.
It inspired me to do more and to combine my passion for adventure and sports. At 23, I initiated “Bike for Help,” a solo bicycle expedition from India to Switzerland to raise funds for people suffering from leprosy.
It was a crazy idea, but after all, I was stubborn!
The challenge took a different shape when after 9/11, the war in Afghanistan broke out and a dangerous crisis between India and Pakistan.
People advised me against it, but I just did it.
I went through war zones, survived 3500km of desert, and experienced the warmth of people along the way. Bike for Help reached global attention, and donations poured in from around the world.
It led me to create the “Colour the World Foundation,” helping people in need, changing my life.
Thanks to the large sum of donations, the foundation was soon able to construct hospital-units, shelters, run screening programs, helping the people that needed it the most.
Learnings
With Bike for Help, I wanted to prove that every person, in their way, can change the lives of others for the better. All it needed was to stand up and do it.
My efforts to cycle through the war-ridden areas to India highlighted that simple actions could inspire people worldwide and that solidarity is a beautiful thing.
All it needed was determination, the naivety of a young person and a hint of craziness!
4. Breakup
Right at the beginning of university, I fell in love. It was an innocent and beautiful love. However, over time we realized that both of us went in different directions — we wanted different things in life.
Still, our feelings and inexperience made us stay six years together. Although these were beautiful years, we should have seen the signs earlier.
We were not meant to spend life together — we were too different.
Learnings
Today, 25 years later, I would never have stayed so long in an incompatible relationship.
Love can make blind, but a successful relationship needs more than that.
Commonalities, a shared vision, and a deep sense of ‘team’ are elements I see as key to a relationship.
5. A U-turn on the highway (changing career completely)
Although I had studied arts and worked for years as an artist and photographer, I decided in 2004, after my breakup, to venture onto new paths.
It became inevitable that I was passionate about helping people in need. The early moments of my life in volunteering and my ‘Bike for Help’ expedition shaped me to understand my true calling.
I became a humanitarian, and for the next ten years, I worked on the frontlines of conflict zones around the world to assist those most affected by armed conflict, negotiated with warlords and army generals on humanitarian issues, and relieved hardship.
It was a highly rewarding time, and I experienced first-hand what others may see on their screens from a distance.
Learnings
I was never afraid to change the course of my life when I felt it was close to my heart. Helping others took center stage, and it has made me a happier and more fulfilled person.
Having worked in conflict zones made me understand the fragility of life. Most people I met over those years lived in a constant state of uncertainty and danger. Many had lost everything they had, including loved ones. Still, their spirit for survival and their sense of humanity deeply inspired me.
6. Death — My friend and foe
In 2006 I got assigned to the Central African Republic on an emergency mission. It turned out to be a living nightmare that I never wished to see again.
Killings, torture, and the complete downfall of society were taking place. Never in my life had I experienced anything like that. It was violence and cruelty beyond words. The suffering was incredible.
I never saw so many dead people in my life.
As a part of my role, I negotiated humanitarian issues with several rebel groups and different armies. Tens of thousands of people had been displaced by the fighting. Although countless people were killed, we managed to save many from starvation, killing, and torture. My team worked tirelessly.
But one day, our reality turned even closer to those we assisted. In the middle of the jungle, we were brutally ambushed and came under direct fire.
Our vehicle was riddled with bullets and turned within seconds into an Emmental Cheese. The firing did not stop, and as we were ducking down in our seats, plastic, glass, metal and bullets were flying around our heads.
Life raced through my head. Death could strike with every bullet that crossed our vehicle.
We only survived because our vehicle did not break down amidst the gunfire. It was a miracle that the three of us didn’t get injured. God had laid a protective hand over us.
However, a few weeks later, a colleague was less lucky. Her vehicle also came under attack, and she didn’t make it. She was only 24 when she bled to death.
Learnings
Death has been standing right in front of me, there in that dense jungle. Many of us have experienced moments where we were lucky to escape, whether it was a car accident, a fire in the house, or a disease.
Life is precious, and such moments remind us of its fragility. That is why people flee from war zones and become refugees. It is safer to run than to be exposed to the dangers.
7. Suffering from PTSD
Following the Central African Republic incident, I suffered from severe PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).
PTSD is one of the most severe forms of trauma. It has long-lasting effects and is common among survivors of very tough traumatic experiences and highly prevalent among refugees.
For weeks, I lost my appetite, suffered from nightmares and panic attacks. It was a dreadful experience. But, despite my state, I needed to continue to serve as a leader. Because there was no replacement for my position, I decided to continue leading my team.
Learnings
The purpose, mission, and goal to save more lives were the best medicine I could get. It was the pill that got me out of my suffering.
I realized that being pushed forward was the best way to recover. I had little time to think about myself. The well-being of others took the first stage, and it helped my oWmental wounds to heal.
8. Burnout
In 2010 I was on a mission in Colombia. The work was intense, and in the final weeks, I worked with almost no rest. When I came home to Switzerland, I suddenly felt incredible tiredness.
It was so severe that I had a hard time staying awake. Walking up the staircase felt like climbing Mount Everest. It was hard for someone who runs marathons to believe that such small physical efforts would be so exhausting.
What had actually struck me was burnout. And it came just at a time when I was about to leave for Nepal to start my next humanitarian bicycle expedition named ‘Alegria’ across the Himalayas.
Once again, I pushed forward and challenged myself in every sense. When I started cycling into the highest mountains in the world, embracing the energy, my spell of burnout broke. My power was back, and so I managed to complete the 3500km expedition climbing more than 50’000m altitudes.
Learnings
When everyone speaks so much about personal well-being, we forget that sometimes ‘shock therapy’ might be the best medicine.
Our bodies and mind are more resilient than we think.
9. Divorce
When I got married the first time, I never thought I would get divorced. I guess most people think and feel this way. Otherwise, no one would get married anymore.
But in my case, it did not work out. It was painful, and I felt a mix of loss, shame, and helplessness.
In such situations, pain can quickly turn sour. We made an effort to separate in peace. It was hard, but we managed, and it allowed both of us to move on without major ‘injuries’.
Learnings
Love is precious but not always for life.
A divorce is never easy. It is about failed expectations, disappointments, social status, mental and sometimes even physical injuries.
No matter how openly two people communicate, there will be open questions, and unresolved issues remain. You cannot always put feelings into words, and that is ok.
But, the truth is, it takes more than feelings and passion to make a marriage work. And let’s be honest, it has a lot to do with luck.
Will two people be able to develop a shared vision together?
Will they walk in the same direction?
Will passion stay alive, forever?
Marriage is complex and simple at the same time. What may appear unsurmountable with one person, maybe simple with another?
But, finding that fit, that soulmate, is challenging — and sometimes more challenging than cycling through the Himalayas.
My divorce helped me gain a deeper insight into how marriage requires a lot of investment and compromise.
The act of forgiveness has proven to be one of my best friends, once again.
Forgiving and being forgiven are the most powerful tools to heal wounds and to be able to move on. It doesn’t sound very easy, but it has helped me open the doors to a new person.
After all, there are always two sides to any divorce. And ultimately, it is not about who the guilty one is or not.
10. Finding true love
Shortly after my divorce, I met the love of my life. What started as a friendship with my new neighbour turned into a beautiful love story.
This time, I had met the soulmate of my life, and two years later, we got married. Our love for each other has just grown since, and we see it as the greatest gift of creating our common vision for the future together.
Learnings
Life is full of chances and options for new beginnings. The most important part is to keep one’s heart open and to be ready for when that chance arises. Many possibilities appear and disappear quickly.
That means we need to open our senses and feelings to grab that chance before it disappears forever.
So then, what is the essence of life?
Life is full of surprises, and some events change the course of our lives significantly. Many of them are frightening at first and, in hindsight, often turn out to be the best thing that happened to us.
The importance lies more in the fact that one can focus on the positives behind it, understand the learnings and grow.
There are only two constant things in our lives: change and death. And change comes faster and faster.
It is always a good moment to think about how much we can flex our minds, hearts and our spirits. Are we strong enough?
And death? Am I ready to leave at any moment?
I don’t want to say I am different from others. Everyone is unique. But what I know is that I am deeply hungry for life.
My curiosity is whipping me beautifully through life. It forces me to be a humbled slave of my energies.
Live and love life. It is shorter than you think.
Let’s make the most out of it!
Thank you @Tim Denning for having written a piece that inspired me to write this article: Six Unexpected Things That Permanently Altered the Trajectory of My Life
Please follow me on Medium or if you want to venture beyond, get a sense of my activities on www.vontoggenburg.com
