The purpose behind the books
My WHY
Three versions of myself. One deeper purpose.
Why did I ever begin this dream? For whom would I do it all again? And who do I want to become as I keep pursuing my ambitions?
The answers to those questions changed during my hockey journey. Yet there are three versions of myself I keep returning to: the little boy who dreamed, the eighteen-year-old who wanted to give everything, and the man trying to understand what real excellence means.
01
The Child · The Original Spark
The little boy who dared to dream.
The dream I kept returning to.
Symbolic image — not a photograph of the events described.
As a little boy, I spent the summer holidays with my family on the Dutch coast. At home we didn't have an ordinary television, but during our holidays we could watch the Olympic Games.
I saw athletes and national teams from all over the world shine on the biggest stage. They played together for their country and achieved things I could only dream of.
But every time I saw Belgium, I wondered why we didn't have such a successful team. Why couldn't we stand on that podium?
That question stayed with me.
Years later, when training became hard, results disappointed or I thought about quitting, I went back in my mind to that little boy in front of the television.
He wasn't thinking about selections, sponsorship or the sacrifices elite sport would demand. He simply had a dream.
And sometimes it was exactly that original dream that gave me the strength to keep going.
Editorial website copy based on the author's own material.
“I'm doing this for you, my friend, so you can dream on….”
Original quotation — Emmanuël Stockbroekx, The Magical Mindset, printed page 18
The Magical Mindset began with the belief that a dream can give direction to everything you do.
The Magical Mindset — How to Live Up to Your Full PotentialPrivate reflection
And what about your dream?
Which dream still lives in you?
Not everyone has one big dream as a child. Perhaps your ambition only arose later. But many people have a memory, experience or longing that still gives them energy.
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The child reminds me why I started.
From your Inner Team
The original capacity to imagine possibilities. An editorial connection, not a fixed classification.
Related principles
02
The Eighteen-Year-Old · The Ambitious Beginner
The book I wish I had read at eighteen.
How to pursue your greatest ambition — and which mistakes you can avoid along the way.
Symbolic image — not a photograph of the events described.
At eighteen, I wanted to become an exceptional hockey player.
I was willing to work hard, make sacrifices and choose a different path from many of my peers. I wanted to get the most out of my abilities and help build a Belgian team that could compete at the highest level.
But I didn't yet know what that ambition would really ask of me.
I had to learn to deal with disappointment, doubt, criticism, injuries and difficult choices. I discovered how much discipline and responsibility were needed, but also how easily you can overrun yourself when everything revolves around that one big goal.
Looking back now, there are so many lessons I would have wanted to give that eighteen-year-old player.
How do you work exceptionally hard without constantly attacking yourself? How do you recognise the difference between necessary effort and unnecessary sacrifice? How do you learn to ask for help? And how do you stay true to yourself when others judge you on your performance?
I am writing The Unbreakable Mindset for that young player.
To show him how he can pursue excellence, but also how he can avoid losing, along the way, everything that makes him special as a person.
Editorial website copy based on the author's own material.
The Magical Mindset
What I needed to begin.
Intention, belief, responsibility, learning, relationships and long-term commitment.
The Unbreakable Mindset
What I wish I'd understood along the way.
Vulnerability, recovery, realistic ambition, identity, relationships, feedforward and sustainable excellence.
Explore all 49 principlesPrivate reflection
What would you tell your younger self?
Which lessons would you have wanted to know back then?
Imagine speaking to yourself at the beginning of an important ambition.
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The eighteen-year-old reminds me who I want to help.
From your Inner Team
The willingness to learn, commit and pursue something exceptional. An editorial connection, not a fixed classification.
03
The Man I'm Becoming · The Deeper Purpose
Pursuing greatness without losing myself.
Becoming an exceptional player. And remaining a good person at the same time.
Symbolic image — not a photograph of the events described.
During my hockey journey, my understanding of what it means to be strong changed.
For a long time I wanted to be the player who worked harder, endured more and could go further than others.
But injuries, disappointments and personal difficulties forced me to ask a different question.
What if I fulfil my sporting ambitions, but lose myself along the way?
I didn't only want to become an exceptional hockey player. I also wanted to be a good, humble man. Someone who could combine ambition with love, integrity, faith and responsibility towards others.
I began to understand that becoming unbreakable does not mean that you never break.
It's about how you deal with what happens when your original plan no longer works. What do you protect? What do you have to let go of? What do you want to rebuild?
And above all: who do you want to be as you keep going?
That search is still ongoing.
The Unbreakable Mindset is not a story in which all the answers have already been found. It is a collection of experiences and lessons from an ongoing search for a form of excellence that doesn't come at the expense of everything that gives life meaning.
Editorial website copy based on the author's own material.
Ambition is the spark. Excellence is the system.
The Center of Excellence became a way to connect ambitious goals with five sustainable foundations:
- 1. Health and recovery
- 2. Structure and habits
- 3. Relationships and support
- 4. Keep learning
- 5. Honest feedforward and environment
Private reflection
Who do you want to become?
Who do you want to become as you pursue your dreams?
Your answers stay in this browser only. Nothing is published or sent anywhere.
The man I'm becoming reminds me what I want to protect.
From your Inner Team
The ability to adapt, protect what matters and consciously develop one's personal values. An editorial connection, not a fixed classification.
The child reminds me why I started.
The eighteen-year-old reminds me who I want to help.
The man I'm becoming reminds me what I want to protect.
Three versions. One purpose.
Pursue greatness without losing yourself.
The final experience
Discover your three WHYs
Connect your past, your ambitions and the person you want to become.
Prefilled from your earlier reflection when available — edit freely.
The man I'm becoming
A man who wants to pursue excellence while becoming a loving partner, a good friend, a supportive teammate and a humble learner.
Interactive exercise
My WHY today
Questions to return to as you keep becoming.
The fifteen-minute question
Finish my book. Pursue my hockey dream. Experience true love.
What kind of person do I want to become while pursuing these ambitions? Character, discipline, humility, family and meaningful relationships — none of it guaranteed, all of it worth practising.
What are you pursuing — and who do you want to become along the way?