GIRL POWER SEPTEMBER 2013 | Page 4

Merel Bakker is a writer and mindfulness coach. Supported by the Love and Wisdom of her friends and teachers and surrounded by the beautiful mountains of Switzerland, her life journey led to the creation of “Maks & Mila On a Special Journey.” It is Merel’s deepest wish that her books continue to a world where children feel Happy and Strong and they know how to take care of themselves, others and the world as a whole! Already when Merel was a little girl she loved to read and she remembers writing her first stories and books when she was around seven years old. She also remembers lacking the confidence to show her stories to people around her at that age. She always ended up tearing her writings apart.That same lack of confidence withheld her from writing when she was a teenager. She found out though, that what is in your heart, never disappears and when she developed her level of confidence and her understanding of life, she was able to pursue and share her dream! Having experienced the power of positive thinking, of consciously building self-confidence and the power of kindness herself, she wanted to share that with children. Children are our future and each of them can make a difference in this world. In order to do so though, it’s important that they feel good about themselves and also feel the strength to follow their heart and dreams. With the books of Maks & Mila, she gives children the opportunity to develop this strength and feeling of happiness. Television and Social Media have an impact on the way we view, define and measure success and how we measure success, determines what we perceive as important as well as how we act in life. Television and Social Media therefore pose a challenge on us. Are we able to see what truly brings happiness in our lives and are we able to act accordingly? Being confident plays a very important role in dealing with this challenge.