Category: INSPIRATION

  • CHOOSING EXPERIENCES INSTEAD OF THINGS

    CHOOSING EXPERIENCES INSTEAD OF THINGS

    The happiness facts are in: The Declaration of Independence declares “unalienable rights” of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama reminds listeners that “the purpose of our life is to be happy.” Notable psychologists such as Harvard professor Daniel Gilbert and Cornell’s Dr. Thomas Gilovich have proven with statistical studies that in order to find greater happiness,…

  • GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY

    GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY

    “Practice kindness whenever possible; it is always possible.”—Dalai Lama Do you find yourself spending time looking in the mirror picking at your flaws? Have you criticized the way your clothing fits, the way a patch of skin hangs, or the way a spot on your face crinkles when you smile? We are truly our own…

  • MYKONOS WASN’T AT ALL WHAT I EXPECTED (BUT I FOUND ADVENTURE ANYWAY)

    MYKONOS WASN’T AT ALL WHAT I EXPECTED (BUT I FOUND ADVENTURE ANYWAY)

    I had planned my trip to Mykonos—that perfect-looking blue and white island on the Agean Sea—to perfection. My Google Maps was filled with hikes that I’d meticulously scoured on the Internet, restaurants that I was assured were “where the locals go” by anonymous bloggers, and a heavenly yoga resort that was miraculously both atop a…

  • GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY

    GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY

    “Anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve.”—J.K. Rowling How can we decide to make a change? Opening ourselves to travel and risk is a bold act. I know. I’ve been there. As a kid, I was the sleep-away camper who proudly proclaimed, “I don’t like change.” Each session, counselors would shift and each year unit…

  • BRING TRAVEL HOME INTO YOUR KITCHEN

    BRING TRAVEL HOME INTO YOUR KITCHEN

    The first real memory I have of my kitchen pantry was when I was eight years old and my baby brother was born. It was then that my parents changed our pantry to make space for this bouncing baby boy. Fast-forward a whole bunch of decades and a handful of kitchens later, and I can…

  • GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY

    GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY

    Merriam-Webster’s definition of fear is “to be afraid, or apprehensive.” At one time or another, we’ve all experienced some sort of fear. Perhaps you were a little nervous the first time you spoke in public. Perhaps you felt anxiety the minute the doctor revealed the result of the pregnancy test. Whether it was your first…

  • GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY

    GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY

    Growth comes in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes it’s that light-bulb moment catapulting you to choose differently. Sometimes it’s that movie you’re watching or that song you hear on the radio that feels like it’s speaking only to you, and it’s high time you listen. Sometimes it’s a change of venue or change of career…

  • CREATING CHARACTER

    CREATING CHARACTER

    I first met Jovani Rampersad last spring on a flight from Rome to Atlanta; I was a passenger, and she a flight attendant. We struck up a conversation as she was as interested in what I do as I was in her. This statuesque beauty has had a career in both commercial real estate as…

  • GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY!

    GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY!

    Do you scroll through Pinterest to fortify your travel lust? Do you find you’ve got a case of  FOMO (fear of missing out) when you scroll through social media? Do you wish it were possible to find time amidst the minutiae of the everyday to do what you really want to do? We’re all busy. Today, it…

  • BRING TRAVEL HOME INTO YOUR KITCHEN

    BRING TRAVEL HOME INTO YOUR KITCHEN

    The first real memory I have of my kitchen pantry was when I was eight years old and my baby brother was born. It was then that my parents changed our pantry to make space for this bouncing baby boy. Fast-forward a whole bunch of decades and a handful of kitchens later, and I can…