Your Job Is To Live

When I sit down to write about my experiences in the jungle, I can’t help but conjure memories of reading Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness . While the clear exoticism of "the other" sullies Conrad’s depiction of jungle travails, I have to say that he is correct to assert one, lingering aspect: that the jungle is the mysterious, dark, wild beating heart of all things. The natural, mountainous landscape of Costa Rica bends to the power fire and earth, as its shape has been forged by a history of volcanic activity. Sharp mountains and misty hillsides enclose lush, rocky valleys below filled with butterflies of every color, flowers so red and vibrant that you will wonder how you never saw such a red before, and sounds and smells so primal, you’ll swear they were there at the moment of your birth. The damp, green valleys contain rivers, streams and seemingly sacred crevices which hum to the reverberation of cicada cries. It’s as though you’re living in a science fiction sto...

What is "spirituality" to you? If you answered that question, I imagine your answer would be something that covers a connectivity to a god-like, omnipresent being. Many of you would root your spirituality in religion. Some may even say you don't believe in God or a god-like presence. There will be some who say they believe in God, but not in religion. Are any of these answers "wrong?" Nope! Spirituality, to me, represents an understanding that everything in this universe is connected. At the very basic, quantum level, atoms are composed of energy . What this means in lay terms is that atomic particles share similar characteristics in that they merge together via gravitational pull to create what we deem "matter." Niels Bohr, the notable 1922 Nobel Prize Winner in Physics, theorized that atoms are comprised of electrons, protons and a positively charged nucleus.The properties of elements are differentiated by the number of electrons that orbit a nuc...

Recently, Oprah Winfrey shared with us a powerful message in her acceptance of the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 2018 Golden Globes. She says, "what I know for sure is that speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we all have." With gusto, she accentuates the words truth  and powerful tool and makes sure to tell us that the truth is something that  we all have . Over the past, few days, I have shared my truth with friends, family and colleagues. I have to say that I'm overwhelmed by the love and support that I've received from people--some of whom I haven't spoken to in years. This acceptance and support is an even greater indicator to me that what I'm doing is the right thing, that taking a giant risk and leaping into the unknown is what I'm meant to do. There are always going to be naysayers and those who question the decisions we make. There are those who will discuss your personal choices at the dinner table as though they are hosting an MSNBC...