We are in a cloud forest by the ocean.  There is a soft mist in the air all day long, creating a dreamy, surreal environment.  We drove  zigzaging between the coast and deep into the forest looking for possible locations for Discover Yourself headquarters.  This place is pristine – full of raw natural beauty.  Yet, […]

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On the bus ride back to Quito.  The views are breathtaking.  The lush green mountains kissing the clouds, the valleys, dotted with beautiful little homes surrounded by farming land. As we stop by more populated towns, the doors open and vendors step in to sell us fresh strawberries, water or candy.  The bus driver’s helper […]

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Today was a sad day.   It was so difficult leaving Napo.  I felt as if a part of me was being torn.  My mind swirls as I try to reflect on all that we have experienced in the past five days.  I look through the more than 700 pictures I took and I still cannot […]

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It’s our second day in Napo, and I can happily report no mosquito bites!  I have so much to share about our experiences the first two days in Quito, but I am fully engrossed in this experience right now, so I will write about Quito after we leave Napo. The flight from Quito to Coca […]

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We got to the airport in plenty of time. We pulled out of the gate 20 minutes earlier than our schedule and I marveled at how amazing American Airlines was doing. Suddenly the plane stopped and we found ourselves waiting aimlessly. After 20 minutes the plane began to go around in circles and voila, we […]

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So we are leaving tomorrow.  It has taken over two months of research and planning, and we are finally ready to go. The idea was planted by our friend, Joe Flood, who is from Ecuador.  He is one of my favorite people on this planet.  People who know him refer to him as an Angel […]

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I was listening to NPR today and they were interviewing Paul Tough, author of How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity and the Hidden Power of Character.  It was great to hear my advise to parents – to pay more attention to building their children’s character and worry less about their grades in school – validated by the […]

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Take a moment and think  of a time you felt joy.  What did that feel like?  What do you most remember about the moment?  Is it the actual sensation, or the event/person responsible for generating that feeling? We don’t often speak of joy.  We speak of seeking happiness, but not joy.  Why is that? When […]

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We often find it difficult to distinguish between thoughts, feelings and sensations. When asked, “what do you feel?” the answer we come up with is usually a thought not a feeling. Additionally, we have a difficult time distinguishing physical sensations from emotional ones. Physical sensations include fatigue, nauseous, hunger, etc. We might say: “I’m feeling […]

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How often do you find yourself in great conflict with two parts of yourself? The conflict may be about whether you should eat that chocolate cake, stay up or go to sleep early, turn off the TV and go pay the bills, keep your mouth shut and not answer your partner’s snide remark, or thousands […]

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