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Here is this week’s 8 Good Things. This newsletter is my year-long weekly gift containing everything from articles to books to quotes to videos that are meant to be helpful, inspirational, aspirational, informational, and just fun to read! Please make sure to scroll all the way down to see our Upcoming Sojourn Events! Two trips: Sailing and Hiking the Greek Islands and Walking the Camino de Santiago. Also, this August, I am launching a 90-day program, Happiness and the Art of Life Balance. Please contact me for details, very excited to share!

Sojourn Explorers: Trek. Fundraise. Inspire.

1) Before the Flood, a documentary from environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio, and Academy Award-winning Filmmaker Fisher Stevens. I just attended a National Geographic screening of this film about climate change, which began airing globally on their channel last October. Everyone should see it. The NASA map of the earth’s temperature is astonishing. Trailer | Documentary

The documentary also made think a lot more about the importance of supporting the earth scientists who are currently stepping out of the lab and into politics to help protect our environment. One such person is fellow Explorers Club member and volcanologist, Jess Phoenix, who is running for California’s 25th Congressional District. I urge you to see who is running in your area.

2) Bet you haven’t seen a fridge like this before. See why this fridge is so special to people in India.

3) Fun history. Back in 2008, Norway knighted a king penguin, named Nils Olav. Last August, the same penguin became Brigadier Sir Nils Olav. The ceremony was attended by over 50 of the King’s Guard. So, why would a flightless bird in a tuxedo be given such stature? Well, it starts with the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen — the first to reach the South Pole in 1911. He gifted a king penguin to the Edinburgh Zoo when it opened in 1913. Eventually, the king penguin became the mascot for the Norwegian King’s Guard. The penguin is named after the lieutenant who first adopted the bird for their unit. Read | Watch

4) Did you know the international peace sign we know today was created in 1958 for the first large-scale anti-nuclear march? Gerald Holtom, a designer and conscientious objector, felt it was important to have a symbol that conveyed the responsibility of working together to remove the threat of nuclear war. Read more.

Picture Happiness: Take a Shot

5) Laughter = togetherness. Science shows that laughter releases “feel good hormones,” which promotes stronger social bonds. Read more.

6) Why You Should Define Your Fears Instead of Your Goals. This TED Vancouver talk from the investor, human guinea pig, and author Tim Ferris is really his “recipe to avoiding self-destruction.” True, it is what made him not commit suicide. The key ingredient: stoicism.

7) From my library. 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works–A True Story by ABC TV News Anchor Dan Harris. This came out a few years ago and was the winner of the 2014 Living Now Book Award for Inspirational Memoir. This book is definitely the most unique peek into the broadcast world that I have ever read, and actually a good beginner’s guide to meditation. Find the book here.

8) What do pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate, and raw spinach have in common? Magnesium, the mineral needed to regulate blood pressure, blood sugar, heart rate and nerve transmission. However, almost half of all Americans are not getting enough of it in their daily diet. Read why you should care.

Upcoming Sojourn Events

Program Launch, Happiness and the Art of Life Balance, Tuesday, August 15th. I am committed to helping those who sit in the overwhelm, constantly feeling out of time, and always stressed. As a longtime TV producer, I have been there many times over. And have spent the last eleven years studying what to do about it. My promise is to get you out of the crazy and into the happy. To do that, I have put together a 90-day program. It is designed to be an on-going curriculum that can fit into anyone’s schedule and can be joined online anytime. You will learn to manage your day-to-day world in a way that is sustainable while experiencing both group and individual support. Please contact me for a complimentary consultation.

Greek Islands, September 15th – 23rd, 2017. If you romanticize sailing and hiking the islands in the Aegean, then come along with me. Explore, meditate, do restorative yoga, energizing breathwork, eat great food, dance. Find your inner Zobra. Opa! Learn more. *the trip cost includes my Happiness and the Art of Life Balance program.

“Happy is the man, I thought, who, before dying has the good fortune to sail the Aegean Sea.” ~ Nikos Kazantzakis

Camino de Santiago, Spain, September 26th – October 3rd, 2017. This pilgrimage has long been on my travel ‘hit’ list. For years, I have heard inspiring stories about it. We’ll stay in quaint farm houses, 17th-century stone-made mansions. Eat well, drink well. Pray, meditate, breathe. Of course, walk. Go home happy. Learn more. *the trip cost includes my Happiness and the Art of Life Balance program.

Happy Weekend! Love, Maria and Team Sojourn Learn More About Us | +800-869-0538

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