hotel-xenia
  • Home
  • Team
Let's Chat
Menu
Change Your Life: Denzel Washington Motivational Speech 2019
image

To keep getting 8 Good Things, please add explorer@sojourn-intl.com to your email contacts.

8 Good Things is a curated newsletter of inspirational, motivational, and informational articles, videos, and quotes sent twice a month by Maria Baltazzi, PhD, MFA.

Invite Friends
Sign Up for 8 Good Things

Inquire About Travel Destinations

image

1Visit the African Park That Inspired “The Lion King.” The visual landscapes that inspired “The Lion King” really do exist. They are in Kenya’s Rift Valley, specifically Hell’s Gate National Park. However, you are not likely to see Simba there. The park is known for its lack of predators, which means you can do really great walking safaris amongst the herds of other animals. Something you are not likely to be able to do in many other African parks. I especially love walking near the giraffes. They have such a graceful prehistoric look to them with such sweet faces and long eyelashes.

I recently went to a screening of the “The Lion King” at the Director’s Guild in LA. Afterward, the Director of the Spider-Man trilogy, Sam Raimi, interviewed the Director of “The Lion King,” Jon Favreau. Did you know that the only live-action shot was the one that opens the film? Everything else was created in a virtual world. The other thing I thought was amazing is that Favreau used the same workflow as you would on a typical film set. This included how he worked with his Director of Photography. In this case, it was the legendary Caleb Deschanel, “The Passion of the Christ,” “The Right Stuff,” “The Natural.” In a virtual world, he set 10Ks like he would on any of his films. Can you imagine directing an entire film sitting in a chair wearing goggles?

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
TRAILER
TECHCRUNCH

2You Can Mail a Coconut to Anywhere in the World from This Post Office in Hawaii. This is a fun and unusual way to reach out to loved ones while on vacation. If you happen to be on the island of Molokai in Hawaii, visit the Hoolehua Post Office. People on the island donate fallen coconuts to the post office to be used as the island’s version of a postcard. You can even decorate the coconuts using the permanent markers that are available. They send out an astonishing 3,000 ‘Post-a-Nuts’ a year.

SMITHSONIAN

3The Best Trips for Introverts, According to Introverts. This article notes that an introvert traveling is not about wanting isolation; rather, it is about wanting a meaningful connection to the place you are experiencing. I am in this boat, for sure. Several fantastic suggestions throughout the world. Top of the list is in my home state of California, Siskiyou in the north. The mountain there is said to have a ‘spiritual vortex.’ My kind of place!

TRAVEL + LEISURE

4Luxury Travel’s Latest Frontier: Getting Lost, For Real. Over the last year or so, I have been highlighting articles about a growing trend in travel, Transformational Travel, where the point of a trip is more about an evocative experience. The destination inspires what happens on the inside. One of my travel partners, Explorer X, is taking this concept to the next level. They are now planning ‘mystery trips,’ where the travelers do not know where they are going until they get their tickets.

FORBES

Inquire About Happiness Mentoring

image

5Watch This Every Day and Change Your Life: Denzel Washington Motivational Speech 2019. Another reason to love Denzel. “Dreams without goals are just dreams.” Dare to dream big. Dare to fall forward.

MOTIVATION

6I Moved from a Walking City to a Driving City—Here’s How I Get My Steps Now. The article’s writer went from walking to work in NYC to driving there in LA. She writes about the toll it is taking on her body, which I can totally relate to, TOO MUCH SITTING! Health risks from sitting are the new smoking health risks. The writer suggests some good solutions, which I do every day. To name a few: 1. Take walking meetings. 2. Do walking business calls. 3. Park further away from the door of your office. 4. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Though the question is how many steps do we need daily? Well, many sources will tell you 10,000 steps. Some are saying as much as 15,000 steps every day. However, even for me, who walks a few miles most days, that can be a daunting daily number to hit. So, I was relieved when I read a Time article that said 7,500 steps is a good minimum. This number makes more sense to me—especially in light of the Mayo Clinic’s suggestion of two and a half to five hours of moderate aerobic activity per week.

THE/THIRTY
TIME
MAYO CLINIC

Inquire About Media Partnerships

image

713 Amazing Photos You Missed This Week. “A picture is worth a thousand words.”

HUFFPOST

8Coming Soon: The Mindfulness Movement Documentary. I recently reconnected with a colleague, award-winning filmmaker Rob Beemer, and found out that he has been producing and directing a film on mindfulness. As many of you know, I am an advocate for this practice. Rob has interviewed an extraordinary number of mindfulness luminaries and trailblazers. The film has been shot and now needs funding to complete the edit to have it ready for theaters this January. I urge you to join me in supporting Rob’s vision.

TRAILER
DONATE

” Thoughtful

“If you come to a fork in the road, take it.”
~ Yogi Berra, Former American Professional Baseball Catcher

Sojourn Experiences | Inquire About Dates

image

For years, I have been producing large and small-scale television shows around the world. Today, I also use my producing skills to curate tailor-made adventures.

Walking the Camino de Santiago | Spain
In partnership with Explorer X, small group adventure specialist

9 Days | Sept 10th – 19th, 2019 | From $3,950 per person

View Camino

Unforgettable Africa | Kenya
In partnership with Nomadic Africa, private luxury safaris

12 Days | From $18,735 per person for 8 guests

View Kenya

Machu Picchu, Peru | Salkantay Horseback Ride
In partnership with Peru EcoCamps, luxury geodesic domes

9 Days | From $5,975 per person for 2 guests

View Peru

*Pricing varies based on the number of guests and time of year.

Sojourn Programs

image

Insight Timer App | Silent Wisdom Meditations
As many of you know, I teach meditation. I have been a long-time fan of the practice. Why? It is scientifically proven to reduce stress, control anxiety, promote emotional health, enhance self-awareness, lengthen attention span, reduce age-related memory loss, generate kindness, help to fight addictions, improve sleep, help control pain, decrease blood pressure; and you can meditate anywhere! Meditation is about as close as one can get to a wellness silver bullet. Recently, I started recording meditations for Insight Timer. I hope you enjoy these free guided sessions. Please follow me on the Insight Timer app.

View Meditations
iTunes
Google Play
image

Happiness: The Art of Life Balance
As a longtime television producer, stress was my middle name. I have spent more than a decade studying what to do about it. Now, I help professionals, especially those in the media, to get out of the crazy and into the happy (and yes, I still produce television shows). I have put together a program that can fit into anyone’s schedule and can be joined anytime.

Learn More

Happy Weekend!
Maria and Team Sojourn
Learn More | +800-869-0538

image

Maria Baltazzi, PhD, MFA
Purveyor of Happiness and Conscious-Centered Living


Emmy-winning TV Producer, Happiness Mentor, Transformational Travel Guide

About
The Sojourn Experience is a conscious-centered company with a portfolio of three entities. Sojourn Explorers curates transformational experiences to extraordinary places around the globe. Part of the money for each trip goes to nonprofit organizations that we believe in. Through Picture Happiness: Take a Shot, Maria helps professionals uplevel the quality of their thoughts and habits. She designs Happiness programs and workshops as well as leads retreats. Finally, Sojourn looks to create media partnerships with writers, producers, and directors to get their projects sold to production companies and various platforms.

Special thanks to Astrid Martin, article and video content research, and Michael Tobias, editorial review and formatting, for their ongoing contributions to 8 Good Things.

Share 8 Good Things

Email Evernote Facebook LinkedIn Twitter

Contact Us

How can we serve you on your journey?

Did a friend send you this newsletter?

Sign up for 8 Good Things.

Join
Would Love Your Feedback

We will not sell, distribute or lease your personal information to third parties unless we have
your permission or are required by law to do so. For more information, please visit our Privacy Policy.

Unsubscribe
Sojourn, Inc. 7095 Hollywood Blvd 843 Los Angeles, California 90028-8912 United States +1-800-869-0538

Once a month, we bring you eight big ideas to help you live better.

8 Good Things is a newsletter of insightful, inspirational articles, videos, and reflections you will not find elsewhere in one place that is simple and easy to digest delivered to your inbox as our gift.

  • Hidden
  • Before opting into our newsletter, please take some time to review our Privacy Policy.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Forgiving Is For Living
A Grateful Life is A Happy Life
Your Best Health Insurance Plan
The Science of Love
Living a Meaningful 2022
Merry, Merry! May Good Things Come to You
Thanksgiving Reflections
Go for a Walk
See More

Erin F.

“Your opening comments... ‘Let there be a pandemic of compassion, love, and gratitude’ made me a bit emotional and hopeful this morning.”

Jim B.

“I can’t think of a better time for your
8 Good Things.”

Anthony H.

“Maria Baltazzi is one of life’s angels, who is exceedingly generous with her wisdom and insight. Do yourself a favor and sign up for her newsletter.”

Arctic Quest

[smartslider3 slider=”4″]

Thirty-six hours that will change your life. This is no overstatement. Be among the first to land at our magnetic north in a modern airship that uses innovative technology that combines the best of fixed-wing airplanes, helicopters, and static helium lift. What is old is new and even better, and more sustainable than jets or vehicles.

Photos provided by Design Q
View North Pole
© 2022 The Sojourn Experience
  • 8 Good Things
  • Sojourn Explorers
  • Sojourn Wholebeing
  • Sojourn Media Group
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT