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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.

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1These Resorts Are Working to Save the Coral Reefs. More and more beach resorts are making an effort to save our coral reefs from the effects of pollution, climate change, overfishing, and oddly enough sunscreen. Next time you buy sunscreen make sure it does not contain oxybenzone and octinoxate, which causes either mutations in the coral or coral bleaching.

2The Best Wellness Retreats for 2019. This article came out in January, though I still think it was worth mentioning and a good companion piece to the first article. Resorts are also expanding how they define ‘wellness,’ offering more than just a nice massage and yoga. One place in Spain does ‘brain phototherapy’ which was developed with NASA and Harvard. It is a process that accelerates and re-balances cellular recovery to improve your energy, performance, and mind-state. Another retreat location, this one in California, offers classes by TED Talk alums. Find out more.

3Best Places to Visit in October. It is almost September, and before you know it, it will be October. What is great about travel in October is that it is the ‘shoulder season,’ meaning you can find great deals to fantastic places with fewer crowds. Try going to the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival on Oahu with more than one hundred chefs and forty winemakers. Though maybe you would rather experience a white-glove tour of Dublin’s new Museum of Literature. Or, just go to Tuscany to enjoy the painterly landscape.

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4Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Eye Opening Speech – Best Motivation Ever 2019. Since July, over 4,455,945 people have viewed the “The Rock’s” LA Lakers Genius Series Talk. His key to success and motivation? Keeping the tough times in front, remembering where he came from and the hard work it took to get to where he is today. Warning: a lot of ‘F’ bombs are used.

5An Optimistic Outlook ‘Means You Live Longer.’ On average, as an optimist, you could live eleven to fifteen percent longer than those who take a more negative outlook.

6The 5 Golden Rules for Healthy Eating, According to a Doctor and an RD. Along with a positive attitude goes being mindful of what you put into your mouth. I agree with every one of these golden rules. Basically, find a diet that works for you, eat unprocessed food, and drink lots of water.

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7How the Ruby Slippers From “The Wizard of Oz” Became the Ultimate Hollywood Symbol. Seems there are a lot of parallels between the land of Oz and Hollywood—both being places of dreams and escape. At the Smithsonian, the red, glittery shoes are the number one most requested item that people want to see.

8Hannah Gabrielle More’s Travel Photography Is Beautifully Calming. For those of you who enjoy travel + photography, here is an article about a woman who sees her world in pastels, earth tones, and with lots of space. “I see, experience, and notice things that are calm and serene,” says the photographer, adding, “…so I funnel all that into what I capture.” The best travel photography tip from Hannah is that an image should convey the spirit or feeling of a place.

” Thoughtful

“A person who never made a mistake, never tried anything new.”
~ Albert Einstein

Sojourn Experiences | Inquire About Dates

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.

Unforgettable Africa | Kenya
In partnership with Nomadic Africa, private luxury safaris
12 Days | From $18,735 per person for 8 guests

Machu Picchu, Peru | Salkantay Horseback Ride
In partnership with Peru EcoCamps, luxury geodesic domes
9 Days | From $5,975 per person for 2 guests

Sail and Hike | Aegean Sea, Greece
9 Days | From $6,775 per person for 6 guests

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

Sojourn Programs

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.

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.

Happy Weekend!
Maria and Team Sojourn
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