The Science of Hope
May 07, 2021 
Hello Sojourners,
Recently, I watched the Nobel Prize Summit online. Their theme was Our Planet, Our Future. One of the last conversations of the day was titled “We Are the World.” It was an interview with His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet. In addition to being a spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama has long been a supporter of science. He is currently advocating that scientists give more attention to our “inter-science,” our mind, our emotions, and the connection between the brain and emotion. Specifically, how we can keep our peace of mind and reduce toxic emotions like anger, hatred, and jealousy. What His Holiness calls the Hygiene of Emotion. His suggestion is that we train our minds, not just through faith, also through reasoning. Why? Because we are interconnected as a species and to the planet. The pandemic has indeed shown this to be the case. Now and in the future, we need to think like one. We need to let go of thinking in terms of MY country and think and act much more as OUR planet. Or, in the words of the Dalai Lama, “WE Humanity.” One of 8 Good Things aims is connecting with you through the words, articles, and videos we bring to you. I hope this edition offers some thoughts that inspire you. Until we meet again, please feel free to drop me a line and let me know your news.
Stay safe. Stay well. 
P.S.S. Is the second dose bad? If I feel OK, is it working? Can I take Tylenol? These questions about the vaccine and more answered.
P.S.S.S. Please share 8 Good Things with your family, friends, and colleagues. It may brighten up someone’s day. Perhaps, even help somehow live life a little better.
8 Good Things is a curated newsletter of inspirational and informational articles, videos, and quotes. If my thoughts about an article or video interest you, please click the ‘source’ button (e.g., NEW YORKER) to learn more. If you come across a story you would like me to consider sharing, please send it to explorer@sojourn-intl.com. This newsletter comes out once every three weeks. 
The Science of Hope If you want to know how hope works and why you want it, take a listen to this podcast with ABC Anchor Dan Harris. In seventy-two minutes, you will learn five strategies for developing hope. Believe it or not, you can learn it as a skill versus simply optimistically wishing for it. 
You Might Be Suffering from An article on what to do when it is all too much. 
Why Thinking Like a Scientist Is This article discusses why you should be open to questions about what you know and your judgment in the face of new evidence. I thought this was a timely article to share with so many different ideas, information, and misinformation these days around vaccines, climate change, and social issues. Things we thought we knew, ways we thought to act, things we thought were safe continue to change as we realize life in a post-pandemic world. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram may make us aware of a problem (or be the cause of it.) However, we would all be wise to check their sources. “Thinking like a scientist does not mean you need to own a telescope or a microscope. It just means that you favor humility over pride and curiosity over conviction.” 
These 26 Celebrity Quotes About Self-Love Will Hit You Right in the Feels “Do not allow people to dim your shine because they are blinded. Tell them to put on some sunglasses, ‘cause we were born this way!” Right on, Lady Gaga! Find out what twenty-five other celebrities have to say about self-love. 
The Best Family Beach Vacations in the U.S. Inspiration for those still not ready to break out their passport. 
8 Over-the-Top Travel Experiences for Your First Post-COVID Vacation Then here is something for those who either want to just dream or have the bankroll to spare no expense. These trips raise the bar on luxury getaways to a whole new level.
Virtual Community Book Club with Former President Barack Obama Presented by the L.A. Times, a thought-provoking conversation between award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay and our former president about his latest bestseller, A Promised Land. 
The Exchange Project Uniting Young Americans During the Pandemic You have heard about foreign exchange students. You may have been one yourself. Here is a new twist, a domestic exchange program for youths. Over the past year, one hundred seventy-five students in fourteen states took part in an American Exchange Program via online hangouts. The intention was to meet other kids from backgrounds one hundred and eighty degrees different from their own. An eighteen-year-old living in an affluent suburb of Boston, Massachusetts, learns about another eighteen-year-old residing in a lower-income area outside of Lake Charles, Louisiana. This kind of exchange has shifted attitudes, confronted stereotyping, and opened new worlds to the participating youths in both directions. Just because you are rich does not mean you have it made. Nor, because you are poor means you are bound by it. I think a domestic exchange program for adults sounds like a good idea too! Sojourn Programs
I am guiding LIVE meditations on the Insight Timer app. Come sit with me! You can also follow my meditation circle.
For those new to meditation, check out The Mindfulness Movement documentary that looks at the growing number of people around the world who believe mindfulness is the key to creating a healthier, happier world. Mindfulness is a practice, a tool for the mind, that anyone can use to make the moments of their lives more meaningful, more compassionate, and more aware. The film features interviews with Deepak Chopra, Jewel, Dan Harris, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Sharon Salzberg, Daniel Goleman, and other renowned meditation movement leaders. 
I write video content for a mindfulness productivity app, Centered. This app is a tool that helps you do great things. Use it to organize your weekly tasks. You can listen to music from your Spotify list as you work. Their daily videos offer productivity tips, inspiring quotes, and mindfulness techniques to get you into the zone and realize your potential. No one is going to write the next great novel while endlessly scrolling through their social media feed. Check it out. Sojourn Getaways
Camino De Santiago | Spain September 19th – 29th, 2021 | $4650 Per Person/Double Occupancy 
I genuinely think what you experience on this journey is a metaphor for how life can and should be, lived – more mindful of your environment. We have thoughtfully curated a transformative journey covering the last 100 kilometers of the Camino’s most popular route, The French Way. I also chose this route because it is doable for almost anyone, no matter their age. Picture Perfect Holistic Safari | Zambia + Malawi November 8th – 19th, 2021 | Inquire About Cost 
We have partnered with our Zambia + Malawi specialist to curate and guide a photographic safari that combines everything you want in an African adventure through a mindful lens. Please join me for this unique small group sojourn. It will give you something to look forward to later this year!
SUPER Special Guest Invitation | Now – December 31st, 2021
If you want to visit Zambia and Malawi this year. However, the November dates above do not work for you, I have an amazing offer for fourteen nights! The caveat is that you have to book the trip by the end of May for travel anytime this year. Here is the itinerary. Email me for more details. The Holy Land | Israel
December 2nd – 11th, 2021 | $4395 Per Person/Double Occupancy 
This trip is a beautiful spiritual journey with Very Reverend Father John Bakas from Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Los Angeles. We have made the pilgrimage twice before. Each time, it was indeed a joyful, uplifting experience for all. Father John has so much depth and knowledge of religious teachings and their historical contexts. It is shared with today’s relevance and good humor. Suffice to say that we laugh a lot on these trips. Patina | Maldives
Unveiling Offer | Inquire About Cost 
The newest island resort is opening in this remote part of the world. I am so excited about Patina’s unveiling. I have been watching this resort being created from afar for over a year. It is the most unique place I have seen in the Maldives. Their clean, sophisticated modern design is where minimalism meets the environment in a balanced way that is in harmony with each other.
Special Guest Invitation | Now – December 19th, 2021
Sojourn Explorers is happy to curate a Maldivian experience that is the perfect post-COVID getaway. Here is one possibility. Six Senses Zil Pasyon | Seychelles Thirty Percent Discount Offer | Inquire About Cost 
Six Senses Zil Pasyon is located on Félicité, a private island thirty nautical miles (fifty-five kilometers) northeast of Seychelles International Airport in Mahé. A twenty-minute helicopter flight gets you there. Make sure to have your camera with you!
Special Guest Invitation | Now – December 20th, 2021
Thirty percent off with a minimum of four consecutive night stays. This offer applies to all villas. *Ask how you can receive an additional ten percent off. Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve | South Africa
Four Nights for Three Offer | Inquire About Cost 
One of National Geographic’s Unique Lodges of the World!
Special Guest Invitation | Now – June 30th, 2021
Stay four consecutive nights, pay for three. The Great Elephant + Rhino Adventure | Kenya Amboseli National Park + Laikipia Plateau + Maasai Mara 12 Days | Choose Your Dates | Inquire About Cost 
The Kenyan bush is an awe-inspiring sensory landscape that is humbling to experience. The most iconic way to travel is to move every few days and set camp like the old explorers, except with more creature comforts. I am offering an extraordinary photographic mobile safari camp experience that can be curated to your desires. No detail is too small or unimportant. This adventure is perfect for families and small groups. Arctic Quest | North Pole Launches 2023 | Choose Your Dates | Inquire About Cost 
This pioneer’s adventure to the North Pole in a modern airship is getting a lot of attention. It is one of the most extraordinary and unique travel experiences you will ever have in your life. Many travel dates are already sold out! The airship has eight cabins and can accommodate up to sixteen passengers. Prices will go up the closer we get to the launch in 2023. If you are interested, book now. Sojourn Cares
Between May 17th and Thanksgiving, 2020, I walked 1000 Charity Miles for Stand Up To Cancer. I took to the foothills in my Los Angeles backyard. I hiked almost every day to support patients and caregivers with COVID-19. On Christmas Day, I pledged to walk another 1000 Charity Miles. Since our last
My fundraising page from the 1000 miles I did in 2020 is still open. Every donation is meaningful to those in need. Bless you for caring. Art & Science of Happiness in Action
Awe Video One, check out the video in the link below.
Two, find a place or activity that will give you a sense of perspective in relation to the rest of the world, like how you feel when standing on top of a mountain or at the edge of an ocean. Make a video of this location. If you want, it can include your thoughts.
Three, notice whether making this video shifts the way you understand the world. Perhaps, your everyday concerns will feel less important or inspire you to push yourself to greater heights.
Why this works: Time Required: 5 minutes | Frequency: 1x per month Picture Perfect
Mermaid Show “A group of 110 divers performs underwater as they set a new Guinness World Record for the ‘largest underwater mermaid show’ at the Atlantis resort on April 28, 2021, in Sanya, Hainan province, China.” Thoughtful
“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” “A day without laughter is a day wasted.”
~ Charlie Chaplin
Stay safe. Stay well. 
Maria Baltazzi PhD, Conscious-Centered Living | MFA, Film Emmy-winning TV Producer | Happiness + Mindfulness Teacher Transformational Travel Council Advisor + Herald Seven Continent Marathon Walker Explorers Club Member Scare Your Soul Advisor ABOUT Every three weeks, we bring you eight big ideas to help you live better. Each edition selects topics that reflect The Sojourn Experience’s desire to serve the greater good, both inwardly and outwardly. We are a conscious-centered company with three portfolio brands. The first is Picture Happiness: Take a Shot, which focuses on the art and science of happiness and mindfulness. The second is Sojourn Explorers, which curates transformational travel experiences to extraordinary places around the globe. Part of the money for each trip goes to nonprofit organizations we support. The Sojourn Media Group looks to create 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. 
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