hotel-xenia
  • Home
  • Team
Let's Chat
Menu
When to Speak: A Lesson from the Young Einstein
image

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

8 Good Things is a curated bi-weekly newsletter of inspirational and informational articles, videos, and quotes. Content falls into three buckets. Sojourn Explorers is about travel, technology, and exploration. Picture Happiness is about conscious-centered living. Sojourn is about photography, storytelling, and the entertainment industry.

Announcing. For thirteen years, I have been studying the art and science of Happiness. The last two have been spent working towards a PhD in Conscious-Centered Living. In that time, I wrote a thesis comparing the types of meditation practices that I teach: Mindfulness, Primordial Sound Meditation, and Prayer of the Heart. Followed by a dissertation on the elements of cultivating and sustaining Happiness. I am delighted to say that I now have three new letters after my name. My hope is that I can take what I have learned and help others to live better, more fully.

Make sure to scroll all the way down to see my upcoming trips and programs.

Invite Friends

image

1Five Facts of the Day. Did you know? “Russian cosmonauts used to pack a shotgun in case they landed in Siberia and had to fend off bears?” Also, love this one, “Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt once sneaked out of a White House event, commandeered an airplane, and went on a joyride to Baltimore.” My kind of ladies!

FACT5
PIONEERS OF FLIGHT

image

2When to Speak: A Lesson from the Young Einstein. I love this excerpt from Joshua Dubois’ book “The President’s Devotional: The Daily Readings That Inspired President Obama.” Joshua served as White House Executive Director of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships during the President’s first term. I am reading this book for the third year in a row, and continue to find words that impress and inspire me.

“There’s a story told about a young Albert Einstein. His parents were concerned that although Albert was growing in years, he had not spoken yet. One evening at dinner, the boy finally opened his mouth to speak, declaring ‘The soup is too hot!’ His parents rejoiced and asked Albert why it had taken him so long to talk. Albert replied, ‘Because up to now everything was in order.’ Like Einstein, we should be careful to be judicious with our words. Our tongues have great power and are best used when they’re truly needed. Until then, let’s cultivate a listening spirit.”

THE PRESIDENT’S DEVOTIONAL

3The Science of Friendship: Friendship With Benefits. This video is an entertaining look at our brain’s hardwiring to connect with others. One of the contributors is Duke University Medical Center Neurobiologist Dr. Michael Platt, whom I recently met while researching a wildlife show that I am developing. In a nutshell, “it’s easier to rise to the top” with the right group of pals versus going it alone.

HUFF POST

4Yep, We Can Actually Learn How to Master the Art of Romance from Penguins. Just watch this video. It is so cute, funny, and true! Also, a fun fact, these tuxedo-feathered guys mate for life.

LIGHTWORKERS

5How Learning New Words Could Make You Happier. Have you ever heard of “positive lexicography”? Neither have I. It is a recently published set of terms, from different cultures, which describe the phenomena of experiencing Happiness in about a thousand ways that you may not have heard of, or even thought of before. Tarab is the Arabic word for musically-induced ecstasy. Ohanami in Japanese describes a group gathered to admire flowers. Kefi in Greek is an intense emotional state (made more intense by drinking.) Positive lexicography comes from the increasing obsession to translate the untranslatable words of various languages. Why? Because, “untranslatable words can give us the sublime feeling one enjoys when briefly comprehending the size of the universe, reminding us that there are infinite perspectives to have and that there is a depth to things that we might not be comprehending.” Like hyppytyynytyydytys, Finnish for the pleasure derived from sitting on a bouncy cushion. Though my favorite is the German word fernweh, “a longing to travel to distant lands, a kind of homesickness for the unexplored.”

TIME
TRANSLATING HAPPINESS

6Holding a Loved One‘s Hand Eases Pain and Syncs Brainwaves. You know how the touch of someone can make you feel better? Well, there is a scientific reason why. According to a new study, “when it comes to hand-holding, the feelings of being soothed and loved with touch can blunt pain a little in the same way that people control pain with breathing exercises or meditative methods.”

HEALTHLINE

75 Yoga Poses to Boost Your Mood When You’re Having “One Of Those Days.” For when you are feeling “meh.” Last year, I became a certified yoga instructor. I teach a restorative method. The poses in this article are practical and easy to do. There are videos for each one to help you get optimal results. My favorite is number one, happy baby.

ELITE DAILY

image

8This Airbnb Rental Looks like a ”Star Wars” Set. Finally, a chance to live like Anakin Skywalker for a day! Are you excited about the next Star Wars? Despite the mixed reviews of it being an uneven story, I am looking forward to seeing it. I hear the performances are good, so no panic to Harrison Ford. The critics say Alden Ehrenreich does him proud as young Han Solo.

CN TRAVELER
ROLLING STONE
‘SOLO STORY’ TRAILER

” Thoughtful

“No matter what people tell you, words and ideas
can change the world”
~ Robin Williams.
Think Martin Luther King, Jr., John F. Kennedy, Mahatma Gandhi,
Nelson Mandela, Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln.
This could be you too.

Sojourn Experiences

image

Greek Islands | Inquire About Dates
Hit the pause button to sail and hike the islands in the Aegean Sea. Explore with me. Meditate. Do restorative yoga. Eat great food, and do like Zorba. Dance! Opa!! Bring together a group of six friends and set course on your own Greek Odyssey.

Learn more
image

Photographic Safari and Mindfulness Workshops
Kenya | Botswana | Inquire About Dates

I took this photo on the last morning of a recent trip to Africa — my favorite place in the world that I love sharing with others. Great Plains Conservation’s Wild Studio was started by award-winning National Geographic filmmakers Beverly and Dereck Joubert. This is an experience that I put together. It combines learning the secrets of great wildlife photography from a Wild Studios pro along with my Mindfulness teaching. Please join us on a uniquely curated safari that will tap into your true inner-photographer. This adventure can be shared with a group of friends or done as a solo sojourn.

View Kenya
View Botswana

Sojourn Programs

image

Happiness: The Art of Life Balance
I am committed to helping those who sit in the overwhelm, continually feeling out of time, and always stressed. As a longtime television producer, I have been there many times over and have spent a decade plus studying what to do about it. Now, I work with professionals, helping them get out of the crazy and into the happy (and yes, I still produce shows). I have designed a program that can fit into anyone’s schedule and joined at any time. For a complimentary session, please contact me.

Learn More
Book 50-Minute Phone Session
image

By Appointment
Offering private sessions in Mindfulness, Primordial Sound Meditation, Prayer of the Heart Meditation, and Restorative Yoga. Available in-person, or on Skype and FaceTime.

DETAILS
CONTACT ME

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

image

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


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

Transformational Travel Council logo Transformational Travel Council
North America Ambassador

Twitter

Share 8 Good Things

Email Evernote Facebook Google+ LinkedIn Twitter

Follow Sojourn Explorers

Facebook Twitter

Follow Picture Happiness

Facebook Twitter

Sojourn, Inc. 7095 Hollywood Blvd 843 Los Angeles, California 90028-8912 United States (323) 661-6258

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

Slide 1

Reach the Unreachable

Slide 2

WILD AT HEART

Slide 3

QUALITY IN EVERY SENSE

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