Many people say you have to start learning a language when you’re young. Otherwise, it’s too hard or impossible. I’m sure I’ve said the same thing myself, creating a self-limiting belief. I grew up in a household where both my parents spoke Armenian fluently. As I was so intent on fitting in with my English-speaking… Read More It’s Too Late For Me —- Or Is It?

There’s a line in Under The Tuscan Sun about taking a seemingly terrible idea and bringing it to fruition…making something far-fetched come to life.  Sometimes, the word “terrible” is used when what we really mean is more along the lines of “I can’t imagine doing that” or “I don’t even know how I would do… Read More That’s A Terrible Idea

That’s what Paulo Coehlo exhorts in The Alchemist…the story of Santiago, a young shepherd who travels from his home in Spain to his ultimate destination…the pyramids in Egypt…in search of his tesoro, ie his treasure.  It’s the story of a Dream pursued with Courage and  Faith…the dream of treasure in a far away place, the… Read More Listen To Your Heart

Growing up, my dad pushed me to excel academically. He pushed me very hard. I used to complain about it (in my head) because I felt like he was being too hard on me. It actually got in between us because, as he pushed, I pulled away.  It was only later on – once he… Read More Sit Up Straight And Sharpen Your Pencil

The oft-used cliche “life is short” has never been more true. As I get older, that has stopped being a cliche and more of a sometimes scary reality. To be blunt, there is likely less time ahead of me than behind me. My biggest fear is running out of time…time to offer and experience all… Read More A Friend Told Me “Our Runway Is Getting Shorter”…

“Creative, Courageous and Resilient” In the last two years, creative expression has played an increasingly large role in both my personal and professional lives. It has helped me process thoughts and emotions relative to what I’ve experienced, what has been happening around me and my hopes for the future. Likewise, it has helped my clients… Read More “Creative, Courageous and Resilient”

They say that we react to people and situations in one of two ways: Love or Fear. I can’t remember where I read this or who actually said it but it stayed with me.  I have questioned the validity of this assertion though. Surely, we are much more complex than just love and fear. It seems… Read More Love Or Fear

Sometimes, we are faced with a decision about when to pursue something and when it’s just better to let things go. What makes something important enough to exert some extra effort?  A friend of mine reminded me of what’s important this morning…I was venting about something that I had bought earlier in the day that… Read More Is It Worth It To Go Back?

Every Sunday morning, I watch a Facebook live Armenian Mass from St Sahag and St Mesrob church in RI. It’s where I grew up and, thanks to the pandemic, I have been able to participate online, something I hadn’t done since I moved to California 26 years ago. This Sunday, the priest, also known as Der Hayr… Read More The Donut Or The Hole?

One of my favorite books is My Grandfather’s Blessings by Rachel Naomi Remen. There’s a great quote that has stuck with me since I picked up the book years ago – “we’ve been given more blessings than we’ve known how to receive.” Loosely translated, I believe that it means that there’s something of value in… Read More Where’s That Silver Lining Everyone Talks About?