(originally appeared in Huffington Post) A day after landing in Florida upon completing Badwater 135 this past July, my cat and I boarded a plane to start our next chapter in Washington, D.C. A day after that, I started my new job and I haven’t had a minute to look back. Everything has been new, different, and nonstop without much…
Keys 100 – 2017: The Way Back
Looking Back For the past few decades, Key West has signified a starting point and an ending point in my life. So much of my history is wrapped up in the Keys. My first venture to Key West was about Ernest Hemingway, whose writings and life I devoted almost a decade of graduate school to exploring. There was the Key…
IMPACT
The past year, in my life as a professor, I asked myself daily before I walked into each class what my goal was. That kept it real for me. It helped me to get out of my own way, forget my to-do lists, and set the tone for each session. The goal, always, was to engage my students, share knowledge,…
Where are you going; Where have you been?
I moved. After ten years in one place, I displaced myself. There were mounds of clothes and books and stuff to give away. There were items to sort through—papers, letters, writings. I found over 60 short stories that I had written as an undergrad and later as a graduate student; often, there were endless drafts of each one, including notes on how to rework the stories…
Advice to Students: Dream Big
The end of the semester always makes me nostalgic and reflective of my own school days, when the promise of all that was to come was palpable. Throughout the school year, I’m privileged to be surrounded by college students, although some days, between teaching, office hours, and grading papers, the experience is reminiscent of trudging through quick sand. It is…
Writing Tips for Professionals
Writing is a part of our everyday lives from early on. We write during our scholastic careers—narrative essays, creative endeavors, research papers, and academic arguments—and we keep on writing as we delve into our professional careers, in the form of resumes and cover letters, and on to corporate and/or creative proposals. Not to mention emails, texts, white papers, and presentations.…
Tips for Professionals Looking for Gigs
If you currently consult or are thinking about joining the gig economy – characterized by freelance work or short-term contracts as opposed to permanent work—LinkedIn ProFinder is a great resource. As I ventured from a longstanding career in the corporate world to starting up my own career-coaching business this past year, networking was a key element to my success. I…
Why We All Need to Practice More Yoga
“Life means to be living. Problems will always be there. When they arise navigate through them with yoga—don’t take a break.” – B.K.S. Iyengar In Sanskrit, the word yoga means union. While it’s easy to get allured into perceiving yoga as a physical practice that burns calories and offers an outlet for cute clothes and gear, yoga, which can be…
You Have to Want It: The Power of Commitment, Planning, & Adaptation
Last weekend I was reminded of something that I already knew: when you set out to accomplish a new and/or challenging feat, you have to really want to achieve it in order for it to become a reality. Beyond that, you need to have a plan and be committed to execute the plan, while cultivating open-mindedness so that you may…
Tips for College Grads Before You Graduate
For college seniors, January is a great time to create a plan to prepare yourself for post-graduate life. Sure, you have another semester ahead of you to tackle, which means classes, exams, papers, not to mention finalizing graduation details, but planning ahead can alleviate a lot of the pressure you’ll face when your college life ends and it is time…