Daniel Fox

What is your everyday magic?
I find magic in the little things and the unexpected. I find magic in the mystery, the complexity, and the beauty of Nature - including us, since we are a product of nature. Life is not easy. Life is not fair. It is not meant to be fair. It is not meant to be perfect. It is meant to be lived, to learn and grow from it. There is something so profoundly peaceful, magical, and spiritual, once you have accepted the journey of Life, the dynamics of Life.

What strategy and tactics to you utilize to live your best life?
STOP BREATHE RELAX LISTEN
It is my most powerful mantra. Its purpose is to create a place where I can ground myself and not get caught up in the craziness that is around. STOP and create boundaries. BREATHE and get a new perspective. RELAX and welcome clarity. LISTEN, not with your ears but with your heart and mind so that you can open yourself to the signs Life is giving you, the guidance it is showing you. These 4 words have helped me manage my way out of challenging and struggling situations. They have giving me a way to connect with life, with the world, and with others. By following them, I have come to understand who we are, individually and collectively, how we learn, grow and adapt.

PERSPECTIVE
Everything is about perspective. There is so much more to what we see, hear and know. There are treasures, worlds of wonder that remain hidden, away from our existence, away from our consciousness. Not because they are unreachable and unattainable, but only because we let ourselves be blinded by limited perspectives, by strict and rigid cultural narratives that limit our well being. When I look up to the sky, I see the clouds that hide the blue sky behind. When I do see the blue sky, I am blinded of the Universe that lays beyond. At night, when I look up and marvel at the sky saturated with stars, the gargantuan and unimaginable world of wonders that exist beyond, outside of our realm of comprehension, still remains hidden to me. When I look at someone, despite being able to see them, touch them, and feel them, what is inside of them, not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually is a complete mystery. Understanding perspective is creating humility. And humility brings mindfulness. 

GUILT
There is no need to shame the human race with guilt, constantly pointing the finger at ourselves on how bad of a species we are and have been. How could we do the things we have done in the past? Simple, we did them because in that moment we thought it was best. Some of them were good and some turned out to be real bad. And that is ok. We learn through feeling the consequences of our actions. And now we are feeling them. But remember, change is hard. Nobody wants change. The reason why we are 7 billions on the planet is not because we are a bad species, but because we are extremely good at learning from our mistakes, we rise in face of challenges, we shine and figure our way out when the shit hits the fan. This is who we are, this is what we do. this is what life is about. That said, not feeling guilty doesn’t take away responsibility and accountability. 

What are your top 3 tips for success?

1. Never Stop Exploring (yourself, life, knowledge, etc)

2. Don’t feel guilty! Come to peace with who you are, with your past and the decisions you made.

3. Don’t envy! It is never greener next door. We all have our own baggage, we all have issues and insecurities. Stop believing you don’t have what is needed to be at peace and successful.
   PS. Be of integrity, all the way across. Don’t be a hypocrite.

What one book do you want to give everyone you know because you believe it has the power to change lives?

Nature is the best book in the world. You can look anywhere and see/read something that will change your life. That said, there are 3 books that for me are classic and should be read by everyone. 

1. The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho

2. The Spell of the Sensuous, by David Abrams

3. Feel the Wild, by me, Daniel Fox (yes I do believe my book has the power to change lives!)

About Daniel

Daniel Fox is a Solo Wilderness Explorer, Awarded Photographer, Inspirational Speaker, Published Author, Artist-in-Residence, and Social Agent of Change, who uses his photos, videos, and stories to inspire the public to experience nature as a framework, mindset, and mentor for personal transformation. He believes in the Power of Nature to Nurture, Awaken, Transcend, Uplift, Restore and Elevate the human spirit.  He is the founder of W.I.L.D., an initiative that raises funds to send underprivileged youth to wilderness immersion camps. He is a FUJIFILM X-Photographer, a SanDisk Extreme Team Member, Kokatat and AquaLung Ambassador.

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Kelly English

What is my everyday magic?
That's an easy one.  The fact that I have every day!  I open my eyes, I'm healthy, happy and have friends and family in my life that I love and care about.  EDM - appreciating what I've got and acknowledging that I am so happy and so fortunate to be where I am.  Sounds cheesy, but it's true.  Happiness is the new rich, right? I'm loaded.

What strategy and tactics do I utilize to live my best life?

• The number one has many different adages: "Don't cry over spilled milk."  "Don't sweat the small stuff" on and on.  Life is too short to let little things get to you.  I don't let much get to me and I think that keeps me exponentially happier than people who let small stuff bother them.  The big picture is what matters (health, family, friends, happiness).

• Do what I love, not what I should do to make more money (sometimes this means working less and spending less $).

• Forgive.  Life is too short to hold a grudge.

• Spend as much time as I can outdoors.

• I tell my family and boyfriend I love them every time I talk to them.  Many of my friends too, actually.

• BE PRESENT.  It's easy, just engage curiosity.

• Be alone.  Though I can be an incredibly social creature, I like to hibernate now and then.

• I love to travel, but I LOVE being home and relish every moment.  I have so much fun tinkering around in my house.  Learning to mount shelves, though less glamorous, can be as much as an adventure as hiking in the high Andes of Colombia alone.  Just depends on your attitude.  

Top 3 tips for success:

1. Give yourself time in the morning.  Whatever that means to you.  When I'm working on the field, I like to run or stretch and have a big coffee before I start my day.  This means that my day is so much less frantic and early questions don't stress me out.  I wouldn't call myself a "morning person", but I relish a little bit of time to center myself after the rise and shine.  When I'm at home, I spend time making the perfect coffee, then sit down to get work done so I can have a clear-headed mid-morning work out.

2. Find something you can do that creates a meditative state.  For me, it's running.  I can get so much sorted out in my brain when I go for a run and the endorphin kick just helps with my general state of happiness.  I was injured for 2 months, so turned to yoga (with a bit of biking)...It wasn't quite as effective for me because I had to concentrate so hard on not falling over, but I know it's great for many folks.  Same with plain old fashioned meditation.  I truly believe that having a ritual of some sort to clear your head makes you a more sane, more rational, more forgiving, more introspective person. My businesses were born on runs.

3. Don't be afraid of rejection.  The worse they can say is "no."  As long as you're prepared for the worst and hoping for the best, a "no" will never be the end-all of anything.  I always use the words "cautiously optimistic" when it comes to many aspects in life.  

Favorite Books (I can't limit it to just one!):

1. Fountainhead: encapsulates independence, individuality and perseverance.  Roark shrugs off norms and trail blazes despite negative press.

2. Count of Monte Cristo: not because I'm a huge fan of spending a lifetime planning revenge, but the story is just so good and the bad guys get their asses kicked such a strategically awesome way that you just can't put the thing down.

3. One Hundred Years of Solitude: so metaphorically pertinent to today.

4. Travels with Charley: Steinbeck's well-written diary of a road trip has so many current themes even though  it was written in 1960.  It's a great read and a great reminder to engage strangers in order to learn about different parts of the US.  

About Kelly
Born and raised California, I was always curious as to what lay outside the border.  College in Boulder, Colorado, a few years abroad and a semi-nomadic lifestyle have provided me with many adventures and endless stories. I've worked in active travel, reality TV travel and now run by own companies.  

It took me awhile to discover that happiness comes from within and it doesn't live in some foreign land.  Now I spend every minute I can on my houseboat in Sausalito trying out new business ideas, filling my brain with knowledge and attempting (and usually failing) home improvement projects.

As it turns out, adventures manifested themselves in my life in a myriad of ways including:

• 54 countries visited

• 2.5 languages spoken (English, French, .25 Japanese, .25 Spainsh)

• 26 full marathons run

• 2 companies started (one successfully up and running for 7 years, one brand new)

• 1 year in corporate america

• 11 years working for Backroads, an active travel company

• 10 seasons working on Survivor

• 2 natural disasters of epic proportions survived (quake of '89 and tsunami of '04)

• Countless freckles

Russel Zink

What is your everyday magic?

• Discovering context, logic and connections between people, music art, society, and nature

• Being honest

• Figuring out how to simultaneously contribute and have fun

• Seeing the humor in everything

• Being inspired by everyday heroics

What strategy and tactics to you utilize to live your best life?

• Have goals and deliverables that are tangible

• Prioritize getting the most important things done by being organized and reflecting which allows for a surplus of time to just enjoy life

• Get enough exercise and eat well for clarity

• Focus on the good and the potential to make it happen

• Consider opportunity costs to make the best decisions

• Be mindful of other people's time

What are your top 3 tips for success?

1. Ask lots of engaged questions and be curious of yourself and others

2. Use inductive reasoning to assess trend/direction/opportunities - and be comfortable with risk

3. Be generous with your energy and gifts

What one book do you want to give everyone you know because you believe it has the power to change lives?

"Being Peace" by Thich Nhat Hanh - very absorbable, can calm almost any monkey brain down

About Russ
I'm number four of five siblings. My mother was a pianist & teacher and my father was a physicist. I am so lucky to have one intergalactically-amazing adult daughter a wonderful, kind and generous partner.

I love the outdoors & nature nature, music, dogs, art, gardening, and architecture. With a background in Information & Business Strategy development along with alignment & implementation, I enjoy geeking out on structured change, problem solving.

I value everyday heroes, kindness & creativity, leadership & communication.

Ivy Lee

What is your everyday magic?

My everyday magic begins the moment I open my eyes. I greet the new day of life with a smile, look over and give my partner a good morning kiss. It is this inherent gratitude for each moment that I root in to be present throughout the day. When I am present, I am more aware of the magic happening around me. My senses are open and I can delight in simple beauty and abundant pleasure. My perspective is open and I can recognize the happiness, blessing, lesson, and humor in what’s going on, no matter what the situation is. I have experienced the most impressive everyday magic happen when something initially perceived to be as unfortunate turns out to be wonderfully fortunate. All is possible when I am fully present in the moment, rooted in gratitude, and open.

What strategy and tactics do you utilize to live your best life?

My best life is achieved by acknowledging that I am responsible for my own happiness and freedom, and aligning my life choices accordingly. I have made big life decisions in moving to a different city or different country, switching a job from one industry to another, leaving a lucrative corporate career to pursue a passion and calling, ending or mending or creating relationships. I don’t let fear hold me back. We often have fear of change, fear of unknown, fear of not having money, fear of failing, fear of rejection, fear of being alone. I don’t let the doubts in my mind overshadow the ways in which my spirit yearns to expand and evolve. I believe that I am most courageous when I listen to my heart, and I am most happy when my heart is full.

What are your top 3 tips for success?

1. Self-care every day.

2. Learn continuously.

3. Give generously.

What one book do you want to give everyone you know because you believe it has the power to change lives?

There are so many books that I love. Here is one: “Peace Is Every Step” by Thich Nhat Hanh.

About Ivy

Ivy Lee is an acupuncturist, healer, teacher, and wellness mentor. She is versed in various modalities including acupuncture, herbal medicine, essential oils, bodywork, yoga, breathwork, meditation, visualization, sound vibration, and energy work. Her healing sessions are integrative and transformative in balancing and aligning the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual bodies. Her teachings and intuitive guidance on wellness cultivation and strategic life design help to elevate the quality of health, career, and relationships. She is grateful to receive wisdom from Buddhism, Daoism, Tantra, universal consciousness, and life experience. She is based in Oakland, California, and travels throughout the world.

For information about sessions with Ivy, contact luminaewellness@gmail.com

Michaela Trimble

What is your everyday magic?

Simply waking up every day is magic in itself. In my job as a freelance travel writer, I usually wake up in many different destinations within a month's time. No matter where I am or what I'm doing, I give myself at least 30 minutes for a self-care ritual. It kick-starts my day in the best way possible!

What strategy and tactics to you utilize to live your best life?

I often battle with the lack of balance in my life. I'm constantly traveling, always on the road, and I find this can throw off my rhythm if I'm not careful. An essential tool for my well-being is to continuously focus on the positives. Do I get lonely on the road? Sure. Do I miss my family and loved ones? Of course. But do I adore my job and this opportunity I've been given? Definitely! To equalize this, my mother and I have a ritual. Each evening, we text each other three things we're thankful for in our day. It may sound silly and small, but this makes me look for the positives of my day. It really helps elevate the thoughts I let in my brain!

What are your top 3 tips for success?

I'm usually on the road most of the year, and I have a tried-and-true formula that keeps me in balance no matter where life takes me. I begin my day with a music meditation using the Dreamcatcher playlist on Spotify; the songs are by acclaimed Native American artists who perform flute music. It's totally ethereal, and it connects me with the Earth and my own basis of spirituality. I find this very easy to incorporate into my day, as I let the music play in the background while I'm flowing through my morning routine. I travel with a small pack of essential oils. I pick and choose scents and make morning combinations based on my mood. This self-care act feels luxurious and serves as a moment of nourishment. Finally, I try to get some form of exercise every day. Most of my trips and stories tend to be active in nature, so this is quite easy for me, but even on my off days, I try to get my heart rate up. It makes me an all-around happier, more balanced person.

What one book (or movie) do you want to give everyone you know because you believe it has the power to change lives?

Whether within my personal life or my career, I find it easy to get caught up in the day-to-day minutia of life. I try to read Don Miguel Ruiz's Four Agreements at least every year; it helps me take a step back and find perspective in difficult situations. It's like hitting a life reset button. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, the four agreements include: be impeccable with your word; don't take anything personally; don't make assumptions; always do your best. When I incorporate his practices, it helps me eliminate self-limiting beliefs that can rob me of everyday magic!

About Michaela

Michaela is a contributor for Vogue, Travel + Leisure, GQ, Men's Journal, National Geographic, Robb Report, AFAR, Conde Nast Traveller UK, Hemispheres, American Way, Rhapsody, Outside, and more. Based in South Florida, she's a South America expert who travels the world to report on inspiring, impactful adventures. In addition to travel writing and photography, she consults with brands to build their content strategy through digital and creative direction. She has been to all seven continents, and my passion to explore the world knows no end.

Nadia Le Bon

What is your everyday magic?

Be positive and be grateful, see the beauty around you, and the goodness in others.

What strategy and tactics to you utilize to live your best life?

Keep in touch with family and friends.  Celebrate small successes, birthdays, new babies, anything that brings us together and recognizes a special moment in our lives. Set priorities, do your best at work, and make time for friends. And do something good for me too.

What are your top 3 tips for success?

Listen, prepare, engage, and deliver.

What one book do you want to give everyone you know because you believe it has the power to change lives?

Different books help at different stages of our lives. I always return to poetry to find nourishment and solace.  Gary Snyder, Mary Oliver, Jane Hirshfield, and Japanese poets speak to me.

About Nadia

I was born in Milan, Italy and loved spending my summers in the Dolomites with grandparents and cousins. My curiosity and desire to explore the world started early on as I spent hours reading about places and looking at pictures in a large geography encyclopedia my father bought for us kids.  My first adventure outside Europe took me to remote mountain regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan, and I was hooked.  India and Nepal followed.  

In the early 80s I got my dream job as a trekking guide in the Himalayas, and in 1983 I  co-led the first Italian women climbing expedition to the Indian Himalaya. A year later I moved to California to marry my husband Leo, then President of Mountain Travel Sobek and a pioneer in his field.  For over 20 years, I have been involved in adventure travel, from managing operations to developing new trips to unique destinations. Since 2008 I have been involved with a pioneering upscale adventure travel operator in Peru, as a marketing consultant. I have been blessed to be able to visit over 60 countries on all seven continents, explore remote mountain regions on foot, kayak and raft from Alaska to Antarctica.

Travel has given me inspiration, strength, an open mind, incredible memories, and many wonderful friends.

MARTI SPIEGELMAN

What is your everyday magic?

Awareness!

What strategy and tactics to you utilize to live your best life?

I do my best to NOT use strategy or tactics. I connect to the world of spirit, to the powers that create this world through the magic of awareness, and the ‘spirits’ take care of my logistics. It requires cultivating fluidity and giving up measuring oneself by a to-do list, but it works better than any strategy I could think up.

What are your top 3 tips for success?

1. Heal your inner landscapes – our hearts have to be open for, and to, success.

2. Do more than spend time in nature – teach yourself to be nourished by the energy of the earth, and walk as her speech. This turns us into conduits for success.

3. Have fun! But not alone! We have to return to our innate collective natures – living,    loving, laughing, and supporting one another in order to succeed.

What one book do you want to give everyone you know because you believe it has the power to change lives?

A Story Waiting to Pierce You, by Peter Kingsley
The book may be a bit esoteric for some people but the message is extraordinary. So if that one is ‘over the top’, my second choice for the ‘one book’ is The Healing Wisdom of Africa by Malidoma Somé, OR the one I’m writing :) on the magic of human consciousness.

About Marti

Marti Spiegelman is a thought leader and expert in applying the key principles of consciousness to life and work in the modern world. She is a speaker, writer, and mentor to entrepreneurs, business executives, educators, artists, and scientists alike, offering a PhD-level mastery program in awakening the powers of perception and awareness – the skills behind the generative power of intuition. Combining her 40+ years of business acumen with her knowledge of science, cutting edge design and communications work, deep training in indigenous cultures, and professional mentoring skills, Marti is a global force for business and social innovation.

Her insights into human awareness and its power to drive success and wellbeing are revolutionizing the way entrepreneurs, companies, and communities collaborate, create, and build resilient and profitable relationships. Marti offers in-person mentoring and expert-level training for company leaders and teams, as well as consulting, mentoring, and training for entrepreneurs and individual professionals.

http://www.martispiegelman.org
http://www.awakeningvalue.com

Tony Pandola

What is your everyday magic?

For me, everyday magic lies in recognizing that everything in this world is as infinitely beautiful and fascinating as you’re willing to let it be. It is recognizing that every moment is a once-in-a-lifetime moment to be inhabited with your full presence and attention.

What strategy and tactics do you utilize to live your best life?

I try to remind myself of the temporary nature of life in general. I think it’s necessary to accept the inevitability of death before one can truly appreciate life. Doing so sets me free from fear—fear to try new things, to take risks, to put myself out there—because, ultimately, we have nothing to lose. 

I try to zoom waaay out as often as possible. I like holding my problems up to the cosmos, like, “I’m on a tiny molecule of a planet floating in the vastness of space amongst billions of galaxies and a great unknown… Is this current disappointment or setback really that big of a deal?” The answer is usually ‘no’. Such a grand perspective helps me keep my sense of humor intact, even during the hard times.

I try to be a perpetual student, to always be open to learning new things or being open to new perspectives. Instead of seeing my knowledge or capabilities as based in hard facts, I try to think of them as “my understanding thus far.”

I try to stay light and flexible by not accumulating a lot of ‘stuff.’ That way, when an unexpected or interesting opportunity arises, I’m that much more ready and able to jump in and see where it goes.

What are your top 3 tips for success?

1. Make all of your decisions (everything from the minutiae to the stuff that feels ‘big’) with your heart instead of with your analytical brain. Your heart knows best. Your mind and your ego are very good at playing tricks on you.

2. Pay attention: The world is filled with signs, patterns, and people to guide you. So talk to strangers, always be aware of your surroundings, and stay off your screens and devices as much as possible.

3. Don’t be an asshole. (And be open to learning about the ways you have been unintentionally being an asshole… and be open to changing those ways you have been unintentionally being an asshole)

What book do you want to give everyone you know because you believe it has the power to change lives?

There are so many. Reading books in general has the power to change lives. I guess I'd say anything by Joseph Campbell, Craig Childs, Eckhart Tolle,, or Carl Sagan can help you put your life into universal and historical context, and make you feel connected to something greater than yourself.

About Tony

I engage with the world through mountaineering, dance, martial arts, literature, languages, travel-guiding, stargazing, road tripping, the art of conversation, dreams, writing, playing music, friendship, people-watching, bathing in frigid alpine streams, treating every experience like an epic adventure, living out of my 1995 Toyota Previa minivan, and far too many other things to name. My diet consists mostly of eggs, avocados, sourdough baguettes, and chocolate chip cookies; I have a two-year-old niece who is redefining my definition of love; I have impeccable cursive penmanship (though I hold my pen in a bizarre manner); I am surrounded by an insane amount of amazing and inspirational people in my life who I consider friends, and I would totally have a dog if the rest of my lifestyle allowed for it.

I identify as a storyteller, and while I can tell a hell of a story in person, I am currently working on getting better at sharing my stories through written word as a first-year MFA student in Creative Writing at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

MARCI ALBOHER

What is your everyday magic?

I take a long walk every morning before I do pretty much anything else. It's the same routine weekday or weekend, whether I'm home or traveling. It's a way to ensure that I log a few miles no matter what, and it's also a fabulous time to listen to the news or a podcast, have a walking date with a friend, or just meditate while moving. I like to be finished by 8am because one of my goals is to observe a place waking up - whether it's my own neighborhood or a place I'm exploring. The best part about it is that lots of people now know this about me and now book walking dates with me.

If I don't have enough time for a long walk, the next best thing is sitting on a bench with Sinatra, my French Bulldog. Ideally, with an espresso from a local coffee shop. He attracts people so we end up chatting with anyone who passes by.

If it's raining, the whole thing falls apart!

What strategy and tactics to you utilize to live your best life?

I try to connect with people who seem different from me -- though once we get to know each other, there's generally some common ground. Recently I rediscovered the quote I chose for my high school yearbook and was amused to find that I've had this philosophy since I was a teenager! 

If you smile at me I will understand because that is something everybody everywhere does in the same language.
-- Crosby Stills, Nash, and Young, Wooden Ships.

What are your top 3 tips for success?

I have a feeling I'd have a totally different answer if you asked me this next week, but here's three that feel right at this moment. 

1. Be flexible.

2. Listen.

3. Know yourself.

What book do you want to give everyone you know because you believe it has the power to change lives?

I'm a voracious reader so it's nearly impossible to answer this question with just one book, but one book that I have picked up at a few different junctures is Transitions by William Bridges. Life is really about getting comfortable with transitions, and the process Bridges lays out provides a framework that you can apply in so many contexts. It was extremely helpful to me when I quit practicing law to become a journalist and then again when I went through a divorce.

About Marci

Marci (my cousin!) is an author and thought leader focusing on the future of work. She is Vice President of Strategic Communications at Encore.org, a nonprofit innovating new models to tap the experience of those in midlife and beyond to improve society. She created the Shifting Careers blog and column for The New York Times and is the author of two books: The Encore Career Handbook: How to Make a Living and a Difference in the Second Half of Life and One Person/Multiple Careers: The Original Guide to the Slash Career. She is a frequent commentator and speaker on various topics related to work and civic engagement and has appeared in such outlets as The Today Show, the Positive Economy Forum, and National Public Radio. Marci lives in Greenwich Village, New York with her husband Jay and their French Bulldog Sinatra. 

Anna Maria Botero

I interviewed Anna Maria on a night in Colombia and I love the night sounds and how clear and intentional she is with her answers:

About Anna Maria

Anna Maria has always had a great passion for nature and animals. She lived in the jungle and studied biology in another chapter of her life. She then studied art history in England, and fell in love with pottery. She studied and perfected her art for a decade in Mexico, and then in Japan where she learned the soul of ceramics and that in nature, every element has a spirit. Her worries about what we are doing to our planet are reflected in her pieces. Her works have been on exhibit in numerous cities in Colombia, Mexico, the US, Venezuela, and the former Yugoslavia. Anna loves spending time with her partner Pilar, their horses and dogs, and an amazing circle of friends in Barichara, the countryside outside of Bogota, and New York City.

Art by Anna Maria Botero

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Zander Ford

What is your everyday magic?

My everyday magic is a morning practice. This ‘me-time’ in the AM really sets me up for an empowered day. Usually, I’m up around 5:30/6 naturally. I don’t set an alarm, I just tend to get up then. Around 8:30/9 I’m worked out, a clear mind, and ready to flow with whatever the day has for me and I for it. 

My routine is something like: Wake, rub the sleep from eyes. Write out a dream for about 20 minutes with a wooden pencil, do one hour of cardio/martial training and a hike behind my house, one hour and a half of meditation, one poem, and lastly my ‘Ideal Final Result’ or 'IFR' as I call it. My IFR’s are simple intentions and to-do list for the day. Carnegie said to ‘Keep thoughts and actions to ‘Day-tight Compartments’’. I like it.  IFRs keep me focused on what I actually can impact today. 

I often take 3-4 10-minute re-set breaks during the day. These are just 10 minutes of relaxation, breathing, meditation, and re-checking back with my IFR to see how I’m related to it. 

I’m currently building a 3 good-deeds per day practice. I have found seeking intentionally to do a minimum of 3 good deeds every day turns just about everyone I meet into an opportunity to serve. It turns everyone into friends. Which is a beautiful place to interact with people. 

What strategy and tactics do you utilize to live your best life?

I like routine. I really do. And, I also like choice. I find that in my life its a balance of routine and play/flexibility. I have enjoyed considerable time in both living frameworks of floating and structure. I like my balance of structured mornings, and flexible days.  

For example, every week I ‘sharpen the saw’ its usually on Sundays, lately I’ve shifted to Monday. This is a 4-5 hour highly focused session of reviewing everything on my Goals, Projects, and Tasks lists. For me, I like to think of my life in terms of the whole thing, assuming I’m going to die around 120 years old. So, if I’ve got a good 80 years to go, what would I like to accomplish? I have 3 views: seeing things at 50,000 ft, 10,000 ft, and Earth. I call my views and  review documents MAPS, Goals, and ‘Stuff to Do.’ They’re just notes in my email program. MAPS are the lunar view of my life. What does my life look like across time from the perspective of the moon? Goals are a little more atmospheric. They are my 3 primary focuses. Right now, those are Service to others with ConsciousFounders.org podcast, Movement/Medicine/Martial Arts, and Self Reflection/Art (www.wordsandlight.com is my poetry blog and podcast.)

My Goals document is a simple tracking document where I capture anything I want to get done, then review, prioritize and organize it weekly.

I currently track my time using a simple time-tracker. I like to know what I’m doing at a self-reflective way, so I can train to optimize time spent and align it with my MAPS and Goals. Especially when Goals or MAPS shift, its important to re-calibrate how my time is enjoyed. And I’m a data-nerd, so this hourly investment makes sense to me. If I’m my own boss, then what’s my review look like?

The ultimate key, regardless of the structure, is writing down my goals and reviewing them. It can be helpful to assign target dates to accomplish these. Anything that makes these goals more specific really helps to manifest them. Since life, by Nature, is always evolving. So are my goals. They are moving targets. Even my MAPS may change. Weekly review of these documents seems to satisfy and reinforce my feeling of alignment when I’m doing a project, or task. 

I build one habit per month. It takes human short-term memory about 6 weeks to load a new habit. And… it takes the long-term memory about 10 months. So, I try to add one new habit every month. It really enables me to single-task. Trying to add more than one new habit at a time dilutes the process and usually leads me to frustration, so I just take down one at a time. Each of my routine elements was built using the monthly-habit practice. It works. The mechanics of its working are also backed by Neruralplasticity research. 

What are you top 3 tips for success?

1. Establish practices that cultivate 'self love', including training the ‘voices’ inside to be loving.

2. Create, review, and achieve goals in a regular, routine, and enjoyable way. 

3. Be embodied with a daily physical and aerobic practice. Even if its a bike-ride or walk to the office. ;-)

What one book do you want to give to everyone you know because it has the power to change lives?

Mmmm. Such a tough question. So many amazing books! I’m writing my own www.wordsandlight.com a compilation of life-phiosopy, photography, and poetry. And, I think there are a bunch of great philosophical teachers out there. I really have enjoyed recently the meta-level analysis done by Brian Johnson. He does a book-review style audio version of many popular life-changing books. Tag line is ‘More Wisdom, in Less Time.’ 

My major influencers would fall into these categories:

“Adulting” David Allen from Getting Things Done, Stephen Covey of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective people. 

“Emotional Health” Scott Peck, Road Less Traveled. Byron Katie of ‘The Work.’ And the I-Ching, Ancient Chinese Philosophy.

“Art and Healing”, Generally I find Fantasy and SciFi books to be of real value to me. They enter me into a state of reflection and healing. Give my mind an opportunity to expand and imagine. To build worlds from words. Powerful

About Zander:

Zander mentors Founders building Healing-Technology companies. His podcast ConsciousFounders.org hosts luminaries commercializing products at the intersection of Neural-plasticity, Virtual Reality, Meditation, and Gaming. His goal is to help Humans more easily achieve greater states of happiness, health, vitality, joy and philanthropy with the aid of Virtual Reality technology. 

Zander is successful software Entrepreneur and Sales Person. He Co-Founded and built a mobile payments company (Swipe - Acquired by Merchant Processors 2009), and helped grow the first Data Management Platform Company (BlueKai - Acquired by Oracle 2013).

Zander publishes his life-musings, photography, and poetry on a podcast and blog called words and light www.wordsandlight.com. He is an avid student of Chinese Martial Arts and Medicine.

NAIMA SHALHOUB

What is your everyday magic?

I don't think we can have magic if there isn't a surrendering of control, whether conscious or unconscious. Magic happens when it's unexpected. If it's expected it's not magic, it's expectation. Even though we may expect the sunrise or sunset and have seen glorious colors emerge before, there is something awe inspiring about experiencing things as if it's for the first time. And in that there is a realization that everything is unique to the moment. Magic is in the perception of it, the ability to experience it. Things are magical when we accept mystery as a part of life. The way I'm able to surrender is through faith that I'm held by the great Creator. And I trust in that. Others have other ways they surrender. It's a daily, momentary practice and I often forget. But the beautiful thing is that there is grace that meets me again and again. And in that there is magic in itself.

What strategy and tactics to you utilize to live your best life?

• Find out what scares me

• Decipher whether this is a legitimate fear (I.e. Will I be eaten by a lion if I reach out my hand to pet one, or some other carnal fear that is useful). If it is not a legitimate fear, it could be a growth opportunity parading around as fear. Or parading around as shame. If I'm still having trouble deciphering, I have a dream session where fear isn't invited, to explore what exactly I'm trying to envision. I call on support of trusted advisors/friends if I'm stuck, they're amazing. Wouldn't know where I'd be without trusted council. Oh, and I always pray for clarity. Prayer and solitude are crucial.

• Once I have a clear vision, I take steps toward it.

• See #3

• If there is more fear, see #2 and do #3 anyway.

• I laugh at myself when I can. Crying helps too. It's all the same.

What are your top 3 tips for success?

First of all being aware of the various definitions I have of what success is. Then sniff out the definitions that I was conditioned to carry but no longer serve me.

What one book do you want to give everyone you know because you believe it has the power to change lives?

Total Freedom by Jiddu Krishnamurti

About Naima

Naima Shalhoub is a Lebanese American artist who uses music as a tool for transformation, liberation, education and self-expression. Her dimensional work as a vocalist, composer, performing artist, and educator focuses on the expansive quality of the voice and its power for redemption and social justice. 

In addition to appearing regularly with her band, Naima is currently teaching, composing, and serving as a Restorative Justice Coordinator for youth in the Oakland public school system. At the same time she continues to work on her project “Borderlands”: an expansion on her work in the San Francisco County Jail. Borderlands facilitates music sessions that are simultaneously expressive and educational, and ultimately connect with the larger movement of transformative justice on a local and an international scale.

Watch Naima lead a weekly music sessions with incarcerated women at a San Francisco County Jail.

she recorded her debut album Borderlands live at the jail.

On May 5, 2015

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Rafa Mayer

What is your everyday magic?

Connecting with my own joy and to myself.

I’m always striving to get even more happiness. Positive thinking is fuel for me. We all have choices – why not choose joy and to be grateful?

Sometimes I contemplate, what would I do if time and money was indefinite? I know I would do something similar to what I do now, just with more time for exercise, family and friends.

What are the tactics and strategies to make the everyday magic?

If I start the day with the things I know are good for me, like running or yoga, it sets me up for success to tackle the bigger stuff.

I’m not always in control of what’s happening every day, but I do get to decide how I react. And, I am always kind. Even something as simple as smiling can change someone’s day, and the energy comes back to me. It becomes a kind of a happy cycle!

What does success look like for you?

Success is about being honest with myself and taking the time to periodically balance and rebalance. Coaching has been great for that and has allowed me to think about what do I want now, in this moment of my life. I feel like I’m an alchemist in that way, a little bit more of this…a little bit less of that.

The right balance has changed for me over time. Last year, my business grew a lot and demanded a lot of my attention. While it needed happen, this year I’m focusing on how to build more personal time back in and even start taking Fridays off again. It will also be healthy for my business and my relationships and allow me to be more creative and focus on what I am good at.

What advice do you have for others?

Traveling with my family has been a great way for us to authentically connect with each other outside of our comfort zone. A few years ago, we took a long trip Myanmar together even though the kids were very young. Every time we travel, the kids become more curious and have questions about people and other cultures. When we’re traveling, we’re much more like a team, especially in more remote places. The connection that we share in those places carries on in our everyday lives and the memories last for years.

Traveling like that isn’t for every family, but if it’s in your DNA as it is in ours, why wait?

Lizza Dwoskin

What is your Everyday Magic?

It’s an interesting question for me because I deal so much with the grim world in my day to day as a journalist. The goal there is to understand and interrogate power and to find out what’s wrong and not to try to uncover the magic in things. So, I think my everyday magic is the search for truth and the search for what’s really under the surface. And it’s often not what people are telling you or how they would like to spin it. So, I have to keep that in the forefront in the mind, no matter how much I may like them.

I had an important professional year, because as a journalist covering technology, there was the question of how the Russians interfered with our election through our social media platforms. I fell into a big story, so I already had the built in sense of purpose. I felt like we were really hunting down the story of a huge chapter in this country’s history and we want to tell it right for posterity.

I’m not satisfied unless I’m really in a position where the work I’m doing feels really meaningful.  Things are beautiful to me when there are holes, when there’s discrepancy in story that I can dive into. I get a high off complexity and explaining it and understanding it.

Then at the same time it’s also understanding that everyone wants to be loved and everyone has dreams. So, treating all beings well because they all have yearnings just like me.

What are the strategies and techniques you use for everyday magic?

One of the techniques I learned that applies to this is whenever you talk to someone is surrounding them with love. They won’t even know that you are doing it, but you will notice that their demeanor changes, because you are putting out a different kind of energy.

I also have to do the work. My mother passed away this last year, and it was the greatest tragedy of my life. When the grief comes up, I let myself feel it as fully as I can because it’s going to rear its head anyway. Instead of trying to suppress it, I hold space for it and allow myself to be vulnerable.

Every time I try to tell myself that I should be in a better place, or I should be doing X. I try to remind myself that this is a very hard time and that I’ve gone through a lot. I try to be that friend to myself and tell myself that I’m already exactly who I need to be in this moment. By surrendering what I cannot change, I reconnect with my humanity. Really knowing what life is, is a way of choosing it.

Tips for success?

Whatever you’re trying to do in your profession, the most important thing is just doing the work - both the professional and the emotional. It’s about understanding what’s stopping you in your life from doing the things you want to do and how you want to do them. If it’s about finding your life’s passion, and I’m still in that journey.

If you put in the work, when that pinnacle moment or opportunity arrives, you will be ready for it.