Category Archives: Articles

Articles, Change, Inspiration, Life Path, Purpose

Expressing Gratitude, Embracing Uncertainty & Seizing the Day: Reflections on My Birthday

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(Photo Copyright Terrah Lozano, ‘Sand Dune’ Jericoacoara, Brazil)

Expressing Gratitude

I am grateful for everything that has come into my life during these 27 years on this earth. Everything that has happened to me has shaped me into the person I have become and am becoming.

I am grateful to my wife, family, friends, and experiences.

And, most of all, I am grateful to becoming more aware of embracing uncertainty in life to be able to live my life as completely as I can. As Jack Canfield said in The Secret, “Imagine yourself driving from LA to NY at night. How would you do it? You would have your lights on and the road would be unfolding 200 yards at a time.”

Photo Copyright Terrah Lozano, 'Road to Jeri' Jericoacoara, Brazil
Photo Copyright Terrah Lozano, 'Road to Jeri' Jericoacoara, Brazil

Embracing Uncertainty

Let’s think about this. You only see a small portion of the road for every 200 yards. You can’t see the entire way. So, at each 200 yards, you have to re-assess the situation. You have to see if there is ice up ahead, roadblocks, traffic stops, is your exit coming soon? Sometimes we all plan this down to the smallest detail. But sometimes it’s more enjoyable to just embrace uncertainty and allow things to pop up in life.

If you had asked me a few months back if I was going to be a writer/blogger, I wouldn’t have known.  I honestly didn’t know a whole lot about blogging and becoming a writer was something I saw in the far future.

The path that led us to this juncture in our lives, to this blog and many other things, came from embarking on a spiritual quest and following our intuition.

A Story:

A few months ago my wife Terrah and I decided to make some changes in our lives and moved apartments. Shortly after our move was completed, Terrah got sick (which is unusual for her) and this slowed us down from working on what we had pre-determined were our plans. When she got sick, we took the signal to mean that the universe, God, Budda, Allah, Rah, Krishna, Higher Power (whatever you call it) had grander plans than we did for our lives.

The universe led us to the next feeling that acting on our original plans didn’t feel right with our Being, our gut, or our instincts (whatever you want to call it). So, I felt the need to read more about intention and manifesting in our lives.

This signal led me to finding and subsequently reading Wayne Dyer’s The Power of Intention. Subsequently finding this book after feeling this intuition could merely be called a coincidence. I don’t believe it was a coincidence because I believe everything happens for a reason. (And if you are reading this now and something pops out at you, will you take it as a coincidence and brush it off like Scrooge and say, “Bah Hum Bug”? or will you embrace your intuition and act?)

Anyhow, long story short, by embracing uncertainty and intuition and ACTING upon those feelings, the path of reading Power of Intention took me to discovering blogging. A series of seeming coincidences collided to produce the manifestation of my passions through writing and helping people.

For taking these steps, I am happier and more fulfilled doing what I love. Continue reading Expressing Gratitude, Embracing Uncertainty & Seizing the Day: Reflections on My Birthday →

Articles, Change, Inspiration, Philanthropy, Travel

13 Life Lessons Learned from My i-to-i Travel Experience

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(Photo: Brazilian Favela Recife, Brazil)

In this article, I provide some insights in the form of life lessons I learned from my travel experiences. Travel to me is a vital component of living a fulfilling life experiencing the world.

You probably know someone who has spoken about having a travel experience. It might be you, it might be your son or daughter, or someone else close to you. I hope through writing about my experience it enables you to approach this conversation from a different view.

If you are hesitant and afraid of allowing yourself or your loved ones to travel, please be open to obtain a new perspective of the life experience you or they could gain from it. The hesitations and fears will never be eliminated, but through proper research and education, I hope that you are able to contain them. One such program that I utilized that may help contain your fears was i-to-i.

A little background information…

During my junior year of college, I did a 6-month study abroad program in Europe where I was based in Rotterdam, Holland. When not studying, I would travel and spend my time in several countries including Ireland, England, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Spain, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Turkey, Denmark, and Holland. I thoroughly enjoyed the unique cultures of each of these countries and it was then that I came down with the ‘travel bug.’

Everyone should have an experience like this in their lifetime, especially while in college. It should actually be a required experience because it is a real eye opener to look at your life from a different, outside view perspective.

You re-think everything and learn to follow your heart. This is a great characteristic to have while going through life. This study abroad experience, for me, was the start of a never ending travel bug that, like many others with similar experiences, will never go away (thankfully).

After my initial study abroad experience, I completed several more trips including going back to Turkey and visiting Mexico.  However, after all this, I wanted a unique experience.  I came across the prospect of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) and a company that offered a quick way for me to get this certification by doing my training online. This company was i-to-i.

Photo Copyright Terrah Lozano Salvador Brazil
Photo Copyright Terrah Lozano 'Sarong of a Brazilian Flag' Salvador, Brazil

Through i-to-i, I immediately completed all the requirements including TEFL certification, several inoculations, visa work, red cross CPR training and many other travel related tasks. (Seem a bit overwhelming? Don’t worry because i-to-i
provided a checklist depending on the country and program you chose to get it all done.) I then decided to enroll in one of the volunteer programs offered through i-to-i.

In late summer of 2004, I was off to Brazil for an 8-week volunteer experience teaching English to Brazilian teenagers. I had also scheduled in an extra few months of solitary travel afterwards (which I recommend for you as well) in which I traveled around the vast country of Brazil visiting its towns including Olinda, Jericoaracoara, Recife, Joao Pessoa, Salvador, Lencois, Ilheus, Rio De Janeiro, and many others along the way.

Like all travels, my experience in Brazil led to many unexpected turns including discovering a favela (a Brazilian slum) in which the community lived and thrived on a landfill. I was able to visit this community as a side project each week to visit the children and bring food. These experiences were incredibly humbling and can never be replaced.

Now, here are 13 life lessons I gained from my i-to-i travel experience:

  1. Walking away from your daily life gives you an opportunity to really find who you are and what your passions truly are.
    • I have the opportunity to get to know something new about myself each time I travel. When you are experiencing something new you see yourself in a new light. You enjoy things you maybe never saw yourself enjoying and this is how you find your passions. You are able to look inward and find yourself.
  2. Being away from the modern conveniences of the first world and the routines of home take you away from your comfort zone. Continue reading 13 Life Lessons Learned from My i-to-i Travel Experience →
Articles, Friendship, Love, Philosophy, Relationships

A Love Story and Philosophy on Balancing Love and Friendship

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(Photo Copyright Terrah Lozano – New Mexico, USA)

“Indeed, love is only truly manifest when expressed through the medium of friendship.”- Andrew Sullivan in Love Undetectable

This quote is something I actually wrote in one of my first emails to Terrah after we first met. I’ll come back to it later.

Here’s the story…

I was coming out of my business course in college and she was canvassing for Greenpeace just outside the entry.

She stopped me to try to pitch me on the issue so I would donate.

I stopped because I thought she was attractive. Continue reading A Love Story and Philosophy on Balancing Love and Friendship →

Articles, Inspiration, Philosophy

Waking Up to Life – A Philosophy of Life

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(Photo Copyright Elliot Lozano – Riviera Maya, Mexico)

“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” – John Lennon

When it all boils down to it, we are all trying to attract or intend something (or many things) into our lives, whether it is a job, more money, a better relationship, happiness or any other desire of life. The list goes on and on and is individual to each of us. We all just want to be happy and fulfilled. The definition of happiness and fulfillment is in itself unique to each of us and gives life meaning.

For us, we have gone down the path towards fulfillment. We have had lots of great fun and enjoyment traveling, spending time with friends and family, endeavoring in many business opportunities, and seeking spiritual enlightenment. All of this has led to us waking up to life and creating a philosophy of life. Continue reading Waking Up to Life – A Philosophy of Life →

Articles, Happiness, Inspiration, Purpose

What Will Your Last Words Be?

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(Photo Copyright Terrah Lozano – Jericoacoara, Brazil )

After living a miserable life, Ivan Ilyich’s, the main character from Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich, last words on his deathbed were, “What if my whole life has been wrong?” (Ours will be, “That was a hell of a ride!”)

No one wants to think of themselves saying these profound words on their deathbeds.

Why, then, do so many people choose to live mediocre lives ultimately leaving themselves open for such a harsh end?

We believe it lies largely upon a person’s inability to grow and develop and push their lives to the maximum for their own sake, for their own unique purpose. It is important for finding your life purpose before your dying words because we can all make a difference.

Most people are not living up to their true potential. Most people have given up. Most people have not accomplished the things in their life that are important to them (or are at least going after them).

We provide ideas that will help you along your life path. Continue reading What Will Your Last Words Be? →