I'm back!

I returned from my trip to the middle east 2 weeks ago but it's taken me that long to get my head back into my normal life, so I apologize for the long break in blogging!

So you must be curious how it was, right? It was WONDERFUL.

Let's just start with the amazing scenery:

Then there were the amazing lessons I learned.  I will elaborate further but here's the preliminary list for now:

1. Let go of judgments.  Rarely are they accurate or useful.
2. Let go of the past.  You don't need to perfect your mistakes or reconcile all your regrets.  The future is what matters. Focus on that.  
3. Embrace change.  Change is not easy but it is, more often than not, good for the soul.
4. Be thankful everyday.  You don't need to compare yourself to someone else who has less or is in a more difficult situation, to appreciate your life.  Choose to appreciate your life and choose not to dwell in the negative. 
5. Plan but live every moment diligently.  Plans are great, but they only get you so far.  You don't attain respect or a sense of accomplishment from what you plan to do, but rather, what you actually get done. 

More to come...