I step on a plane bound for india in a few hours. I has been 13 years since I have been back. I absolutely can’t wait!

However, I am also not taking a laptop, and have no intentions of blogging during the 3 weeks I am there. Until then, check out the “best posts” listed on the right, peruse the archives, read some articles or take a look at some of the great content by my friends on the blogroll.

Have a great holiday! I look forward to talking with you all again when I return in the new year.

I’ve reclaimed my destiny! I’m gradually plugging myself back into the real world after my Date With Destiny experience. Having spent over six years at Microsoft, I’ve gone through a half-dozen personality tests, goal setting other skills assessment programs. Going into this seminar, I thought I knew myself, what drives me and my life goals pretty well.

I wasn’t sure to expect. I certainly didn’t think anything in my life was broken. I don’t have a crumbling marriage or strained relationship (I am in fact single). I am not in debt. I have a job (and a damn good one at that). I am living in a great place. I am in good physical health. I was mostly looking forward meeting other motivated people, and perhaps refining my life goals a bit.

I got much more than I bargained for.

The first day was about laying the groundwork for the next 6 days. It was total information overload. Tony Robbins drove the days activities, and pushed up hard from 1pm to well past midnight. We focused on learning the six human needs, and taking responsibility for whatever positive or negative things have happened to you in your life.

Gotta run now…we start at 9am today.

Got into Palm Springs without much trouble. Landed 15 minutes ahead of schedule, around 6pm. After checking into our suite (Residence Inn), I headed off to find some food. Turns out there is a great grocery store 1/2 away, with some killer salads, soups and fresh-made veggie and avocado sandwiches. Tons of vegan options, and yes, I ate a ton! The venue is only a mile away, totally walkable.

I also met my roommates: Steve, Peter, Pat and “B” (from Poland…not sure how to spell her name yet!). One other person should be joining us later.

Since Steve, Pat and B are doing special leadership training (and are crew-ing the event as volunteers), they have been here for two days already. They came back to the room for a quick dinner (all vegetarian!….tortillas with veggies, avocado and some cottage cheese), and then headed back to the venue at 9pm for many more hours of training! I am sure I will be fast asleep by the time they get home.

Tomorrow, I plan to go for a run in the morning and get some lifting in at the small workout gym in the hotel. Keeping fitness levels high while travelling is really really important, especially during a six-day seminar marathon. I’ll then head over to the venue to get checked in. Things start off tomorrow at 1pm.

Tomorrow I am off to Palm Springs, California for Tony Robbins’ “Date With Destiny” seminar. It will be six days of super intense training. I am taking my laptop, but judging from past experience….I can’t promise too much in the way of posting, but I will try to check in every day to let you know how things are going.

Tony will be there live…and word is he pushes everyone really hard….we’re talking 16 hours a day with just a couple breaks! I’ve got my backpack full of snacks (raw nuts and dried fruit) and some Vega bars and drink mix are stashed away as well.

This particular seminar is focused identifying life goals, determining what is keeping you from achieving those goals and then pushing through the barriers.

On another note, since I put off booking my hotel for the event until the last minute, things were booked solid. However, I ended up finding a spot in a condo where 5 other seminar attendees will be staying. They are all in Tony’s Leadership program, which means they have gone through the entire Mastery University program, special leadership training and are assisting as volunteers at the Date With Destiny event. Will definitely be fun to meet these folks and learn from them.

For the past three weeks I have been applying a technique that has had more impact of my physical, emotional and spiritual well-being than any other product, system or technique I have tried out in recent memory. It is incredibly simple. It is free. It doesn’t require any props or accoutrement’s. It doesn’t disturb or distract anybody. You can do it while doing other things. You don’t need any special abilities to start doing it. You don’t even need instructions. Oh, and did I mention it’s free? :)

In my own experience, this technique has had a profound effect on my quality of life. My endurance throughout the day has skyrocketed. I rarely become stressed, and when I do, it seems to pass over me like a gentle breeze. My ability to focus on things that are important to me has increased significantly. I am less easily distracted. Do the benefits really match the claims by the title of this post? Yes.

The winter-time is well known for family holiday’s, gift giving and getting, plenty of food….and of course….colds and the flu! Take a few precautions now, and your holiday season is bound to be more enjoyable.

This month, for your reading pleasure, is an essay by Dr. Raman-Caplan on how to stay well through the winter; complete with many tips and a great recipe that will surely keep you warm and healthy through the cold season! Dr. Raman-Caplan (my sister :)) is a Naturopathic Doctor in Portland, Oregon, and has experience and training in many aspects of holistic care; especially in Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of health and wellness.

Read on and enjoy!

I’ve been catching myself watching instead of doing.

Watching a DVD when I should be reading. Reading other people’s opinions about stuff when I should be writing my own opinions. Listening to music when I should be playing my own (or at least learning to play my own). Watching sports when I should be playing them. Talking to others about some great idea instead of actually acting on it. Spending time on Internet forums talking about health and fitness instead of actually working out. You see where I am going here.

I don’t think watching and learning from others is a bad thing, but I think the “doing” part of our body, mind and soul is just as much in need of care and feeding. If not more-so. Part of my goal in starting this blog was to provide an outlet for “doing” more and “watching” less. It has helped, but I still have a way to go.

I don’t know what the best “ratio” of watching to doing is, but I know that I am far askew. I would guesstimate that for every 3 hours of “watching,” I spend only 1 hour of “doing.” A 1/1 ratio would be much better.

In honor of World AIDS Day on December 1st, Bristol-Myers Squibb, the pharmaceutical monolith (that charges nearly $1000 for a 30-day supply of one of its HIV/AIDS medications), is donating $1 to the National AIDS Fund for each person who simply visits their website and “virtually lights a candle.”

Please, please take a minute to “light a candle”:

www.lighttounite.org

It’s completely free, quick, and painless. Then, after you light your candle, “pass it on” to your friends.