Reflections

Ignite the Lamps of Liberty

Ignite the Lamp of Liberty

"Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves; and, under a just God, cannot long retain it." - Abraham Lincoln When I was in fourth grade, my teacher taught our class about Martin Luther King, Jr. and the civil rights movement. I can still

golden rule - winding path through autumn forest

The Golden Rule Is Still Golden

One of the first lessons I learned as a toddler also happens to be one of the most important lesson I’ve learned to this day. I was about four years old, and my mom sat me down on the edge of the bed one evening

this is what democracy looks like

This is What Democracy Looks Like

Last night, I took perhaps the most unique plane trip of my life, from Jacksonville, Florida to Washington, DC. For one, it was the most energetic and enthusiastic bunch of passengers I’ve ever encountered, but beyond the energy level, 90 of the 100 or so

New York Yellow Cab

Make America Grateful Again

One of the most transformative moments of my life took place during a 20 minute taxi ride in New York City. It was around 2003, and I had been a Yellow Cab driver for about a year and a half. At that time, I had

quote about service to country from Mitt Romney

In Service to Our Country

When I was 26 years old and living in New York City, I signed up for the Marines. On 9/11, I had stood on the rooftop of my building in Brooklyn and watched the World Trade Center collapse, the target of an act of blind

karma endless knot

What Seeds Are You Planting?

"If you plant a potato, we would never expect that a rose will bloom, it will always be a potato. If you want roses, you must plant roses." ~ Mingyur Rinpoche   Most days, one of the first things I do when I wake up is to read

MAT (Manu-Tambopata) Biological Corridor

New Vision, People Skills, Patience, and Danger in the Wild West

These past several weeks have been packed with action and constant movement, as I’ve traveled around the region filming videos of the champions of the sustainable livelihoods initiative here in the Peruvian Amazon. Here are some key lessons and insights, including a change in the

banana harvest at Sr Wenceslau's agroforestry farm

Agroforestry and Cacao: Update from First Week of Production

I’ve been largely disconnected from the internet for the past couple of weeks, which has, of course, both benefits as well as drawbacks. One of the benefits is providing some time to write, reflect, and process what’s in front of me, rather than constantly chasing

street art in the Manu-Tambopata Corridor, with moto taxi

Challenges on the Road to the Corridor

Tomorrow morning, the adventure fully begins. After months of anticipation and preparation, I'll be trekking out into the Amazon with a crew of local conservationists to shoot a series of videos about sustainable livelihoods in the Manu-Tambopata conservation corridor. The path to achieving worthwhile goals is