Strive with Heart

Philly: Tourist in my Own City

Philly: Tourist in my Own City

There were some silver linings this past year. It forced me to slow down and stay close to home. By doing so, I discovered how walkable my city is. With each step, I became even more grateful to live in a section of Philadelphia that is historic and beautiful, especially this time of the year. As I became a tourist in my own city, I started to notice things I would otherwise not see and find meaning in the simple and ordinary. I’ve come to see the cityscape as a giant scrapbook – a mosaic of human creativity and…

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Count the ways to be kind

Count the ways to be kind

I am taking a break from a work-week that has been stressful. I’m imagining urgent emails that need to be answered and doing my best to resist the urge to take a peek in my mailbox. Instead, I went for a long walk while listening to music before switching to a podcast. It’s spring time and a gorgeous season to be in Philly. I noticed more tourists milling around Independence Hall or standing in line to see the Liberty Bell. Away from the crowd, the colonial garden in  Society Hill was serene except for the cheerful sound of chirping…

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Thoughts on Sustainable Fashion

Thoughts on Sustainable Fashion

I have been thinking about sustainable fashion and what it means to me. It was a couple of years ago when I first saw “The True Cost” on Netflix. It was a documentary film that focuses on fast fashion – from how it is produced and its environmental, social, and psychological impact.  Before then, I had little idea that the fashion industry is one of the major polluting industries in the world. Extensive environmental damage is taking place in countries where garments are produced: the soil is poisoned with pesticides used to grow genetically modified cotton crops and the…

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A Life Centered Around Social Distancing

A Life Centered Around Social Distancing

These are strange and unsettling times and another testament to how life as we know it could change in a second. It was just a few weeks ago when I was still traveling for work and busy making plans for several big events that were scheduled to take place this Spring. It was not too long ago when an invisible enemy – a virus called COVID-19 – seemed like a vague and distant possibility. A cascade of events quickly signaled that “normal life” was about to change. Colleagues who were gearing up for domestic and international trips were grounded.…

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Wellness is the New Luxury

Wellness is the New Luxury

“Luxury … is to go to SoulCycle and treat yourself to an avocado toast, instead of going to buy those new Gucci loafers,” Owens said. A pair of shoes that you can share on social media once or twice doesn’t have the legs that it once did. The new luxury is convenience, culture, wellness, and sustainability.” – Philly.com I’m home in front of my laptop still feeling high from my hour and a half walk/run along Penn’s Landing.  It feels so good to move my body and put in my steps first thing in the morning.  My watch tells…

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Project Wellness: Walk, Run, or simply Move!

Project Wellness: Walk, Run, or simply Move!

Happy Weekend, friends!  Those of us in Philadelphia woke up on Saturday morning to the beginning of a beautiful weekend.  Mother nature finally gave us a nice respite from the heat wave that dominated most of last week.  This morning, lured by the mild temperature and gentle sunshine, I decided to go outdoors for a walk/run along the Delaware River. I realize that it has been so long since my last entry on my project weight loss.  Truth is, there is nothing new to report.  The journey continues, so to speak, and lately my focus have been on: shifting…

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Getting Back On Track

Getting Back On Track

With lots of good southern food eating this past week which was topped off with a generous serving of cookie dough ice cream from Philly Flavors last night, clean/ healthy/ super food eating is on my mind today. For most of us, it’s so easy to get off track with healthy eating when on the road, on vacation, or at a celebration. It’s just as easy to wallow in guilt in the aftermath of an ice cream indulgence and a headache hangover to go along with it. But enjoying and immersing one’s self in the experience – can’t and…

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