“Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.” Chinese Proverb I found this gem while researching another Chinese proverb for a book I am working on. And it resonated with me because it laid out how I have felt (for the most part) since I moved to Portugal. I am…
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Growing up outside of Boston, our American history classes touched on how cobblestone sidewalks and streets came to be. In the 1800s, cobblestones were used as ballast in ships coming from Europe. They were offloaded in American port cities, making room for the cargo that was being exported to Europe. The cobblestones were repurposed to…
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You’re close to the end; you’re finally about to finish writing your book. You can almost taste it. And then…Something weird happens. Maybe not to everyone… but to most people. You slow down. Your writing pace slows down. You get writers’ block. You endlessly tweak chapters that are done. There’s a reason for that: You’re…
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“But how do you make a living? Are you retired?” I wish I was retired! No. I’ll probably be working in some sense of the word until I keel over. I can only hope that I am enjoying it as thoroughly in twenty years as I am now. Truth be told, even in retirement I…
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If you don’t have to fake sincerity, you’ve got it made. –Ralph Lee Hopkins, Wildlife Photographer, Expedition Leader These words of wisdom were imparted many years ago on the stern of the MV Sea Lion, somewhere in the Sea of Cortez. I was working as Purser on a small expedition-style cruise ship (we had flush…
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I am back to my language CDs, learning European Portuguese, starting over at the beginning because it’s been so long since I have listened. Frankly, I don’t know if it’s possible to learn any language from recordings alone, but I have A PLAN! (If this is your first time here, I always have a PLAN.…
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This past week marked Portugal’s Dia de Liberdade (Freedom Day), which commemorates the April 25th 1974 military coup that toppled a 30 year dictatorship and brought democracy to the country. Many people here remember the times before the Carnation Revolution. It is recent history. Freedom is precious here; it is not taken for granted. Maybe…
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There are marketing strategies and then there are revenue generation tactics. (Learn about Direct and Indirect Revenue Generating Activities here.) When you need to bring cash into your business, you want to take as short and direct a route to the money as you can. Here are three fast revenue generation tactics that can work…
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Last week, many of the lockdown restrictions lifted in Portugal and, after almost three months of living here, I am catching a glimpse of the daily life I imagined when I decided to move abroad. There are still plenty of restrictions and precautions in place: Restaurants are only allowed to use outdoor seating, no more…
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