Ten years ago, my husband and I joined Dr. Jeff Salz, a cultural anthropologist, to explore the northwest quadrant of the Indian Himalayas.Our venerable guide and instructor was Ankit Sood.Ankit, founder of Sunshine Himalaya Expeditions, is a man whose business is to bring environmental and cultural awareness of the people and the ecology of that region.It was eye-opening, invigorating, and full of serendipity—including finding the Dalai Lama in a remote monastery.  

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Dateline: Octovalo, Ecuador  

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Years ago, cultural anthropologist, Dr. Jeff Salz, led us through an amazing adventure as we hiked the northwest quadrant of the Indian Himalayas. From traveling the highest “navigable” road in the world (you’ve got to be kidding), to encountering the Dalai Lama in the remote monastery of Naiko, to making it across three white water rivers on foot, to discovering an India that few see, we loved it all. Hence, we never hesitated when Jeff proposed a new adventure/inventure: “Come experience the cultures of Ecuador.

Through the next series of articles, join me on the resiliency insights I discovered in this last journey.

It began with the flight into Quito, a city perched at 10,000 feet in the Andes. Sprawling below us, lights stretched across the high mountain floor. A driver for Hacienda Jimenita met us in the dark night, taking us on a bumpy road to the gate of what, the next day, we discovered was a 6th generation hacienda. By morning, family members gathered to discuss their plans for the day while two French bull terriers snored on an antique sofa.

Lesson #1: When the world changes, change what you can but keep what you treasure.

We all know the saying that experiences are of more value than things. But some “things” keep the memories and the experiences alive.

In Hacienda Jimenita, photos abound of the families who lived in this wonderful house. The current residents point to Mama and Poppa, Abuela and Abuelo (grandparents), to baptism pictures and favorite horses. You sense the history and the work that continues to create an eco-resort just outside the bustling city of Quito.

Surely, it would have been easier in some respects to quit the ancient land, to give up building, repairing, and building again. It would have been easier to build up a large architectural practice (which at least one of the brother’s has) but then, who protects and safeguards the land?

The land…. Indeed perhaps an ultimate treasure. What will you hold on to?

My previous post began with the destruction of La Casa de Maria and the Center for Spiritual Renewal. For twenty years, I have made a self-pilgrimage to the top of El Cielo. It's a 4.3 mile hike from the Center to the ridge line (8.6 mile round trip) above Montecito. Now, it’ a fine of $5,000 for anyone who even enters the trail after the destruction.  

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This past January would have marked the 21st year to go La Casa de Maria and The Center for Spiritual Renewal, a blessed retreat house that for decades has offered silence and reflection—plus meals from their garden. Each year I go away to be quiet and in the quiet. I think, pray, write, and hike. The center crouches at the base of a mountain range towering over Montecito, CA and offers views of the distant Channel Islands.  

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A recent study published in the journal, Science shows that it does. Authors Soroush Vosoughi, Deb Roy, and Sinan Aral studied 126,000 twitter chains involving three million people. What they found was that falsehoods were 70% more likely to be retweeted than factual information. 

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I recently found this article which I wrote eight years ago. It struck me that the insights are timeless. Enjoy!  

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Perhaps you remember this modern-day hero: In 2009, Captain “Sully” Sullenberger made a water landing of US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River off Manhattan after the plane was disabled by striking a flock of Canada geese immediately after takeoff; all 155 people aboard survived. The survival of all people was remarkable in aviation history.  

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Resilient people are best able to deal with the demands placed on them, to “roll with the punches” and to cope under pressure. We all know the paradox of “too much to do and too little time”. When coupled with constant changes, looming deadlines, masses of email, and juggling a life outside of work, resiliency might seem like a “when-you-wish-upon-a-star” phenomenon. 

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