A first-generation Turkmen immigrant’s story of belonging — I come from a lineage of pastoral Turkmen nomads that lived throughout much of Central Asia, spanning to the west as far as the Balkans and as far east as Xinjiang. In constant movement and flow with the seasons and the needs of their livestock, my ancestors lived in this…

Lessons on the path of love — Would you believe me if I told you I fell in love three times in the last twelve months? I did. With three completely different men. The pirate was a wild card. The poet spoke to my soul. …

The medicine of death and rebirth — Christmas Eve was a powerful portal of death and rebirth for me. I woke up around sunrise that morning, as I am prone to do. I went to open the door to my balcony, as I do every morning before I sit in silence, in quiet meditation. And that’s when…

A revolution of the heart — What is happening in Iran is not a fluke or an oddity. It is not an anomaly due to location, religion, culture or politics. It is representative of a collective shift that is happening all over the world. It heralds a time that asks us to wake up from this…

Keys to creating a successful life — How we think about our success determines how we experience success. For me, success is a feeling of being deeply supported on my path. Supported by community and authentic relationships. Supported by meaningful work that inspires me to devote myself to service for the greater good. And supported by a…

Overcoming ambivalence in devotion to a future unknown They say every ending is a new beginning. But they don’t mention the in-between spaces. The long pauses. The deep gestation. The space accessed through clarity but filled with yet more confusion. The destination not yet quite clear. I know what I must do and yet I know not how…

It is time to move beyond performative diversity, equity and inclusion — A few weekends ago I was honored by being invited to support the facilitation of a transformational training for a diverse group of people from all walks of life and representing all parts of the world. The common denominator between us all? We all identify as being minorities — immigrants…

And other true stories about The One — This week I made new friends. With a beautiful couple I met at the beach. They are snowbirds from Quebec, spending their winters on the sunny Florida coast. They are lovebirds, a couple still madly in love and in discovery of each other after thirty years of being together. Witnessing…

Musings of a generational cycle breaker — In the early 1990’s, when I was maybe six years old, I attended a Turkmen wedding in a small village on the outskirts of Ashgabat, the capital where I was born and raised. My large extended family and I were gathered to witness and celebrate a nikah — a simple…