Travel & Places
From Aruba to My Kitchen: Homemade Stroopwafels, Gratitude, and Slowing Down
A first-time attempt at homemade stroopwafels inspired by Aruba, with reflections on gratitude, coffee, process, and slowing down into 2026.
Read MoreReturning to Center — The Quiet Strength You Build Midweek
A reflection on drifting through the week, circling like Chevy Chase in European Vacation, and learning that strength isn’t avoiding detours — it’s returning to center. This is about rhythm, direction, and the quiet work of choosing yourself again.
Read MoreFinding My Way Back — One U-Turn at a Time
Some weeks feel like driving Highway 1 with no GPS — full of wrong turns, circles, and unexpected detours. This is a reflection on drifting off course, making U-turns, and finding clarity again by midweek.
Read MoreRebuilding Rhythm — The Work No One Sees
There’s a moment after every storm when the world goes quiet. Not silent, just quiet enough to hear yourself again. And it’s in that space where the real work begins. Most people think purpose arrives like inspiration, sudden, loud, obvious. But the truth is, purpose gets rebuilt slowly, quietly, rhythmically… in the routines no one…
Read MoreThrough the Window — Finding Perspective When You’re Grounded
Maybe being grounded isn’t a setback — maybe it’s how life teaches us to look out the window again. A reflection on patience, connection, and finding purpose when life slows you down.
Read MoreThe Inside Job — Rediscovering Purpose
Sometimes purpose isn’t found in the storm; it’s found in the stillness that follows, when we stop trying to control the outcome and start learning to wait. After every storm, there’s quiet, and that’s where the real work begins. We talk about finding purpose as if it’s hidden somewhere out there: in a job, a…
Read MoreCalm in the Chaos — The Art of Stillness While Moving Fast
In a world that never slows down, true strength lies in stillness. Inspired by Aruba’s rare calm, this piece explores finding peace and focus amid life’s chaos.
Read MoreThe Great Hub Shuffle: Why Every Flight Goes Through Atlanta
Flying through Atlanta again? Here’s a look at how airline hub systems like Delta’s have reshaped modern travel, why direct flights are vanishing, and why the airport lounge has become our last refuge in the skies.
Read MoreStaying Human in the AI Age – Yognation Podcast
What an honor it was to be invited onto Yognation: The Spirit of Gratitude to talk about something that has shaped every part of my life—gratitude. I’ve been a fan of Yogesh’s show for a while, and he told me he’s been following my posts on LinkedIn and michaelearls.com. That connection made this conversation even…
Read MoreRemembering 9/11: Lessons Passed Down
It’s hard to imagine how much time has passed. My daughters, Sydney, now 20, and Olivia, 24, grew up with stories of a day they were too young to remember, but a day that has forever shaped all of us. Olivia was born just 11 days before the September 11, 2001, attacks. We were at…
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