work life balance

Your Own Dolce Vita

Posted by John Ballew on Aug 19, 2012 in Blog, midlife, retreats and workshops, work life balance | 0 comments

I’m very happy to let you know about Your Own Dolce Vita, a retreat for gay men in Tuscany June 1-8, 2013.

Your Own Dolce Vita is a different way of experiencing Italy.  We’re about slowing down, enjoying life and exploring with a group of like-minded gay men.  The pace is designed to help men recharge their batteries – but just as important, to inspire them to bring the good life home with them after their time away.

Produced in cooperation with Il Chiostro (www.ilchiostro.com), this week will balance seeing Tuscany, light self-exploration and time to relax around the 18^th century villa’s pool overlooking a picturesque valley.  We’ll have a private chef; sharing an evening of good food, good wine and good conversation is a key part of our time together.

The handsomely restored villa – located about 17 km outside of Cortona – is the perfect spot to relax and get away from it all.  The rural setting is tranquil and beautiful.  Comfortable guest rooms have private baths.

During part of the day we will take time for some light meditation, getting to know one another and sharing what makes for a great life.  We’ll visit Montalcino, Assisi and other beautiful places, returning home for a glass of wine overlooking the valley and sharing dinner together.

Men who have travelled to Italy before will find this an opportunity to see a side of Italy most tourists rush right past.  Those who haven’t traveled abroad before will find that the format provides plenty of support to make Italy comfortable – and to make friends along the way.

I know that many of us are stressed by the demands of work and daily life.  This is my 11^th year offering retreats for gay men in Italy.  The program helps men to experience Italy as travelers rather than tourists.  Instead of simply checking sites and attractions off a must-see list, we’ll go more deeply into the good life in the picture-perfect Tuscan countryside.

My Own Dolce Vita is limited to 8 to 12 participants.  For more information go to www.gaydolcevita.com or email me.

A simple cheat sheet for career choices

Posted by John Ballew on Mar 14, 2012 in Emotional health, work life balance | 0 comments

Making career choices is tough.  We get caught in what psychotherapists call “approach-avoidance conflict.”  We move toward making a change out of hope things will get better (approach); but we fear making a mistake, or jumping from the frying pan into the proverbial fire (avoidance).  Small wonder many of us remain stuck until someone makes the decision for us.

Sarah Peck has come up with a simple way of thinking through the decision that I think is brilliant.  When you’ve already done the work of investigating some options and collecting information, this way of looking at things helps you check your gut and clarify your values.

For more information, check out Peck’s blog.