Lessons from a mountaintop: Lesson 1

This past month, I took a much-needed 21-day sabbatical.
Over the next month, I’ll be sharing 21 lessons I learned during that time. 

This summer, my family and I traveled to Greece — to the Peloponnese, where my father is from. We stayed in a small, mountain village I visited often as a young girl. It's a place that feels like home in a deep and sacred way.


We spent three weeks in Greece traveling through the mainland (with a quick stop in Paris) retreating from work stress, family health challenges, and the daily grind. What started as a vacation became something much more: a time to rest, heal, be still, learn, grow, and dream.


Lesson 1: Protect Your Peace


Why is it so important to carve out time to hear ourselves think?


We all know the answer — yet so often, we don't actually make the space. We think we're resting, but really, we're just doing what society tells us is relaxing.
Ever stress in traffic on the way to yoga? Rush to a massage appointment? Cut a peaceful lunch short to make your next meeting?


Weren’t those moments supposed to relax us?
Maybe we’re trying too hard to “do” rest — when true rest comes from simply being.


Turning off your phone and taking a walk, or collapsing on the couch for a nap, can be just as restorative as any spa day. You don’t need a mountaintop to clear your head — though I won’t lie, it helps.


Studies show it takes 8–9 days to fully shift gears and allow our minds and bodies to settle. So yes, the case for a mini-sabbatical is real. But peace is something you can create right where you are.


For me, it often takes removing everything off my plate temporarily— to see what truly matters, then slowly add back the essentials: what aligns with my values, my energy, and my purpose.


Sometimes that reset is 30 minutes, a weekend, or it can be 21 days in a new place.


But the goal is the same: to make space for stillness, to hear what God is saying, to recalibrate toward what matters most.


Our culture is designed to keep us constantly stimulated to the point where we can’t even hear our own thoughts.


What is your gold?
What drives you?
What do you value the most?
Where can you find stillness?


That stillness fuels everything: my creativity, leadership, resilience, and clarity.
It's also why I created Remote & Retreat: Greece — a leadership program for founders, CEOs, and executives who lead at high levels and need intentional space to disconnect, recharge, and return stronger.


Real transformation doesn’t happen in the rush of everyday life. It happens when you step away — to rest, to dream, to see a new path forward.


Challenge:
Find a space outside of your norm—a quieter spot (whether it’s a transatlantic retreat or a local corner of calm). Challenge yourself to find peaceful moments where you can fully relax. Whether that’s one hour, one day, or one week--take the break. Build the pause, and come back stronger.

If you need help walking that path, solving challenges, or leveling-up

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