Kazbegi, The Gate to the Caucasus Mountains

Mike

Just 2.5 hours from Tbilisi, the little town of Kazbegi near mountain Kazbek was our next destination. After two days in Tbilisi we were eager to see the mountains and so on Monday morning we packed our bags and made our way to the subway. Traveling in Georgia on your own is pretty easy – the public transport is both cheap and well developed. If you stay in the center of Tbilisi, the subway is always minutes away, and it takes you to Didube station, where marshrutkas can take you to any part of the country. Continue reading “Kazbegi, The Gate to the Caucasus Mountains”

5 Things I Want To Say To My Future Child

Mike4 Comments

What do you believe in? There is never a more crucial time to understand this than when you think about your future child.

Bellow layers of disjointed opinions, personal life lessons and amusing anecdotes, realizing what is your life philosophy is crucial if you are to have kids. If you are honest with yourself, you’ll strive to raise your child with this philosophy in mind. Philosophy he will chew on, wrestle with and undoubtedly discard. But not before being affected by it.

At 32, it’s about time I wrote to you, my future child. Continue reading “5 Things I Want To Say To My Future Child”

Dependence, Independence and Beyond: 2 Ways To Get Stuck in Life and How to Unstuck

Mike4 Comments

“I have never felt so free” a friend told me recently. He went on to describe how liberating it was for him to live by himself, without obligations, debts or commitments to others. In his early 30’s, with parents distanced from his life, with no concrete obligations to his long-time partner, with fulfilling work where he is in his element, he basically proclaimed his independence. And that made me think. Continue reading “Dependence, Independence and Beyond: 2 Ways To Get Stuck in Life and How to Unstuck”

Top 4 Media Cliches about the Israeli–Palestinian Conflict

Mike3 Comments

How many times you read media reports about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, hoping to understand something, but always coming up empty-handed? You aren’t alone.

A week ago, the eyes of the media turned to the latest military escalation between Israel and Hamas. Beside the regular reports of the death toll and the reaction of the world, the more serious journalists tried to explain the conflict beyond the current event. Unfortunately, it’s too complex for the casual commentator, so often such analysis has resorted to rehashing of shallow arguments, and “neutral” points of view that neither take sides nor promote any real understanding. So here are the most popular media cliches about the conflict: Continue reading “Top 4 Media Cliches about the Israeli–Palestinian Conflict”

Echoes From My Tribe – Story of Intermarriage In Israel

Mike6 Comments

My parents always wanted me to marry a Jewish woman. So when they found out that I’m getting serious with someone who isn’t Jewish, they were quite upset. I tried to understand their point of view, but was struggling to do so. I knew that their objection wasn’t religious – having lived all their life in atheist Soviet Russia, they are distinctly (but typically of their generation) secular people, and immigration to Israel didn’t really change that. So what was it that made it so difficult for them to accept? Aside from the usual caution we keep for strangers who don’t fit into our familiar world, there was something that disturbed them on a much deeper level. The answer lied in their past. Continue reading “Echoes From My Tribe – Story of Intermarriage In Israel”

How Do You Know You Are Ready for Marriage?

Mike2 Comments

The question of “being ready for marriage” can’t be detached from the question of the partner. You can be ready for marriage only with the right partner. Otherwise, the question is void of meaning.

Also, I don’t think it’s helpful to approach a question of marriage with the mindset “I’m looking for a person to be with to the rest of my life”. This sets you up for unreasonable expectations.

So I’m transforming the question, into “having a serious partner, how do I know if I should marry him/her?” Continue reading “How Do You Know You Are Ready for Marriage?”

2 Common Mistakes in Choosing a Life Partner

Mike6 Comments

Choosing a life  partner isn’t easy, is it? Emotions, expectations, unconscious patterns, memories from previous relationships – an endless choir of voices, telling us what to do, contradicting each other of course. So where can we get the clarity needed to make the right choice concerning our life partner? Let’s discuss two common mistakes, and a simple perspective that might help. Continue reading “2 Common Mistakes in Choosing a Life Partner”

emotional generosity deficit

Are We Suffering From Generosity Deficit?

Mike14 Comments

Have you ever made something creative, something you put your soul into, only to get cold indifference from your friends? Have you ever shared something very personal and significant, only to receive deafening silence? Have you ever ventured into something new, maybe recklessly, but courageously, only to receive trivial advice, instead of the much needed emotional support and understanding? Continue reading “Are We Suffering From Generosity Deficit?”

past, present and future man

3 Ways To Live Your Life – Which One Is Yours?

Mike17 Comments

When was the last time you had a vision? Mine occurred when I was on a plane, watching the clouds drift below me.

A Boeing 747 is making its way through the evening skies thirty thousand feet above the ground, and I see three men.  Too busy with their lives they can’t see me, but I see them. I feel I know them, we are long-time friends. One is clearly a man of the past, the second of the present. Now the third one – he is a mystery.  I want to get to know him better. Continue reading “3 Ways To Live Your Life – Which One Is Yours?”

look inside

Where Does Lasting Change Come From?

Mike4 Comments

My friend has just finished an army service. After serving for several years, she is getting discharged, and starting a new phase in her life. When toasting her, I mentioned something about taking the time “to look inside” and not to rush to a new venture too soon. Since noisy Russian night-club isn’t the best place to have this kind of conversations, I thought of taking it here. Continue reading “Where Does Lasting Change Come From?”