CNN’s Bangkok-based Hunter Forgan did a thoughtful long-form piece on the economic and social prospects for my home island of Koh Phangan, Thailand this week. He and photographer Aidan Dockery stopped by my house for an extended afternoon feed. My dear Supansa Boonmatum whipped up a feast, which Hunter said was the best Thai meal he had had for weeks. Of course it was. 

Here is an excerpt, with my short quote. 

I launched Koh Phangan’s public forum Phangan Forum in February after getting 500 responses to a post.  On Earth Day, 22 April, 2021, we will hold our first program, a 3-hour event at Jaran’s.

We will use the TED format, all talks under 18 minutes, focused on one brilliant idea, artfully presented. A license application to TED for a TEDxKoh Phangan event in July is pending. 

The theme of the event is focused on Koh Phangan’s ecological future:

How do we help keep our gorgeous island protected, pristine, and unpolluted? What are the rich eco-initiatives deserving attention and support? How do we live a life contributing to rather than despoiling Phangan’s natural beauty? Who are the eco-heroes doing the work, and how might we participate?

For more on Phangan Forum, go to our Facebook page, 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/phanganforum

I will be moderating a panel with three Myanmar political activists at Karma Kafe in Srithanu, Koh Phangan Saturday night, March 6, at 8pm. I will share my experiences holding a “writeshop” with a social justice project in Yangon, and leading a tour of NGO initiatives in country with senior EU reporters (including forums on journalism and the rule of law), in conjunction with the European Journalism Centre. 

We will also host a presentation by the Amnesty International campaign leader for Myanmar. 

The event is being put on by the restaurant’s proprietor, Brogan Dinsdale, and Roxy Nagarwalla. 

Please join us! The event will conclude with specific ways to support the Myanmar community on the island and their efforts to restore democracy back home. 

I have been privileged to work with Aaron Wexler on his new book, a fascinating guide for young athletes seeking inspiration and a balanced life. While coaching Aaron, he started a podcast which has had marvelous success. Check it out. And thanks Aaron for the shoutout. The complete interview can be found on Shout Out LA. Here are excerpts.

Within The Game Podcast is all about learning about what tools others use to stay inspired, and how you can best relate the information back to your own life. For me, the work has been 2 fold: researching and learning about my guests to be best prepared for our episodes, as well as implementing what I learn from each guest into my own life. During this process, I have found that I am becoming more inspired in my own life, more creative, more focused, and I flat out am having more fun with my journey as a writer and business owner. Looking back on my journey, I am most proud of the relationships I have created and grown. I love connecting with other people, especially those who’s stories’ really inspire me. I am proud of knowing that I am making a positive impact on my community with the content I am putting out by sharing their stories. I am also proud of the questions my writing coach Brian Gruber and I came up with because they are truly unique & eccentric, especially for athletes, coaches, and entrepreneurs!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

I would like to dedicate my Shoutout to my writing coach, Brian Gruber (grubermedia.com)! I met Brian in Thailand at a yoga ashram, and after taking a creative writing workshop led by him, I signed up for his coaching services. Brian has been with me every step of the way in the writing process of my forthcoming book, as well as in the creation and structure of my podcast. I can’t thank him enough and highly recommend him for anyone looking for help with their own book or idea for a book! I would also like to give a shoutout to my team of editors Olley Thorpe & Garette Shaun of DAF Global (dafglobal.co.uk). Olley has been instrumental in helping me setup a vision for my podcast and coaching me through the nuts and bolts of its operations, and Garette is an absolute pro when it comes to editing.

My friend and coaching client Satyama Ratna Lasby is raising funds for the production and marketing of her new book. It is worth a look, and, hopefully, your support, Check out the project here. A short description:

The campaign is to fund the development, production, editing, marketing, distribution of life-long research on spiritual practice in the form of a book I have written to make the connection between practicing yoga and authentic tantric practice to heal the world. In this auspicious time of change, I need your help to make this happen and for more people to wake up to the potential that lies in ancient wisdom that can only be realized by the practitioner themselves.

The book, The Tao of Tantric Yoga is a provocative and direct account of the study, embodiment and leadership of BOTH yoga and tantra. The Tao, meaning “the way” is the way I have lived an intentional life based on love that have defined this alternative way, which I hope to share with the world. The study of meditation and intentional communities is strongly accounted for in the book, as are the principles of meditation. The book looks at life from the big picture, and through some real-life tantric lessons I account for, one can come to their own conclusions as to what makes life expansive, exciting, valuable and meaningful.

Before embarking on the Surmountable book project, I interviewed 25 community leaders, business owners, long-time residents, characters, and storytellers, both Thai and expat. With Surmountable about to launch, I have resumed the Koh Phangan interviews. 

The short-term intention is to get an oral history ebook up by mid-year 2021. And, then, a longer-form work for print and ebook by year-end. These things take the time they need to take, so those are tentative, though achievable timeframes. 

My first visit to the island was 10 years ago. I moved here full-time five years back. I hope to relate the magic dimensions of Phangan life. There are many stories to tell.

We are all storytellers. Imagining the world, then sharing our tales through the written and spoken word is our genetic heritage. Come join Writers of Koh Phangan each Tuesday night at Orion’s waterfront Beach Shala for an evening of communing, writing, and sharing. Every level of writing experience welcome, including non-native English speakers. We learn, we swap ideas, and we have a ball writing and sharing on a theme, from a prompt. Bring something to write on, then shuffle in to the shala next to the restaurant, grab a mat and a bolster or two, and leave with a new story.