With this gloomy weather here in New York, it’s extremely hard to believe that spring is in the air! However, Pascha will be coming in a few days and hopefully with it the rebirth of nature, because I don’t think we can take any more winter!

All the best to you this beautiful season! Take a pause and celebrate with family and friends, let yourself loose and try to not let worries of money and work to keep your spirits low. If necessary have an extra drink and take into consideration that hardship is what makes people worthy! OK, I’m joking, but I’m trying to be positive for your own sake, I want to make you feel better, that’s why I became …inspirational. But let’s be realistic: problems of all sorts are here to stay, it’s we that either deal with them properly or …they (problems) deal with us their way!

But, enough with all that already, time to change subject and go to something really …inspirational. After an evening soaking up the glamour and glitz of the American Hellenic Council’s Annual Gala, held at the OMNI Hotel in Los Angeles, CA, Stephanie Anton Vlahakis, Toula Georgakopoulos, Executive Director and Director of Operations respectively, at the National Hellenic Museum of Chicago, Ilca Moschos, I and our West Coast Desk Director Joanna Xipa were invited by this year’s Aristeio Award in Business recipient, Mr. Van Vlahakis, the CEO & Owner of Earth Friendly Products, for an afternoon of fun in the sun, enjoying a boat ride along the man-made inlets of Long Beach.

The sun was shining bright and the sea-breeze was keeping us cool while taking in the scenic ride along the harbor with the many seals dwelling there. It was interesting to see how these creatures live in harmony basking in the sun, alongside the massive oil-drilling platforms that line the harbor. Yet somehow, appropriately enough, environmentally conscious people such as Mr. Vlahakis, have been leading by example with ways to enjoy these simple pleasures in life while drastically reducing our carbon footprints on this Earth.

After docking at his home in Huntington Harbor we took the environmentally friendly tour of Mr. Vlahakis’ home. We were especially impressed that the solar panels on his rooftop generate enough electricity to ‘sell back’ to SoCal Edison, at the end of the day! With business leaders like that in our community, we can all learn beyond the traditional work-ethic that if we all put our minds to it, all the impossible can be possible!