I recently returned from Las Vegas, Nevada, where I had been invited to speak on a panel, "Is Reorganization of the State the Answer to the Greek Crisis?" at an international conference for public administrators. Because of my longstanding work in both the fields of innovation and meaning I decided...

We bet most readers recall the 2002 sleeper hit film, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," written by and starring Nia Vardalos. The movie centered on Fotoula "Toula" Portokalou, a middle-class Greek American woman going through an early mid-life crisis because she had not yet married. As the story goes, Toula...

One evening in Greece, over mezedes (appetizers) and, of course, red wine, we got into a conversation with several friends about the meaning of forgiveness and its effect on our attitude toward life (the "A" in The OPA! Way), lifestyle and overall state of well-being. After much-spirited conversation,...

"The Spartans do not ask how many are the enemy but where are they."
--King Agis of Sparta, as quoted in Plutarch's Sayings of Spartans<

One of our dear friends and Santa Fe neighbors passed on this past week. Fellow Greek American, Nicholas Charles Nickeas, or "Nick...

In one of the most memorable and meaningful scenes from the Academy Award-winning movie, Zorba the Greek, the title character, Alexis Zorba, (played by Anthony Quinn), is asked by his uptight, existentially-challenged boss, Basil (played by Alan Bates) to teach him how to dance after their mining venture literally collapses...

Every September 15th is OPA! Day.

As we thought about the Irish having an international holiday marking St. Patrick's Day on March 17th, we asked ourselves: "what day do we celebrate all the contributions of the Greek culture?" Yes, there's Independence Day on March 25th marking the day that...

Retirement is a hot topic these days in just about every country! It is interesting to note that the idea of retirement as we now know it is of recent origin; it was only introduced during the 19th century. Maybe it's now time to reconsider our thoughts about retirement given...

It was a typical sunny day on the island of Crete, Greece. Just on the outskirts of the small village of Thronos (θρόνος), a father, Lambros, and his young son, Andreas, stop to admire the breathtaking view. Before them lay the majestic peak of Crete's tallest mountain, Mt. Psiloritis (Ψηλορείτης...

Last week on HuffPost we mentioned that we had recently conducted some impromptu "jaywalking" interviews -- similar to those that you've probably seen onThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno-- to find out more about what people know about all things Greek, especially the many contributions that Greece and Greeks have...

Dr. Alex Pattakos co-wrote this piece with his partner, Dr. Elaine Dundon.

Last week, we referenced one of Aesop's fables, "The Fox and the Grapes," as a way to call attention to how a very simple-sounding notion can get in the way, frequently on a subconscious level, of...

Did you know Aesop lived in Greece? According to legend, Aesop's Fables (Aesopica) was a collection of fables created by Aesop (Αίσωπος), a slave and storyteller in ancient Greece (620 to 560 B.C.). Throughout the ages, these fables have been translated and recreated in many forms. The fables are best...

A famous Greek myth highlights the consequences of excessive greed. King Midas (Μίδας) so worshipped gold that when granted a wish by the god Dionysus (Διόνυσος), he asked that everything he touched turn to gold. Midas' wish was granted.

Everything Midas touched did turn to gold, and he became...

Note: If you haven't read our introduction to The OPA! Way, a new lifestyle inspired by and based on Greek culture from ancient times to the present day, we recommend that you first read Part 1 and Part 2 of "'Opa!' It's a Lifestyle."

Despite connecting...

Let's continue our introduction to The OPA! Way, a new lifestyle inspired by and based on Greek culture -- from ancient times to the present-day -- that we started in "'Opa!' It's a Lifestyle (Part 1)."

Drawing upon the key lessons learned from our journey throughout Greece...

Over the years, we have been advising individuals and leaders in all walks of life and in many of the world's leading organizations in the areas of Innovation and meaning. A few years ago we noticed that something was changing. People told us that they were losing enthusiasm and meaning...

With all of the civil unrest going on in the Arab world, along with public protests against austerity measures and other actions being taken by governments in other parts of the globe including England, Greece, and the U.S., it looks like we're living in "revolutionary" times.

As the media...

The sale of The Huffington Post is a major development for not only the so-called new media, but also the mainstream media, for reasons that go well beyond business maneuvering and related industry dynamics. The jury, of course, is still out in terms of AOL's potential return on investment from...

It seems like just yesterday I was listening to my parents lament the changes that were happening in society. "What's the world coming to?" were words that stuck in my mind as I was growing up. At the time, especially during my teenage years, I didn't really understand or appreciate...

As we know, innovation has garnered a lot of attention--now most recently encouraged by President Obama in his State of the Union address of January 25, 2011. "The first step in winning the future is encouraging American innovation," he proclaimed. But is innovation just a buzzword to which everyone on...

It is not unusual to find me in bookstores where I still enjoy browsing through aisles and shelves more than I do exploring the virtual space of Amazon.com or other online booksellers. Just yesterday, after indulging myself in one of my other favorite past-times, spending time in an Apple Store,...