Successful Thinkers

You love your home club - so do we! But do you sometimes feel that the evaluations you're receiving leave something to be desired? Do you wish you could get some ideas from more experienced presenters? Are you wanting to work on a presentation more than once, getting feedback as you develop it? Us, too! Winner's Circle is a more advanced Toastmaster club to meet the needs of the more advanced members in our area. If you want to fast-track your skill level, this might be the right club for you! (You don't need any particular designation to be in this club!) We meet at 6:30 for social time and dinner (yes, we bring potluck!) then start the actual meeting at 7:00. Regular meetings are the first and third Fridays at 7 p.m. in Ashburn. Call Cheryl at 703-707-0863 for location details and more info.

What becomes possible when different generations come together—not just to share perspectives, but to truly collaborate? This meetup invites participants of all ages to explore how intergenerational connection can strengthen communities, spark innovation, and create more sustainable solutions for today’s challenges. Each generation brings unique experiences, insights, and strengths—and when combined, they can become a powerful force for positive change. Through guided discussion and reflection, we’ll explore: * How generational perspectives shape the way we see the world * Where misunderstandings arise—and how to move beyond them * Practical ways to collaborate across age groups in our communities and work Whether you’re early in your journey or bring decades of experience, your voice matters in this conversation. All thoughtful voices are welcome.

**Every Friday · 7:00 PM** **Location:** Google Meet **Join here:** [https://meet.google.com/jvc-ajhk-vci](https://meet.google.com/jvc-ajhk-vci) Can’t make it out in person? Join your DTs friends for our Weekly Virtual Happy Hour - a relaxed, welcoming space to unwind, chat, and connect from wherever you are. This is an easygoing online gathering for conversation, laughter, and connection. Whether you’re a longtime member, someone who hasn’t joined us in a while, or brand new to Dulles Triangles, you are welcome. Bring your favorite drink, get comfortable, and drop in when you can. **No RSVP is required.** Just click the Google Meet link and join us. Please note: On occasion, Virtual Happy Hour may be cancelled or rescheduled. We’ll share updates as soon as we’re able. Come relax, connect, and find your tribe with DTs - from anywhere. 💙💻

SHARE- Support Hangout and Relax (with others with) Epilepsy \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* For those who live in DC metro area, come for a SHARE gathering where we get together and have fun Great excuse to hang out with (or meet new) SHARE friends! We’ve met here several times before ....great place to meet. Location: Large outdoor rooftop area of a building with food, music and biergarten. https://www.starrhilltysons.com/biergarten Music that night is on the rooftop. FREE. No tickets. A cover band will be cranking outdoor music from 1980s, 90s and more. See website if you want more info v Nearby metro: McLean metro stop on Silver line. Short walk from metro Parking isn't free (bummer)....several parking lots right there. Food options: They sell food and drinks on the rooftop, or you can get stuff from Wegmans on the ground floor of the building and "sneak" your own stuff to this outdoor rooftop area in a bag. Questions? Call me at 571-278-6524. Marc Starnes

**Unwind. Breathe. Reset.** Join us for a calming **guided evening meditation** designed to help you **release stress**, **quiet the mind**, and **restore inner peace**, even if you’ve never meditated before. * **Time:** 7:00 PM–7:30 PM * **Format:** Gentle guidance + quiet time + peaceful reflection * **Perfect for:** Beginners and experienced meditators * **What to bring:** Just yourself **Come as you are. Leave feeling lighter.** * **Reserve your spot** (recommended) * **Free Event - Donations Appreciated** * **Bring a friend. First-timers welcome!** * **Arrive early to settle in. Doors open at 6:00 PM.**

**Saturday • May 16 • 2–5 PM • Ashburn, VA** Many people say they want to write a book someday — **this session helps you start.** Your life experiences already contain stories, lessons, and insights that could become books. The real challenge is **how to organize those experiences and actually turn them into writing.** In this interactive session, I’ll share the approach I’m using to build a **multi-book journey based on lived experience.** So far I have: 📚 **3 books published on Amazon** 📖 **1 more books releasing this year** (end of the year) 📝 **16 additional books planned** — and likely many more. This session is not about writing **just one book**. We’ll explore how your experiences can evolve into **multiple books over time**, and how to **use AI the right way to speed up your writing while keeping your voice authentic.** *** ### What We’ll Explore • Turning life experience into book ideas • How one journey can become multiple books • Simple ways to structure stories and lessons • Using **AI to organize ideas and speed up writing** • Practical strategies to actually finish a book **Everyone will leave with the outline of their first book idea.** **You don’t need writing experience — just curiosity about how your life experiences might turn into ideas worth sharing.** *** ### Event Details 💵 **$25 RSVP — includes coffee + snacks** 📍 **Ashburn, VA** (exact address shared after RSVP) 🕑 **2:00 PM – 5:00 PM** 👥 **Max 10 people** for a small, interactive conversation. Most attendees are professionals, entrepreneurs, and people navigating reinvention or new chapters in life. *** # Background — Writing & Reinvention Journey Writing has been one of the most powerful tools in my own reinvention journey. What began as reflections during a difficult life transition gradually evolved into published books and a growing body of work focused on reinvention, personal growth, and life transitions. My goal is not just to write books — but to help others realize that their experiences may also hold stories worth sharing. *** # 🔗 Midlife Reinvention Ecosystem 🌐 Website [https://midlifereinvention.co](https://midlifereinvention.co) ▶ YouTube (400K+ views) [https://www.youtube.com/@midlife_mindfulness](https://www.youtube.com/@midlife_mindfulness) 💼 LinkedIn (4K+ followers) [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anju-debnath-0061524/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/anju-debnath-0061524/) 🤝 Meetup Community (300+ Members) [https://www.meetup.com/ashburn-transition-meetup-group/](https://www.meetup.com/ashburn-transition-meetup-group/) 📚 Amazon Author Page [https://www.amazon.com/stores/Anju-Debnath/author/B0FFNBVZLQ](https://www.amazon.com/stores/Anju-Debnath/author/B0FFNBVZLQ)

New Date and Time starting in May 2026. Saturday Night Chess is now Sunday PM Chess! Casual Chess: informal skittles games or optionally with Clocks (Blitz, Rapid, Quick, or custom time controls). Meetups of Ashburn Chess Club are held on 2nd floor of the Wegmans supermarket, 45131 Columbia Pl, Sterling, VA 20166, located in the Dulles Centre Shoppes Plaza which is just off the Waxpool Road Exit on Route 28 expressway. To find the chess games, take the elevator or stairs up to the 2nd floor mezzanine level. If there are RSVP the host will usually arrive a few minutes early to set up tables in the center mezzanine section located near the Kids Room with the TV. Guests, walk-ins, kibitzers are all welcome too; we request minor children to be accompanied by an adult, and we request only chess players RSVP, members and guests who are attending to play chess, so we have an accurate count of chessboards needed to set up.

踏入《广论》研讨班，对许多人来说是开启生命转变的契机。或许您也会好奇：在繁忙的工作与生活之余，投入时间研读佛典，究竟能为人生带来哪些实质的成长与收获？ 《广论》研讨班秉持着日常老和尚以心灵提升、圆满生命的目标，提供大众身、心、灵健康的学习环境与循序渐进的佛法课程。学员通过听师父的录音带和研讨交流，对佛法建立整体认识，全面的理解，同时学习如何将佛法智慧运用于生活中，打造幸福人生。 **《菩提道次第广论》简介** 佛法大全，给与您心灵滋养，人生方向 次第井然，引领您脚踏实地，步步向上 心智科学，帮助您认识自己，了解他人 幸福教育，教会您正确取舍，离苦得乐 生命教育，陪伴您创造希望，走向美好

● Ultra-light ball (\~1/8th as heavy as a normal 5). This allows zero chances of ball causing brain injury. (Hence the name, Soccer Zero.) It's also nice to do toe kicks! ● Injury-based foul system. This means that the rules apply even for same-team-side fouls, too. You can use your hands to protect yourself from the ball; hand balls are only called if you did it to gain an advantage. Yellow cards will cause the fouler to sit out for 120 seconds. Strong kicks of balls to anyone's head, called "face kicks", or nuts (for male players only), are yellow-card fouls even though the ball is so light it doesn't matter as much. This penalizes inconsiderate play, something we really do care about. Reckless players or anyone getting a red card is banned. (Before heading, you need to have an idea of where other nearby players are.) So, as an example, if you kicked the ball at high speed to your own teammate's head you still have to sit out for 2 minutes. ● No out of bounds. This makes it more interesting and easier to ref. ● No offsides. ● No goalies for the senior team. (The senior team is the one that is ahead in points.) This rule is used in place of an offsides rule, since it implies you cannot win by sticking some fat player who stands in front of their relatively small Pugg goal all day long. We define a goalie to be any defender intentionally within the "goal area". In turn, this *goal area* is defined as the ground in front of the goal covered by the top of the goal, were the goal to be tipped forwards onto the ground, similar to what would happen if the wind blew strongly from behind and the stakes were not secured. ● Goal resizing. Sometimes a strong player comes on mid-game after teams were picked by the two captains. If someone like Ronaldo joins a team and/or both captains agree to goal resizing to make the game more balanced the game will be stopped and the goal sizes altered to make it more even. Please don't suggest team shuffling as a better method. It destroys the team spirit. If the switched player sucks, it will add insult to injury to him or her. On the other hand, if the switched player is good, past points stack against him or her, which also destroys the game integrity, much of which is about trying to get your team to win. Goal resizing and point multiplying (each point counts as 2 for the junior team) maintains game integrity and helps maintain balance and game intensity. Games are in Silver Spring, MD. They are reffed. Clean red and blue pinnies are supplied when needed. A weekly invitation including a recap of the prior week's game is sent out to any players who want to read it. See here (https://www.meetup.com/safersoccer/boards/thread/23643732/0/). RSVPs are required. The reason is that it should increase their own enjoyment. You see, the ideal number of players for a pickup soccer game is perhaps 6x6 - 8x8; some players won't attend if they think the turnout will be low, and others will just assume the game will be cancelled even though we always play. (As a practical matter, smaller games are less fun since the comics won't have the audience they need, but, they do have two hidden benefits: shorter, more intense games/workouts and fewer face kicks/yellow cards. So we play no matter how small or large.) So non-RSVPers are a little short sighted, since they don't seem to want to maximize their own enjoyment in the long run. Rational and sane players who have a good chance of attending RSVP a week early here [and in the subgroup](https://www.meetup.com/safersoccer/). Location map (cut & paste url into a browser)(park on Plyers Mill): secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/2/1/7/2/600_364808562.jpeg

Our club meets the 1st and 3rd Saturday of every month at 10:00 am. We are always delighted to see new guests -- please come about 5 minutes before start to help us get you introduced. It is a hospitable, supportive, and fun environment. Stop by and make new friends and plan on having a good time! We meet in the Youth Room on the top level of the Center. Park on the right side of the building and take the elevator all the way up. The Youth Room is just around the corner to your right as you exit the elevator. See you there!

Join us for conversations that go beyond small talk, diving into topics like the shifting nature of spirituality, the challenges and joys of midlife transitions, the impact of culture and capitalism, and the search for meaning in art, travel, and daily life. Our gatherings are about genuine, thought-provoking dialogue, with no set leader or strict agenda—just an open space to share ideas, perspectives, and experiences that matter to us. The direction of the discussion is shaped by everyone who shows up, making each event unique and enriching. Come ready to share, reflect, and connect with others who are also seeking deeper conversations. Let the conversation flow from topic to topic. Optional questions are listed below.

Optional Questions: Life Stages & Transitions

1. What did you think you'd have figured out by now that you're still completely winging?
2. When did you realize your parents' advice was for a world that no longer exists?
3. What are you finally old enough to stop pretending to care about?

Optional Questions: Identity After the Roles

4. Who are you when nobody needs anything from you?
5. What dream keeps resurfacing even though the "practical" time has passed?
6. How do you handle having the freedom you always said you wanted?

Optional Questions: AI & Being Human

7. What human experiences will AI never truly understand?
8. If machines handled all your have-to's, what would you actually do?
9. What becomes more precious as everything becomes automated?

Optional Questions: Belief & Meaning

10. What certainties have you given up, and what rushed in to fill that space?
11. How has knowing someone who died changed how you live?
12. What do you believe now that would shock your younger self?

Optional Questions: The Modern Psyche

13. What anxiety do you carry that previous generations didn't have?
14. Which of your survival strategies are you ready to retire?
15. What uncomfortable truth about happiness did it take you years to accept?

Optional Questions: Work & Purpose

16. When did you stop believing that your job would complete you?
17. What would you do for work if money and status weren't factors?
18. How has your definition of "making it" changed over the years?

Optional Questions: Relationships & Connection

19. What relationship dynamic do you keep recreating, and why?
20. When did you realize your parents were just people trying their best?
21. What kind of loneliness doesn't go away even when you're with others?

Optional Questions: Time & Mortality

22. What are you running out of time to say or do?
23. How differently do you spend your time knowing it's finite?
24. What will you regret not trying, even if you fail?

Optional Questions: Society & Culture

25. What social convention do you follow even though it makes no sense?
26. Which generation do you understand least, and what might you be missing?
27. What aspect of how we live now will seem insane in 20 years?

Optional Questions: Personal Philosophy

28. What rule for life did you create after learning something the hard way?
29. When did you stop believing that everyone else had it figured out
30. What paradox about life have you learned to live with?

Hybrid registration links at https://greatcareers.org/events-calendar/career-success-group-job-seeker-accountability-networking-hybrid/ The Career Success Group is a networking meeting held on the 2nd Monday and a hybrid meeting 4th Thursday of each month from 9:30-10:30 AM ET with [Kevin Keene](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinekeene/). Join us if you are looking for a new opportunity, to grow your career, or if you are in a job transition. 1. Practice your elevator pitch in a safe space 2. Check-in for accountability 3. Set goals for your job search for the week 4. Meet others to build your LinkedIn network 5. Learn about upcoming events 6. Ask questions **CHAPTER LEADER** [Kevin Keene](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinekeene/) kekeene@comcast.net

**Finding Yourself Without Losing Yourself (for Ages 18-25) with Akshay Kuchibhatla** ## ***Join emerging Gen Z leader Akshay Kuchibhatla for this special workshop. Move beyond expectations and make choices that feel right for you.*** In a time when everyone is trying to figure out who they are, it’s easy to get pulled in different directions, by expectations, social media, relationships, and the pressure to “have it all together.” Somewhere along the way, many begin to feel disconnected from their true self. This workshop is a space to pause, reset, and reconnect with your true self. Come explore who you are at your core, beyond labels, trends, and outside opinions. Through guided reflection, real conversations, and simple mindfulness practices, you’ll gain clarity on your values, strengthen your inner voice, and learn how to make choices that feel right for you. You don’t have to lose yourself to find yourself. You can grow, evolve, and still stay true. Come as you are. Leave more connected, clear, and confident. ***Akshay Kuchibhatla*** *is a thoughtful and emerging Gen Z leader currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science at George Mason University. Passionate about personal growth, self-awareness, and helping young people navigate life with clarity and purpose, Akshay brings a grounded and relatable perspective to conversations about identity, values, and inner strength.* Sat., May 24th, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm. Held at Brahma Kumaris, 14020 Thunderbolt Pl, Suite 200, 2nd Floor, Chantilly, VA. Free Event – Register at: [https://shorturl.at/luks5](https://shorturl.at/luks5)

Attendance is $35 (cash, credit/debit card, or ApplePay - paid at the door), which includes water/soda/coffee, bread, choice of a plated lunch entrée, and a dessert assortment. Parking is also validated in the Reston Station garages (3 hours of validation). Join one of Northern Virginia's most successful business networking groups (part of BNI). Open to the public and is typically attended by business owners, business developers, and entrepreneurs. Meetings are typically attended by 30-40 members and guests. \*\*\*PLEASE RSVP here: [REGISTER HERE](https://square.link/u/0WvC6Eir) \*\*\*If you do not register on the BNI website, there may not be a seat available for you.

**Financial Literacy for Life: From Protection to Wealth Building with Special Guest Murali Goud Rampuram** This educational workshop is designed to help individuals and families make informed financial decisions with confidence. The session will cover essential topics including the importance of wills and trusts, strategies to protect loved ones through life insurance, and approaches to plan for a secure retirement. Attendees will also learn how to protect their retirement savings from market volatility, build long-term wealth using tax-advantaged strategies, and explore effective options for children’s college savings. The goal is to simplify complex financial concepts into practical, easy-to-understand steps that can be applied in everyday life. ***Murali Goud Rampuram*** *is a financial professional dedicated to helping families and individuals build, protect, and preserve their wealth. He specializes in life insurance, retirement planning, tax-advantaged strategies, and estate planning including wills and trusts.* *Murali is passionate about financial education and regularly conducts workshops to simplify complex financial concepts, empowering attendees to make confident, informed decisions about their financial future.* Sun., May 31st, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm. Held at Brahma Kumaris, 14020 Thunderbolt Pl, Suite 200, 2nd Floor, Chantilly, VA. Free Event – Register at: [https://shorturl.at/4eqCO](https://shorturl.at/4eqCO)

This group was originally started by Chad Keith who created and hosts a podcast by the same name in Charlotte, NC. I am hoping to continue his legacy here in NoVa as I recently moved to this area. This group is all about finding community around self-improvement and exchanging ideas on how to be your best self and get the most out of life. This group is for anyone who is interested in overcoming average in all areas - career, ambitions, relationships, hobbies, health, everything. I am so excited to meet driven individuals in the NoVa area so please reach out if you have any questions at all. EVERYONE is welcome so please sign up for an upcoming meetup!

**Self-Care Is the Way with Guest Speaker Psychiatrist Dr. Sara Eagger** Join us for a nurturing evening dedicated to emotional wellness, inner balance, and the power of caring for the self from the inside out. In a world that asks so much of us, self-care is not selfish, it is sacred. Dr. Sara Eager will share practical wisdom and gentle insight to help us restore calm, strengthen the mind, and reconnect with our inner peace. Come as you are. Leave feeling lighter, clearer, and more cared for. ***Dr. Sara Eagger (MB, BS, FRCPsych)*** *is a retired consultant psychiatrist from Imperial College London and Chair of the Janki Foudation, a UK-based charity which promotes spirituality in healthcare. With over 45 years of Raja Yoga meditation practice, she teaches Mindful Self-Compassion and co-authored "Stillness in the Storm: 7 Tools for Coping with Fear and Uncertainty."* Tue., May 19th, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm. Held at Brahma Kumaris, 14020 Thunderbolt Pl, Suite 200, 2nd Floor, Chantilly, VA. Free Event – Register at: [https://shorturl.at/coWuE](https://shorturl.at/coWuE)