Begin Again: A Letter from Conscioushood™
Dear friend,
In a world that moves fast and often fractures our attention, you’ve arrived at a place that invites you to slow down, just enough to remember who you are, and who we are together.
Welcome to conscioushood™, our weekly letter of reflection, research, and most of all, remembering what we already know. We’re so glad you’re here.
We (Maryam and Howard) began this journey not as experts, but as seekers—travelers, parents, and fellow humans navigating a world that feels both breathtaking and broken.
As individuals building our careers we both lived and worked across cultures, from classrooms and conflict zones to boardrooms and backyards. And everywhere we’ve gone, we’ve seen one thing clearly: the health of a society depends on the depth of its character.
Now for a little bit more about where we are coming from, we will introduce each other:
Howard: Maryam Ishani Thompson is a Columbia University graduate in education, specializing in curriculum development for communities in emergency zones. From her work at the United Nations Security Council on programs to stabilize societies fractured by war, to her years reporting from Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Egypt, and Iran for some of the most respected news compnaies in the world, Maryam has dedicated her life to understanding resilience and rebuilding in the face of conflict. Her storytelling and analysis have been cited by the US Congress, the Parliament of France, and shared and reshared globally online, offering insight into what keeps communities strong in the face of catastrophic threats.
Maryam *clears her throat*: Howard Thompson is a veteran of global advertising and marketing, having shaped campaigns for some of the world’s most recognized brands, including Nike, Adidas, and Land Rover. Having lived and worked across cultures, he spent years translating meaning and connection into storytelling that resonated across languages and borders. Today, he has turned his focus to something deeper: nurturing the essential character traits that build true community, not between companies and consumers, but between human beings.
This newsletter is our way of sharing what we’ve learned, what we’re questioning, and what we’re creating.
Each week, we’ll explore one essential theme from patience to justice, from responsibility to joy, through the lens of global philosophy, spiritual insight, Indigenous wisdom, and lived experience. We’ll offer questions for reflection, stories to stir the heart, and tools to practice in your daily life. Some issues will feature excerpts from our Character Card Decks or Connected Conversations series; others may be short meditations or longform essays.
This is not just a newsletter. It’s a rhythm. A weekly invitation to build the inner world that shapes the outer one.
We believe:
— Character is not taught once. It is practiced always.
— Connection is not a luxury. It is how we survive.
— Technology can distract us, but it can also deliver us, back to each other, with the right intentions.
So here’s our intention: to walk with you, gently and honestly, as we rediscover what it means to live with courage, compassion, and consciousness.
We’re just getting started.
Thank you for being part of the beginning,
Maryam & Howard
Founders of conscioushood™