Against Self-Righteousness
Maria Popova shares insights on Anne Lamott's latest offering - "Almost Everything" Notes on Hope. How do we see past the illusions of polarity of right and wrong? Can we let go of these tightly held convictions that keep us small and separate and move into more mindfulness of our shared living beingness? It starts by bringing our awareness, curiosity and forgiveness - what we are designed for to... posted on Jan 08 2019, 7,081 reads

Breakthrough Generation: A Story of Transformation
"He must have been around 66. When he walked in through the sliding glass doors, he had to bend down a little bit to avoid hitting the top beam. He was a well-built African American. He was dressed to kill. His blue full-sleeved shirt still looked prim, proper, neatly pressed with the crease still showing although it was towards the end of a working day. His black slacks looked classy, professiona... posted on Jan 07 2019, 8,094 reads

My Word of the Year
"My word of the year is listen. Its one of those words whose meaning is in its music. Listen is a quiet word, that half swallowed L and diffident I and softly hissing S. It defies the clamorous words it absorbs, the words that have defined this year, the shouts and roars, the bray and bluster. Listening is hard when the sounds around us grow mean and ugly. And listening takes particular courage in... posted on Jan 06 2019, 8,894 reads

Abused Wolves and Troubled Teens Find Solace in Each Other
"A strong gust of wind is answered by a chorus of wolf howls in Southern California's high desert. Wearing hoodies and well-worn sneakers, city kids make their way up a mountain. Navigating the high desert terrain can be a challenge for some, and a few lag behind. Leading the way is a wolf named Malo. For many of the teens who find their way here, Wolf Connection's Youth Empowerment Program is the... posted on Jan 05 2019, 4,499 reads

Handing Out Positive Tickets
Tired of hearing about the negative in your neighborhood? Well, so were these high school kids, who started a program, now sponsored by the City of Rochester, NY, to reward the positive. Each summer, the youth walk around different neighborhoods, looking for the good. And if they spot it, they hand out a ticket: A Positive Ticket.... posted on Jan 04 2019, 2,647 reads

World-class Voice Prosthesis for $1
When Dr. U.S. Vishal Rao, a Bengaluru-based oncologist, saw how many stage four throat cancer patients struggled to afford expensive imported voice prosthesis to be able to speak again, he decided to do something about it. Together with his friend Shashank Mahesh, Dr. Vishal invented an incredibly low-priced voice device called 'Aum Voice Prosthesis.' Costing only $1, the device has helped 200 peo... posted on Jan 03 2019, 5,773 reads

Weaving Big Connections from Small Acts
Greg Tehven thought he needed to leave his home state of North Dakota to have a meaningful life. But when he went to college, he discovered the art of applying small town values to a university setting. This began a trajectory of service - Pay it Forward Tours with college students; Students Today, Leaders Forever; world travel; and ultimately a return to North Dakota where he co-founded Emerging ... posted on Jan 02 2019, 3,344 reads

The Gift of Presence and the Perils of Advice
Parker Palmer is the founder and senior partner of the Center for Courage and Renewal. His work teaches us to connect with others through our authentic self. His courses help to develop courageous leadership and collectively evolve our spirits for social change. With humor and heart, Parker shares his perspectives on advice giving vs the gift of our presence. Leading us into presence with uncondit... posted on Jan 01 2019, 15,383 reads

Thinking About New Year's Resolutions?
"In past years, youve probably targeted minor vices -- eat fewer snacks, exercise more, whatever your particular self-admonitions may be. But it is too easy to get lost in the particulars -- and in the negatives. This time around, try something a little different."... posted on Dec 31 2018, 7,350 reads

Unlearning Together
Martin Winiecki of the Tamera Peace Research & Education Center in Portugal, writes that our present culture maintains a "mental and spiritual firewall...that hinders us from experiencing our interconnectedness with other beings." He invites us into "a world of full contact, resonance, and communication," by going through three stages of unlearning, beginning with a revolution in consciousness and... posted on Dec 30 2018, 8,210 reads