What Activists Can Learn From Grace Lee Boggs
With the need for social change in countries all around the world, it is easy to understand how "protest fatigue" can set in. However, veteran activists can offer some advice on how to stay in it for the long haul of bringing about a better world. Grace Lee Boggs was one such lifelong activist until she passed away in 2015 at the age of 100. She lived and breathed her truth and believed that tendi... posted on Jun 23 2017, 10,122 reads

When Serendipity Touches a Journey
Anthony Rubino is a nonfiction writer and artist based out of New York City, where he also is an art teacher in the city's public school system. In this piece, Anthony tells the story of a vacation he and his wife took to Arizona, where he experienced the serendipity of connecting with a man whose painting appeared in his dream. He recently completed his memoir "Looking for Wonder: A Teacher's Une... posted on Jun 22 2017, 10,767 reads

A Sacred Steward of Honey Bees
Debra Roberts is a sacred steward of honey bees. She is one of an increasing number of women who care for bees without chemicals or toxic substances and with thankfulness, nurturing, and respect. Debra likens the ways in which she relates to bees as similar to the practices of great spiritual traditions: being calm, focused, and clear in your intent, slow and smooth in your movements, feeling gra... posted on Jun 21 2017, 3,429 reads

How to Age Gracefully
What would you say to your seven-year-old self? Play more? Don't yell so loud? How about 'stay weird'... as one nine year old puts it. As we move through our lives, our many experiences, mistakes and accomplishments shape how we live in the world. Hindsight is an amazing thing, and the ability to look back and consider what we could have done is a bitter-sweet feeling, as there's no reliving the p... posted on Jun 20 2017, 14,368 reads

Too Much. Too Fast. Time To Slow Down.
"Journalist Elizabeth Kolbert and Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard each had big books in 2015. Kolbert's The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History winner of the Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction takes an unflinching look at the history of extinction and the different ways that human beings are negatively impacting life on the planet. Ricard's Altruism: The Power of Compassion to Change Yourself and the ... posted on Jun 19 2017, 16,374 reads

Hack the Hood Connects Bay Area Youth With Tech Opportunities
Growing up in East Oakland, California, Zakiya Harris straddled two different worlds: one predominantly black and the other affluent. Now, she's connecting those worlds through Hack the Hood, a nonprofit that introduces people of color to tech careers. Since 2014, the program has attracted more than 200 young minorities from local, low-income neighborhoods to learn skills such as website design, c... posted on Jun 18 2017, 7,031 reads

Resilience After Unimaginable Loss
Sheryl Sandberg is synonymous with Facebook and Silicon Valley success, and she's the voice of Lean In. She joins On Being, host Krista Tippet, frank and vulnerable, together with the psychologist Adam Grant. His friendship and his research on resilience helped Sandburg survive the shocking death of her husband while on vacation. They share what they've learned about planting deep resilience in ou... posted on Jun 17 2017, 17,889 reads

The Privilege of Sharing Abundance
In these trying times, it can be hard to think we have an abundance of anything. But there is at least one thing that is always in good supply and will never run out -- and that is kindness. Add to that a sprinkle of thoughtfulness and an opportunity to act, and it's nothing short of magical. This is the story of Trail Angels, people who help weary hikers by giving them comfort, food, or cheer wit... posted on Jun 16 2017, 11,694 reads

David Whyte on Courage
We all have an idea of what courage looks like from the outside, but what about the inside? Is it angry? Energetic? Excited? Or something else? In this essay, poet David Whyte looks deep within to find the source of courage. Perhaps surprisingly, it's a place that's not hard but soft. And it can be both confusing and vulnerable. "We become courageous whenever we live closely to the point of tears ... posted on Jun 15 2017, 17,785 reads

An Act of Dog
Artist Mark Barone believes he is a better man for having painted 5,500 portraits of healthy dogs that have been killed in shelters every year. Through photos shelter volunteers sent him, he produced 12"X12" oil paintings that reveal each dog's personality, and included the dog's name and the circumstances that led to its death. He and his partner, Marina Dervan, have also created a non-profit, An... posted on Jun 14 2017, 10,980 reads