Everyone Has A Story The World Needs To Hear
Dave Isay opened the first StoryCorps booth in New Yorks Grand Central Terminal in 2003 with the intention of creating a quiet place where a person could honor someone who mattered to them by listening to their story. Since then, StoryCorps has evolved into the single largest collection of human voices ever recorded. Isay is the 2015 TED Prize winner, with an award of $1 million to fulfill a wish:... posted on Jul 25 2015, 3,923 reads

Music And The Developing Brain
Can music make you smarter? Research demonstrates it most certainly can. In fact, a 1993 study of college students showed them performing better on spatial reasoning tests after listening to a Mozart sonata. But, what is the connection? And, more importantly -- why would acquiring musical skills influence language and other higher brain functions? Read this fascinating article to learn why. ... posted on Jul 24 2015, 12,726 reads

Saying Farewell To A Family Pet
There are many in life who walk beside us. Be they human or animal, we are touched by those beings who accompany us through the unfolding mystery of space and time. And even knowing that the spiral of life moves ever onward, from birth to death and round again, how, when the time comes, do we say goodbye to those we love? Shannon Hayes shares the story of Spriggan, and of holding sadness, joy, and... posted on Jul 23 2015, 20,750 reads

Eulogy Vs Resume Virtues
Do you want to be remembered for the bullet points on your resume, or for the way you interacted with others on a daily basis? In a culture that often greatly favors the former, how do we cultivate the intangible values that form the cornerstones of a higher self? New York Times columnist David Brooks wrestles with these complex questions, and poses further inquiries to help guide our thinking and... posted on Jul 22 2015, 33,423 reads

Stop Worrying About How Much You Matter
There are some who will exude happiness well into their nineties. And, others who willl fall into the predicament of feeling life has lost its purpose. But, what makes the difference? And, more importantly -- how do we maintain our inner sense of relevance through every circumstance? The answer could be much simpler than you might realize. Read on to discover simple practices to infuse a little mo... posted on Jul 21 2015, 48,732 reads

Martin Luther King on the 6 Pillars of Non-Violent Resistance
Non-violence is a term one often hears next to names like Martin Luther King and Gandhi. It may bring to mind boycotts and "passive"forms of resistance -- but when one digs deeper into the writings of Martin Luther King, we find so much more underlies the spirit and loving force of non-violence. Maria Popova of Brainpickings walks through six tenets of non-violent resistance, as outlined by Martin... posted on Jul 20 2015, 22,574 reads

Uncommon Gratitude
"When I consider the places I've loved and lost, I long to bring them comfort...I who have been gifted by a place wish to figure out some way to return the gesture. But what kind of gift would be right for a scraped hillside slated for fracking? For calves confined to life in crates? For all the polluted rivers, clearcut forests, diminishing wildernesses, and smoldering dumps?"... posted on Jul 19 2015, 7,372 reads

Where Children Play: Photographs of Playgrounds of the World
Photographer James Mollison captures the sacred spaces of childhood around the world in Playground. He became fascinated by how the great diversity of playgrounds around the world has shaped the experience of childhood, calling them "a space of excitement, games,bullying, laughing, tears, teasing, fun, and fear."This post shares more.... posted on Jul 18 2015, 0 reads

The Art Pioneer Once Expelled for 'Doodling'
Adarsh Alphons rose to success from relative obscurity. After 'doodling' got him kicked out of one school,his diehard love of art soon led him to the chance of a lifetime: an opportunity to present his work to Nelson Mandela. It's no wonder then, that Adarsh has dedicated his life to giving other kids a chance to discover themselves and transform their world through art.... posted on Jul 17 2015, 5,144 reads

Spirit Carver: A Conversation with Zoshi
Hidden away north of San Francisco there's a special artist. He's been called a spirit carver. An artist friend of mine, who is also a Buddhist priest, told me about Zoshi. When Zoshi lived in Japan he was studying to become a Buddhist monk. Zoshi told me, "I didnt show any carving to my teacher for a long time. Then one day I brought him a carving. He said, 'Okay, you dont have to be a monk. You ... posted on Jul 16 2015, 5,049 reads