The Magic Of A Garden
When the Cleveland Elementary School principal asked Mary Schriner, who was applying for a special education kindergarten teacher position, why she wanted to work there, Schriner responded, "Because your school looks like a prison yard, and I'd like to change that." Over the next six years, Schriner established six school gardens that serve as real-world classrooms, started an ecoliteracy program ... posted on Dec 27 2014, 32,543 reads

Preserving The World's Most Delicate Sites
California-based nonprofit, Global Heritage Fund, is taking a unique approach to preserving our world's most endangered sites. They are bypassing the often tangled ties of bureaucracy, to invest directly into the community which surrounds it. By bringing together highly skilled engineers and archeologists, they are able to save some of our world's most sacred sites. And, in doing so, they're worki... posted on Dec 26 2014, 13,847 reads

Free Hugs With Arie Moyal
Holidays can be a lonely and stressful time, particularly for those with mental health issues. Arie Moyal spends two weeks each year around the Christmas holidays providing support to travelers through free hugs. Virginia Satir, a noted family therapist, claimed that we need 4 hugs a day for survival; 8 hugs a day for maintenance; and 12 hugs a day for growth. And scientists have determined that o... posted on Dec 25 2014, 2,902 reads

Repaying A Homeless Man's Kindness
After a homeless man offered a college student in England all the money he had so she'd be able to get home safely, the woman is paying it forward -- in a massive way. Throughout the past few days, Dominique Harrison-Bentzen has raised almost $50,000 for the good Samaritan and for other homeless individuals in her community. Read her touching story here.... posted on Dec 24 2014, 23,341 reads

Critical Steps To Integrating Life & Work
Often times we can feel overwhelmed by what we see as competing values: how can I be a good family member, a loving spouse, a supportive friend, pursue my hobbies and interests and maintain my career? For many of us integrating all of these elements into a fulfilling and rewarding personal life and career is difficult. Stewart D. Friedman's book, "Leading the Life You Want", gives insight on how t... posted on Dec 23 2014, 25,318 reads

How One Doctor And His Menagerie Transformed A Nursing Home
When Bill Thomas became medical director of a nursing home he decided to attack what he termed the Three Plagues of nursing home existence -- boredom, loneliness and helplessness -- by bringing in some life. Cats, dogs, birds and green plants in every room, and visiting children after school, triggered unexpected transformations. Some medication doses were lowered, residents were invigorated in bo... posted on Dec 21 2014, 11,251 reads

A 19-Year-Old Artist's Book Of Untranslatable Words
When you start with a heartfelt offering, you never know where life may take you next. Read on for the tale of Ella Sanders, whose creative illustrations about untranslatable words grew from a blog post into a published book now out from Random House. You'll also get a sampling of some marvelous, untranslatable words from around the world. Like Mangata -- Swedish for "the road-like reflection of ... posted on Dec 20 2014, 0 reads

The 21-Day Challenge: A New Way To Practice Our Values
Many of us seem to recognize the importance of making personal changes in our lives, and yet we struggle to put them into practice. Forbes Magazine points out that less than 10 percent of us actually stick to our New Years resolutions. Habits are hard to break and it turns out that as much as 40 percent of all our actions are habitual. We don't consciously do them. It's hard to change what we aren... posted on Dec 19 2014, 27,312 reads

An Incredible Story of a Young Woman's Courage
Malvika Iyer is the essence of courage and optimism. At 13, a freak accident caused her to lose both her hands and severely damaged her legs, raising serious doubts about whether she would ever walk again. But young Malvika braved the odds and emerged victorious. Today she is a dedicated social worker, a motivational speaker, a model for accessible clothing in India, and part of the "Global Shaker... posted on Dec 18 2014, 26,392 reads

A Simple Act of Kindness
As children, we're taught to be wary of strangers. To walk away, even when we know someone might need our help. Sadly, the world today seems to elicit this type of fear. And, as parents, we continuously struggle to help our children find the balance between staying safe and helping others. Read this inspiring story to learn how one mother's day of errands quickly became a teaching moment for her a... posted on Dec 17 2014, 33,533 reads