The Dean Who Lives In A Dumpster
How much stuff do we really need to live happy, healthy lives? As people continue to scale down, living more simplistic, minimalist lives, many report feeling happier. Jeff Wilson, Environmental Science professor and Dean of Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Texas,is conducting an experiment to see just how little a person needs to live happily and comfortably by living in a repurposed dumpst... posted on Nov 14 2014, 33,497 reads

10 Amazing Stories for World Kindness Day
November 13th is World Kindness Day! In honor of this, we've compiled 10 diverse and heart-warming pieces honoring extraordinary acts of kindness, love and compassion by ordinary people. These stories include bus-drivers, bakers, basketball players, canine heroes and much more...reminding us of just how universal and essential the spirit of kindness is in our world.... posted on Nov 13 2014, 228,148 reads

A Town Rallies To Make A Local Store Owner's Day
He runs a convenience store in Levittown, New York. For the past 10 years, Avi Gandhi has owned and solely operated the store -- working 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, without a single sick day. He was, however, much more than a guy who punches numbers into the cash register. "He knew the names of everyone who came in, who their family was, what their disappointments were, the dreams they had. He ... posted on Nov 13 2014, 4,898 reads

A Father's Letter To His Five-Year-Old Daughter
Tom Attwater is dying of a brain tumor and in the midst of coping with his own suffering, he is exerting all efforts to save his 5 year-old daughter from cancer. Read further for a selfless, heartwarming story that will bring tears to your eyes and compassion to your heart.... posted on Nov 12 2014, 64,894 reads

When's The Last Time You Unfolded A Map?
When's the last time you pulled out a map to find where you were, or how to get where you were going? As Snigda Manickavel reminds us, "When we gaze at our devices and scurry through the world in thoroughly efficient ways, we are forgetting the most important part of our sojourn on this watery planet. To connect with the other people who are here with us." You may want to dig up some maps or peek ... posted on Nov 11 2014, 23,646 reads

The Only Way We Really Change
People don't ever change by becoming someone else. People change by seeking, finding, and nourishing the best of who they are. They persist through the dark, heart-shredding times. They reach deeper into their true nature, the source of their best wisdom, courage, and passion. In this piece Wayne Muller tells a powerful story from the Civil Right's movement that illustrates how true transformation... posted on Nov 10 2014, 22,959 reads

Wisdom In The Age of Information
"We live in a world awash with information, but we seem to face a growing scarcity of wisdom." Maria Popova shares her insights about the difference between information, knowledge, and wisdom, and how storytelling can play a crucial role in helping us navigate the "open sea" of our technological age.... posted on Nov 09 2014, 20,422 reads

An Innovation That Is Lighting India's Villages
Worldwide about 1.5 billion people lack access to electricity, a statistic hard to fathom in our current digital age. In India, more than 400 million people have no electricity. Gyanesh Pandey, who grew up in a village in Bihar, India without electricity, and three of his friends are creating a different reality for thousands of people through a company they founded known as Husk Power Systems. Re... posted on Nov 08 2014, 14,795 reads

Turning The Soup Kitchen Upside Down
If you've ever volunteered in a soup kitchen, you know the feeling of having served others. But what about those on the other side of the food line? Are they getting what they need most? Robert Egger, the founder of DC Central Kitchen, didn't think so. He set out to train homeless people on the streets of Washington, D.C. -- many of whom were drug addicts cycling in and out of a life of crime -- h... posted on Nov 07 2014, 5,281 reads

What I Wish I Knew When I Was A Freshman
What would you say to your younger self if you had the chance? Charles Howard, the University Chaplain for the University of Pennsylvia, shares his reflections on ego and insecurity, and the advice he would have given himself at the age of 18.... posted on Nov 06 2014, 22,554 reads