Elizabeth Gilbert On Big Magic
"Have you ever felt shivers on the back of your neck and goose bumps on your arms when you hear an idea that makes you want to follow it? Or felt as though something is laying a path for you? The sense that I have is that we live in a world that's constantly being swirled and encircled with ideas. Ideas are these non-embodied spirits that want nothing more than to be made manifest. And the only wa... posted on Sep 16 2014, 24,208 reads

Marina Keegan & The Opposite of Loneliness
Marina Keegan's posthumous writings are moving, sensible and funny. Her parents, with the help of her college professor, put them together to honor Keegan's loving, compassionate spirit after her tragic death. By doing so, they transformed their anger, sadness and grief into a force for positivity and forgiveness that will inspire you. ... posted on Sep 15 2014, 0 reads

Discipline With Dignity
Nelson Mandela's adage, "I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends," captures the profoundly inclusive nature of restorative justice (RJ). The hallmark of RJ is intentionally bringing together people with seemingly diametrically opposed viewpoints -- particularly people who have harmed with people who have been harmed -- in a carefully prepared face-to-face encounter where everyone listens ... posted on Sep 14 2014, 28,648 reads

Rethinking the Placebo Effect
Maria Popova of BrainPickings draws on the latest research in health and social science for this powerful piece on "the startling psychological effects of loneliness, optimism, and meditation." Read on to learn about the powerful new findings on the placebo effect, and why the secret of happiness is to "find something more important than you are and dedicate your life to it."... posted on Sep 13 2014, 27,588 reads

Creative Compulsive Disorder: Remembering Zina Nicole Lahr
With goggles resting on her head and peacock feathers folded into hair, Zina Lahr viewed herself as a canvas. Self-diagnosed with "creative compulsive disorder", Zina filmed a video to share her passion for mechanics and animatronics. She reveals some of her jaw-dropping artwork: a giant puppet spider she helped create for a movie, and a wired paper crane for stop-motion animation. Zina's artwork ... posted on Sep 12 2014, 4,965 reads

9 Ways In Which The Culture of Watching Is Changing Us
Our constant use of cameras, TVs, computers, and smart devices is affecting our thoughts and behavior to a degree we may not even realize, changing how we identify ourselves and how others understand us. We are watching so many -- and so many are watching us in so many different places and ways -- that watching and being watched fundamentally alter how we think and behave.... posted on Sep 11 2014, 33,961 reads

How To Help Kids Listen To Their Minds
Maintaining focus in an age of ever-increasing distractions can seem daunting, to say the least. For teachers working to engage the minds of our youth, these distractions can make learning an impossible task. Our children are at the mercy of their disorganized minds -- with failing grades, high suspension rates, and violence only the tip of 'chaotic mind' iceberg. But with the introduction of an i... posted on Sep 10 2014, 25,997 reads

Newtown Victim's Dream Becomes A Reality
"It was just in her soul," said Jenny Hubbard, describing her late daughter's love of animals. "She didn't care if it was fuzzy or slimy." Six-year-old Catherine Violet Hubbard was sadly one of 20 first-graders killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Before she died, young Catherine worked tirelessly towards her dream - a dream of one day opening her own animal refuge. At first,... posted on Sep 09 2014, 16,913 reads

Good Night Margaret: A Love Story Against The Odds
Take a moment to enjoy this short documentary film from the New York Times entitled, "Good Night, Margaret." It is the uplifting story about Margaret "Muffi" Lavigne and Chris Plum, both of whom have muscular dystrophy. But this story focuses not on their disabilities. Instead, it focuses on something they both feel incredibly lucky to have discovered...love. As Chris so poignantly states in the f... posted on Sep 08 2014, 19,911 reads

A Guide To Love, Loss ... and Lucky Socks
As Mark Twain once said,"What is joy without sorrow? What is health without illness? You have to experience each if you are to appreciate the other. There is always going to be suffering. It's how you look at your suffering, how you deal with it, that will define you." With these words in mind, join author Shannon Hayes on her enlightening journey as she copes with a trip to a hospital, a friend's... posted on Sep 07 2014, 18,001 reads