David Whyte On Being At The Frontiers Of Your Identity
In this interview Sounds True founder Tami Simon speaks with the poet and author David Whyte. Their conversation explores "how each of our lives unfolds as a great conversation with reality, which is the source of originality. David also shares some of his poetry, and explores how our innate sense of exile is actually a core human competency, how vulnerability enhances our perception, and what it ... posted on Jul 07 2014, 40,842 reads

How To Eliminate Procrastination
In 2009, Fred Stutzman, a graduate student at the University of North Carolina was trying his best to complete important work on his thesis. But, the attraction of free wireless internet access at his local coffee shop, made this goal nearly impossible. He tried unplugging, but to no avail -- the urge to connect was far too strong to resist. Later that evening, Stutzman returned home to create a s... posted on Jul 06 2014, 44,184 reads

Teaching Kids About Living Systems
"If you cut a cow in half, do you get two cows?" That is the simple question Linda Booth Sweeney likes to ask young people in her efforts to try and teach them the concept of living systems. It is a notion that she says even four-year-olds will shout out, "No way!" as they recognize that the cow has parts that belong together to make a whole. Join Lisa Bennett, communications director for the Cent... posted on Jul 05 2014, 19,324 reads

Three Young Activists & Their Causes
Olivia, Madison, and Xiuhtezcatl are fierce love warriors who are fighting for causes they believe in -- and none of them are older than 13 years of age! Learn about the stories behind these powerful beings who are taking charge and making a difference in the areas of habitat restoration, voting rights, and environmental protection.... posted on Jul 04 2014, 14,085 reads

Finding Treasure In A Thrift-Store Couch
Imagine digging through the cushions on a secondhand couch expecting to find a few extra coins -- and pulling out, instead, over $40,000. Now ask yourself, would you then return the money? That's the question three roommates faced when they realized that the lumps in their newly purchased couch were actually large bundles of money. Money that had been set aside to care for a dying man's widow. Pur... posted on Jul 03 2014, 8,497 reads

The Far Shore of Aging
As life-prolonging technologies continue to lengthen our stay on earth, we still are learning how to confront the challenges of longer lives. How do we preserve human dignity and joy as our bodies struggle with the inevitable decline of age? Jane Gross and Krista Tippett explore this, and many other facets of what it means to grow old in today's world in this interview.... posted on Jul 02 2014, 28,516 reads

Beauty & The Dumpster
"I've been to archaeological sites, know the sun-bleached whiteness of bone, the tea-colored stains left by earth. Here, no layers of soil obscured the find." Join Meredith Sabini, founder of the Dream Institute of Northern California, as she explores the remnants of a life: the objects left behind by friends and relatives after a loved one passes.... posted on Jul 01 2014, 0 reads

Guiding Rage into Power
Jacques Verduin is painfully aware of the ugly statistics: one in 107 Americans are in prison; one in 28 children have an incarcerated parent; and within 18 months, 64% will be back behind the walls. Thankfully, Verduin has shown that the empowerment and transformation of prisoners is a big part of what prison reform can look like, and with it has created a successful social experiment that is one... posted on Jun 30 2014, 23,224 reads

All In On Love
Love others. Sounds simple, right? As Vinoba Bhave confessed, "I said it was simple; I did not say that it was easy." And this message of the simplicity of the idea, yet the ever-present challange of putting love into practice is found in all times, across all areas of life. Enter American singer-songwriter John Legend. A graduate of Penn, passionate about music his entire life, the greatest lesso... posted on Jun 29 2014, 30,290 reads

Meditations On An Apple
As you hold an apple, remember that the ancestor of all apple trees arose in southwestern Asia, in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and all across the Caucasus Mountains. Protected and nourished by observant stewards for thousands of years through their system of agriculture, their culture of the land, the apple contains their vision. We are all dependent on the living soil for o... posted on Jun 28 2014, 21,589 reads