Desmond Tutu On Why We Forgive
Desmond Tutu is what Gandhi would call a "practical idealist." He believes in the practical, healing power of forgiveness because he sees it as more than a virtue; to him, it is a supreme gift, which we can give either partially or unconditionally. He opts for the latter because with it, he sees a greater freedom for the individual who has been harmed. Forgiveness is not forgetting, he points out,... posted on May 06 2014, 52,061 reads

Lessons From My 93-Year-Old Kindergarten Teacher
Mary Beth Washington is the stuff that kindergarten dreams are made of. "She did almost everything contrary to the rules: she took the kids out walking in the rain, she napped with them during naptime, she came to school dressed like a circus performer. She was in love with birds, dancing, poetry and people." Now in her 93rd year, she is as spirited as ever and still going strong with her walking ... posted on May 05 2014, 25,975 reads

The Calling of Delight: On Gangs, Service, Kinship
Father Gregory Boyle is no ordinary priest --he exuberantly pushes boundaries; not only does he reframe the meaning of the Sermon on the Mount and draw from the wisdom of the Dalai Lama, Cesar Chavez and Dorothy Day in his work, he's also utterly dedicated his life to something higher than himself: the unreserved service of humanity. There is perhaps no better place for a priest like Boyle to work... posted on May 04 2014, 20,804 reads

The Realness of Who We Are: Thoughts On Life & Crafting
"For a long time I hesitated to call myself an artist. I mean artist in the most playful, experimental, fearless way. I believe we are all born creative. If we weren't meant to have some creative capacities, the human race would have failed by now. Creating is innate. Handcrafts were a natural extension of the artistic interests I've cultivated and as a way of expressing two things: what it means ... posted on May 03 2014, 15,234 reads

She Lost Her Legs But Not Her Dream
Sri Lestari is a paraplegic who lives in Jakarta, Indonesia. She lost the use of her legs while riding as a passenger on a motorcylce and, for ten years, never left her home. Indoensia, like many places in the developing world is a hostile environment of people with disabilities. Not only are the streets, footpaths, and buildings inaccessible, but their physical limitations carry broad stygmas. Bu... posted on May 02 2014, 2,743 reads

10 Things Highly Intuitive People Do Differently
"Even when we're not at a fork in the road, wondering what to do and trying to hear that inner voice, our intuition is always there, always reading the situation, always trying to steer us the right way. But can we hear it? Are we paying attention? Are we living a life that keeps the pathway to our intuition unblocked? Feeding and nurturing our intuition, and living a life in which we can make use... posted on Apr 30 2014, 137,247 reads

Sophisticated Simplicity
"When we consider the powerful forces transforming our world -- climate change, peak oil, water and food shortages, species extinction, and more -- we require far more than either crude or cosmetic changes in our manner of living. If we are to maintain the integrity of the Earth as a living system, we require deep and creative changes in our overall levels and patterns of living and consuming. If ... posted on Apr 29 2014, 19,746 reads

A School and a Future for Blind Children
Sabriye Tenberken and Paul Kronenberg are co-founders of a school for blind teenagers in Tibet. Tenberken, who was born in Germany and has been blind since the age of 12, attended the University of Bonn and studied, among other things, the cultures of Central Asia. From there, she traveled around China, Nepal - where she met Kronenberg - and Tibet, where they started their school, Braille Without ... posted on Apr 28 2014, 10,497 reads

Talking Trash With Jeff Kirschner
Jeff Kirschner believes litter should be approachable, noticeable, and a spark for thinking about how we look at packaging and trash. He is an evangelist for the power of consumer engagement and education. He is also a believer in our shared impact using social media - including its built-in metrics -- to change public perception and stir public action. That's where Litterati comes in. Jeff is b... posted on Apr 27 2014, 9,278 reads

How Fruit Auctions Are Helping Farmers Thrive
One in six Ohio residents works in the agriculture industry, and the food and agriculture industries contribute an estimated $79 billion to the state's economy each year. Yet nearly 90 percent of the food Ohioans buy comes from outside the state. What would happen if Ohioans began eating more food grown right in their towns and counties? Read on to learn more about the growing success of "fruit au... posted on Apr 26 2014, 8,606 reads