Bend That Arc of Justice: A Brilliant Commencement Address
A man at the intersection of activism and public health, Dr. Larry Brilliant has dedicated his life to eradicating disease and ensuring the delivery of healthcare as a fundamental human right. Click here to read his inspiring commencement speech to the graduating class of Harvard's School of Public Health, where he urges us all to lend our hand in bending the proverbial arc of the universe towards... posted on Oct 25 2013, 18,168 reads

The Power of Voluntary Simplicity
Simplicity means taking charge of lives that are too busy, too stressed, and too fragmented. Simplicity means cutting back on clutter, complications, and trivial distractions, both material and nonmaterial, and focusing on the essentials -- whatever those may be for each of our unique lives. As Thoreau said, "Our life is frittered away by detail... Simplify, simplify." Or, as Plato wrote, "In orde... posted on Oct 22 2013, 54,811 reads

Darwin & The Survival of the Kindest
Dacher Keltner, director of the Berkeley Social Interaction Laboratory, investigates what it means to live a good and meaningful life from the fascinating perspectives of neurobiology, emotion science, and evolutionary science. Contrary to the idea that Darwin saw human beings as competitive and self-interested, Keltner argues that Darwin saw the human species as profoundly social and caring. He e... posted on Oct 19 2013, 27,068 reads

Love's Micro Moments of Connection
Is there any scientific basis for believing that love can stretch beyond the boundaries of our intimate relationships? What do the latest developments in human biology and psychology have to say? Barbara Fredrickson is better qualified than most other people to answer these questions. A professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a leading figure in the burgeoning "positive ps... posted on Oct 17 2013, 23,411 reads

10 Keys for Happier Living
We all want to be happy. And, happiness is the one thing we wish most for those we love. So, why is it so difficult? And, why aren't we working harder to make happiness our priority? "If you want to feel good, do good" -- this is just one of the many brilliant points carried forward by the Action for Happiness, a group of like-minded individuals from all walks of life who are intent on creating th... posted on Oct 16 2013, 122,113 reads

How to Design Neighborhoods for Happiness
Over the past 40 years we've seen a shrinking sense of community in America and this writer points at the design of our neighborhoods as a key factor in how to bring us back together. He writes about the New Urbanism, an "architectural movement to build new communities (and revitalize existing ones) by maximizing opportunities for social exchange: public plazas, front porches, corner stores, coffe... posted on Oct 15 2013, 74,722 reads

5 Ways to Ease Envy
Ah, the green glow of envy that clings desperately to our heels, and manifests often in the most unexpected of ways. Envy knows no rest, as we find ourselves surrounded each day by those we feel to be better equipped, better looking...or just simply better! So, how do we find relief from its crushing grasp? Author Juliana Breines offers her approach to disarming the little green-eyed monster befor... posted on Oct 13 2013, 28,830 reads

A Philly School's Big Bet on Non Violence
So often our mindset is that we must 'control' violence, that we must set out to ensure that violence has no way of inserting itself onto the path we walk each day. And, with respect to our children, we instinctively build fortresses to shield them from harm and injury. But, in doing so aren't we instilling an attitude of continuous fear? Read what happens when a school in the most dangerous secti... posted on Oct 11 2013, 22,108 reads

The Heroic Imagination Project
What makes a hero? Are they exceptional people, or ordinary people who do extraordinary deeds? Philip Zimbardo, professor emeritus in psychology from Stanford, and pioneer behind the infamous Stanford Prisoner Experiment, is working with high school students in Oakland and Los Altos to find the answer. Read more about his efforts to catalyze our "heroic imaginations" and inspire everyday heroes ac... posted on Oct 10 2013, 15,712 reads

Peter Buffett: We're Not Doing Enough to Change the World
"We're always talking about lifting people out of poverty from living on two dollars a day, but I am thinking, how can we all live on two dollars a day?" If this quote sounds to you like an intriguing and different approach to philanthropy and world change, you may want to read on to learn more about Peter Buffett, son of billionaire Warren Buffett, and his critique of "philanthropic colonialism."... posted on Oct 08 2013, 25,219 reads