The Magic Flute
A pawnshop flute. That's how Marvin Sanders makes art out of uncertainty. From living on the streets to graduating college with a degree in music, Sanders recalls his incredible journey. And how it all started at a gas station: "I was in Denver, Colorado working at a gas station. Those were the days people would pull up and someone would walk out and pump your gas and wipe the windshield. I was wo... posted on Aug 7, 11983 reads

Buddhas on Death Row: A Bridge of Art and Friendship
Buddhas on Death Row is a project that was born out of the collaboration of two pen friends, based in the United States and Finland. Their names: Moyo and Maria. What follows is a sampling of Moyo's art and a selection of excerpts from his letters written on Death Row. Using the pages of a discarded atlas for stationery, he answers Maria's questions regarding his relationship to art, shares his pe... posted on Aug 9, 15955 reads

Martin Levya: Don't Ever Give Up
Martin Leyva did time for robbery but knew when he walked out of Chino State Prison he would never come back. He would transform his life. In a remarkable story, a blend of perseverance and the world opening up to show him his path, Leyva used his troubled past to become a beacon of hope for others in similar situations. He says, "The whole process [working with youth] feeds my fire for social jus... posted on Sep 3, 13858 reads

Back on My Feet: Running to End Homelessness
Running has been known to alleviate a host of society's woes -- childhood obesity, stress, drug addiction. . . and now we can add homelessness to the list. Not through a 5K fundraiser as one might think, but through a program that actually empowers homeless people to run. Since 2007, Back on My Feet has been providing homeless people the opportunity to experience the many benefits of running by gi... posted on Sep 23, 9430 reads

A Special Kind of Grace: The Remarkable Story of the Devadosses
He is a writer and an artist whose captivating pen-and-ink drawings, books and greeting cards reflect the beauty of southern India. His wife helped compose his work. What makes their story extraordinary? Manohar Devadoss is near blind. His art is produced through a painstaking process of extraordinary will-power and dedication. His wife Mahema was paralyzed below the shoulders, the result of a ca... posted on Sep 10, 21071 reads

Small is Better
"As a horsewoman, I've come to see that so many theories that work with eliciting real learning and collaboration for horses, work magically with their human counterparts. The brilliant horseman and trainer (as well as second degree aikido black belt), Mark Rashid, teaches how to reward the try, which rewards a horse in response to any of his micro-tries towards the desired action. "Because we are... posted on Sep 25, 15429 reads

A Filmmaker, a Mountain and a Moment of Truth
Andrew Hinton, Emmy award-winning filmmaker, embarked on a vision quest with the intention of becoming a "man of integrity, a bridge between two worlds." He notes, "how our culture lacks deep rituals that mark the transition to manhood, and how easy it is without them to get lost somewhere between boy and man. And of how, maybe twenty years late, I am here to finally step across." Alone in the Ore... posted on Oct 19, 10756 reads

United Nations: A Meditation for Peace
October 24th is United Nations Day, which commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Charter in 1945. For 71 years, the United Nations has been working to maintain international peace and security, promote sustainable development, protect human rights, uphold international law, and deliver humanitarian aid. Spiritual leaders can also be found on the front lines of peace, an... posted on Oct 25, 13826 reads

The Sneaker Saint
As a child going through tough times, Rikki Mendias had holes in his shoes. A woman he met through a shelter noticed and gave him new ones. He remembers fondly the smell of them, fresh out of the box, and the feeling of pride he had when he wore them the next day. Something about the experience affected him so deeply that he became a huge sneaker fan and collector. But it felt meaningless. Then h... posted on Oct 27, 13600 reads

What Do You Do When Someone Pushes You?
If someone provokes you, do you push back? Turn the other cheek? Change course? If so, how? You may find the answers in Aikido, a Japanese martial art whose name has been translated as "the way of harmonious spirit". It has less to do with power and more to do with perspective. To gain control of your opponent's actions, you enter their space, seeing their viewpoint and taking away their target. T... posted on Nov 8, 16361 reads

The Winter Pilgrim
In October 2007, Ann Sieben, a native of Denver, Colorado and a nuclear engineer by profession, was waiting for a work permit in Spain that never came through. Instead of looking for other work, she decided to walk on foot along an ancient pilgrimage path known as the Camino de Santiago. Later, in December of that year, she walked over 2100 kilometers from Canterbury to Rome. The following winter,... posted on Oct 26, 18086 reads

Three Things that Matter Most in Youth and Old Age
In an effort to to try and get a glimpse on what is important in life, writer and photographer Nancy Hill approached children under the age of 7 and adults over the age of 70 and asked them to share the three things that mattered most to them. The following photo essay has some endearing, and somewhat surprising answers.... posted on Oct 29, 42880 reads

11 Tips to Leading a Creative Life
In this TED article, Elizabeth Gilbert, author of "Eat, Pray, Love" and the new book "Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear," offers wit and wisdom for people living with creativity -- which, according to her, is everyone! Creativity is not always easy to tap into, but thankfully there are lots of things we can do to help. To start, we can reframe "creativity" as "curiosity," consider fear boring... posted on Jan 11, 28975 reads

On Discerning Your Purpose & Letting Your Life Speak
"'Someone has a great fire in his soul and nobody ever comes to warm themselves at it, and passers-by see nothing but a little smoke at the top of the chimney,'" young Vincent van Gogh wrote in a letter as he floundered to find his purpose. For the century and a half since, and undoubtedly the many centuries before, the question of how to kindle that soul-warming fire by finding one's purpose and ... posted on Dec 2, 23728 reads

Physicist David Bohm on Creativity
The past century has sprouted a great many theories of how creativity works and what it takes to master it, and yet its innermost nature remains so nebulous and elusive that the call of creative work may be as difficult to hear as it is to answer. What to listen for and how to tune the listening ear is what the trailblazing physicist David Bohm explores in his essay in On Creativity, concluding th... posted on Jan 7, 21176 reads

The Boy In The Magic Shop
"Dr. James Doty is the founder and the director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at the Stanford University School of Medicine of which the Dalai Lama is the founding benefactor. He also happens to be a professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at Stanford and the New York Times bestselling author of Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeons Quest to Discover t... posted on Feb 1, 12189 reads

A Green Hardware Store On Every Corner
Jason Ballard was looking for a way to make the home improvement market more eco-friendly, and he found one. Or rather, he created one. Inspired by his grandfather who shaped his early understanding of the importance of conservation, Ballard studied conservation biology in college, and went on to open TreeHouse: an eco-friendly home improvement retailer. The stores, with 1 location in Texas and 2 ... posted on Jul 5, 9052 reads

Manifesting Love at Work
In an insightful excerpt from 'Shakti Leadership: Embracing the Feminine and Masculine Power in Business', authors Nilma Bhat and Raj Sisodian express the innovative concept of brining caring and love into the workplace. Conscious companies are embracing this form of leadership, as CEO's of different companies speak about how to manifest love in a capitalist business world, whilst still being succ... posted on Feb 19, 6412 reads

Keys to Building Solidarity Across Our Differences
"Binary decision-making processes like referendums reflect positions on one issue at one point in time, not whole people with complex lives. Simplistic versions of events can become entrenched, leaving us stuck in different silos. How can we become unstuck? How do we foster solidarity between people who could be allies for radical change but who view each other with suspicion and anger? These are ... posted on Feb 17, 12283 reads

When Kids Say Thanks
When a child shows or feels gratitude, how does it affect other areas of his or her life over time? How best could we bring this practice into schools? What techniques in which settings produce the best results? Inspired by an act of kindness received while recovering from a childhood illness, Giacomo Bono has been studying the answers to these questions and more, adding to a growing body of resea... posted on Mar 14, 9191 reads

Cash & Care for Criminals: Reducing Gun Violence
Operation Peace Fellowship was founded by a core group of ex-cons to bring an end to gun violence. Together, they are working in Richmond, CA and other cities around the US to help gun-prone, troubled youth graduate from high school, find jobs, and settle conflicts without guns. Unconventional approaches have been used, like paying criminals to put down their guns, but more importantly, says James... posted on Apr 9, 3844 reads

Designing Companies that Are Loved
"When Scott Elias lost 80% of his hearing in kindergarten, his emotional and intuitive connection to the world went into overdrive like a sixth sense. When his hearing was surgically restored two years later, the medical miracle ignited his passion for music and science which he channeled into his wildly successful 30+ year career as the CEO of the worlds largest and most-awarded audio communicati... posted on Mar 16, 8085 reads

Marjorie Maddox: Writing Across Genres
"One of my favorite lines is from the modern poet Marianne Moore. She defines poetry as both a poet being a literalist of the imagination, but a poem being something that "has imaginary gardens with real toads in them." I have to make that so believable, even though it is imaginary. It becomes a whole world in itself and it has that element of truth in it." Marjorie Maddox is a poet, author and pr... posted on Mar 18, 2296 reads

The Man Who Died and Came Back to Plant Trees
Twenty some years ago David Milarch hovered above the bed, looking down at his motionless body. Years of alcoholism and hard living had booted him out of his life. A cosmic commandment would return him to it. His improbable charge? To clone the world's champion trees - the giants that had survived millennia and would be unvanquished by climate change. Experts said it couldn't be done. Fast-forward... posted on Mar 23, 29370 reads

Broadway Theater Gives Troubled Teens a Second Act
When we transform troubled youth, we change their futures and our our own. But how to reach them? Stargate Theater in New York City has a novel approach: it pays court-involved and at-risk youth to script and stage performance pieces. This process gives youths the opportunity to express themselves while aiming to reduce recidivism, teach literacy, and provide valuable work experience for their res... posted on Apr 23, 7862 reads

More Than Your Average Cup of Joe
A popular coffee shop in Denver is making a difference, and not just through their drinks. The Purple Door Coffee Shop, founded by Madison Chandler and Mark Smesrud, helps support youth coming out of homelessness by offering them jobs behind the counter, and teaching them skills such as customer service and budgeting. Moved by the overwhelming number of homeless youth in the region, Chandler and S... posted on May 16, 2503 reads

Are Two Lives Saved Twice as Good as One?
"Are two lives saved twice as good as one life saved?" A decision-analysis expert uses this provocative question as a springboard into an exploration of what we value, how we value it, the costly mistakes we make along the way -- and what we can do about it. He opens with this compelling story from 1922 Munich (and concludes with an equally gripping one about the US Marines in Afganistan): "The te... posted on Mar 27, 11294 reads

Crazywise: A Filmmaker Explores the Heart of Mental Illness
Phil Borges is a dentist-turned-photographer, author, filmmaker and social change storyteller. For more than 25 years, he has been documenting indigenous and tribal cultures in some of the world's most remote, inaccessible areas. His recent film Crazywise reveals a paradigm shift that's challenging the way Western culture defines and treats "mental illness" and highlights a survivor-led movement d... posted on Apr 25, 17050 reads

Dr. Toni Frohoff: Life Among Dolphins
Dr. Toni Frohoff, Ph.D., who has dedicated her life to studying marine mammal behavior and communication, argues that humans can learn a lot from the wild animals with whom we share the planet, particularly dolphins. Dolphins show a remarkable capacity for experiencing and expressing a range of emotions, and communicate with other members of the species in ways that often defy human capabilities a... posted on Jun 30, 13729 reads

5 Invitations: What Death Can Teach About Living
Over the course of thirty years, those who were at the end of their lives shared their insights with Frank Ostaseski, the co-founder of the Zen Hospice Project, a holistic residential care facility. In his article, 'Five Invitations: What Death Can Teach about Living' Frank shares the five 'invitations' to connect with death in order to live a more full life. The five invitations he has gleaned fr... posted on Aug 2, 52424 reads

Bringing Fresh Produce to the Underserved
Building Roots is a Canadian charity that "believes all neighbourhoods need places to grow, cook, share and buy healthy food." In the summer of 2016, Lisa Kates and Darcy Higgins of Building Roots created the Moss Park Market, a double-wide shipping container in the Moss Park area of Toronto, in order to bring fresh produce to what they consider to be a "largely ignored" neighborhood. Mr. Higgins,... posted on Jun 11, 6518 reads

The Privilege of Sharing Abundance
In these trying times, it can be hard to think we have an abundance of anything. But there is at least one thing that is always in good supply and will never run out -- and that is kindness. Add to that a sprinkle of thoughtfulness and an opportunity to act, and it's nothing short of magical. This is the story of Trail Angels, people who help weary hikers by giving them comfort, food, or cheer wit... posted on Jun 16, 11668 reads

Kay Pranis: The Art of Holding Circle
Kay Pranis, a facilitator of peacemaking circles, believes that each of us is inherently good, wise, and powerful. This, along with the remaining six core assumptions, form the foundation for her practice and way of using circle processes. Based on an indigenous tradition, circle allows for individuals to unite around a common cause or conflict, and address it openly so each participant feels deep... posted on May 17, 22084 reads

Ode To Women: A Musical Mother's Day Special
A decade ago South Asian Hip Hop artists Nimo, Swap, and KB collaborated on a song called Ode to Women.Ten years later they reunited along with gifted filmmaker, Ellie Walton, to bring it to life through a powerful music video. Filmed in India, motherland of their mothers, and bursting with the vibrant colors and scenes of that part of the world,the video includes three vignettes of everyday women... posted on May 14, 13767 reads

Are You Okay?: The Power of a Caring Question
When we intentionally slow ourselves down, we open ourselves up to a new world where calm has special powers and its magic is contagious. One day Aryae Coopersmith found himself rushing home, not noticing what was going on around him. He thought to himself, "'This isn't much fun! What if I just slow down? What if I can just be present and start noticing what's going on around me?' So I did that. I... posted on Jul 3, 10153 reads

How Gratitude Helps Us Grow
Gratitude has been repeatedly shown to improve our happiness, health, and relationships. Yet some critics suggest that it may lead to attitudes of selfishness and self-indulgence. Researchers from UC Riverside recently examined the evidence and found that gratitude in fact not only helps us feel good, but may even motivate us to pursue our goals and engage more with the world around us. Identifyin... posted on Aug 30, 10241 reads

Charles Halpern: Cultivating Wisdom for Justice
Charles Halpern exemplifies cultivating inner resources for working in justice and social transformation. His contributions to education, law, and social movements have been facilitated by his inner work around wisdom and mindfulness. In this interview, Halpern describes how his practice grounds him while working to transform the criminal justice system. He explains, "We shouldn't respond when we'... posted on Jul 13, 6802 reads

Breaking Free from the Tyranny of Positivity
Ever been told to 'just be happy' or, to 'lighten up'? Does that really make you feel happier? For many, this advice leads to the opposite effect.
Author of Emotional Agility and leading Harvard Medical School psychologist Susan David recently teamed up with award-winning journalist and author Maria Shriver for a unique conversation on why positivity doesn't necessarily lead to happiness. R... posted on Nov 13, 0 reads

Another World
The creators of the film "Another World" assert that it will change the way you see your world. This documentary is about "mankind's journey to discover its true force and identity...It is a quest through science and consciousness, individual and planetary, exploring our relationships with ourselves, the world around us, and the universe as a whole." The filmmakers urge us to become "active, consc... posted on Dec 12, 4776 reads

Are Some Social Ties Better Than Others?
Social capital, or the benefits we get from relationships with family, friends, coworkers, and others, is an important measure of how we give and receive. From online exchanges to intimate gatherings, our connections span a wide range of closeness, each offering different challenges and rewards. Are some relationships better for us than others? Perhaps, but research suggests that having relationsh... posted on Sep 6, 7462 reads

Suiseki: The Japanese Art of Stone Appreciation
It's a tradition in Japan: suiseki are natural stones that suggest natural scenes or animal and human figures. The stones should not be modified and are displayed as found (a single cut is allowed). When someone finds a stone that embodies such a quality, it's collected and a display base, usually wooden, is crafted for the stone to sit upon. The tradition arrived from China where scholar's stones... posted on Dec 4, 27178 reads

I, Who Did Not Die
In this interview, Richard Whittaker sits down with Meredith May, author of "I, Who Did Not Die," a true story of hope and humanity, beginning with an event on a battlefield during the Iran-Iraq war. There, an Iranian boy soldier named Zahed takes mercy on an Iraqi soldier, Najah, after seeing a picture of his loved ones that dropped out of his Quran. Realizing their commonalities, he decides to s... posted on Oct 10, 7376 reads

Between Medicine and Music
Robert Gupta has played the violin all his life, studying at Juilliard and joining the LA Philharmonic at 19, but he also holds a very special interest in neurobiology and mental health. Throughout his adult life, Robert has walked a bridge between medicine and music, but the journey to get there was a long one. In his TED Talk, Robert talks about the effects music has on the brain, telling storie... posted on Jan 22, 17716 reads

The Gypsy Goat Herder
One woman, hundreds of goats, 365 days of the year equals innovation in the realm of environmental care. Lani Malmberg is an inspiration for eco-action, with her work focused on non-toxic land care in the form of herding goats to pastures that would otherwise use health and environmentally harmful pesticides. Drawing from her multiple degrees in weed science, biology, botany and environmental rest... posted on Jan 12, 2693 reads

The Age of We Need Each Other
A paradigm shift is what might move us and the world beyond the Age of Separation and into the Age of We Need Each Other. After Charles Eisenstein suffered a big failure, something told him he needed to drop the thought that he would get any recognition or credit for his work. Then he really questioned what lies at the heart of what we do and why. "Our culture validates and celebrates those who ar... posted on Nov 9, 16342 reads

Joserra Gonzalez: A Re-Love-Ution Blooms in Spain
"We are at the verge of many changes, and if we stay together in this journey, we can really face this big current which is taking us in a direction we don't know" Joserra's first question was "How can I serve?" He soon found the answers to why humans suffer and how to lessen our own suffering and that of those around us. From spending two years working in the slums of Ahmedabad, India to becoming... posted on Jul 21, 8746 reads

Life Lessons from Masterchef Nun Jeong Kwan
"Jeong Kwan is a Buddhist nun and renowned cook who brings people home to themselves in her kitchen and garden. Anyone who refers to her garden as my playground and to the plants as her children has a perspective on gardening, cooking and life that resonates deep within me. Kwan resides at the Chunjinam hermitage of the Baekyangsa temple, 169 miles south of Seoul, South Korea where she cooks vega... posted on Jul 26, 17616 reads

Speaking Loudly for a Quiet Place
"Bear Witness," chronicles the year Dave and Amy Freeman spent in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) Wilderness to bring awareness to the threats posed by a proposed sulfide-ore copper mining on the wilderness edge. The video is divided up into four seasons and documents the beauty of the BWCA during each season through video and journal-like audio. It tells their story through their words and ... posted on Oct 28, 2208 reads

Welcome to the Human Race
How can one find connection and meaning through an experience as isolating and dark as depression? In "Darkness Before Dawn: Redefining the Journey through Depression," Parker Palmer is among sixteen teachers who share their insights, perspectives, and even some positives after having experienced depression first hand. Despite that going through depression is difficult and disheartening beyond wor... posted on Oct 31, 15770 reads

Getting to Cleveland: Seth Godin on Gratitude
According to writer Seth Godin, there are two ways to live in the world: with a "have to" attitude or a "get to" attitude. The latter mindset opens up the world and all the possibility of goodness therein and the former shuts down the heart and closes the door on the world. So the question is, how do we want to live? Too often, we have taken the gifts around us for granted and end up feeling entit... posted on Oct 7, 13487 reads