12 Productivity Tips From Incredible Busy People
"'Personal productivity is a key differentiator between those who succeed in their chosen field and those who do not,' says bestselling author Brian Tracy. Leaders and entrepreneurs who are at the top of their game know how to achieve what they want in less time than others. We can learn a lot from the tactics of these successful, and incredibly busy, individuals on how to better organize our own ... posted on Aug 12, 154412 reads

The Man with 10,000 Tales
"Harold Scheub first went to South Africa on a safari of sorts. In 1967, at the height of apartheid, Scheub--an earnest Midwestern twenty-something with a stint in the Air Force under his belt and a freshly awarded Master's degree in English -- packed a rucksack and hopped a bus for the backcountry. But instead of guns and ammo, he was armed with a bulky tape recorder and D batteries. Scheub wasn'... posted on Jun 25, 13729 reads

Wavy Gravy: Saint Misbehavin
"I was asked, in the mid-seventies, to go the Children's Hospital in Oakland and cheer up kids. On the way out the door of my house, someone handed me a red, rubber nose. I discovered it enabled me to get out of myself and be entertaining to the kids. After awhile, I began to paint my face up as a clown. I worked with kids almost every day for about seven years. I had to go to a political rally at... posted on May 18, 4250 reads

We Are Gardeners of the Wilderness
"We've entered what some scientists are calling the Anthropocene -- a new geologic epoch in which human activity, more than any other force, steers change on the planet. Just as we're now causing the vast majority of extinctions, the vast majority of endangered species will only survive if we keep actively rigging the world around them in their favor ... We are gardening the wilderness. The line b... posted on Sep 5, 14566 reads

The Power of Creative Constraints
What if a hospital decided to serve anyone who came to its doors, regardless of whether they could pay, and still committed to providing world-class quality care? Can such a self-imposed constraint actually help drive innovation? And what if that constraint is geared toward solving a problem of global proportions, without any outside funding? An almost incomprehensibly ambitious vision to rid the ... posted on Jun 10, 48681 reads

The Gift Hidden in the Heart of Disaster
"Disaster reveals what else the world could be like - reveals the strength of that hope, that generosity and that solidarity. It reveals mutual aid as a default operating principle and civil society as something waiting in the wings when it's absent from the stage." In this interview with Rebecca Solnit, she explores the reasons behind the paradoxical truth that when disaster strikes, the better p... posted on Jun 24, 15110 reads

Uncovering the Blind Spot of Leadership
Why do many of our attempts to address the challenges of our times fail? This article presents the view that two leaders in the same environment acting in the same way can bring about completely different outcomes depending on the inner place from which each operates. We know very little about this inner dimension and this lack of knowledge constitutes a blind spot in our approach to leadership an... posted on Jul 9, 95410 reads

Manic Nation: Why We're Addicted to Stress
How many of us have gotten that excited sensation when our smartphones beep with a text or notification of an email? And perhaps like an involuntary reaction we sometimes reach for our phone to check the new message, even if in the middle of a conversation with a friend. In this informative and thought-provoking account of Dr. Peter Whybrow's work, we learn about the fascinating findings of neur... posted on Aug 11, 24937 reads

The Power of Enough
A beautiful reflection unfolds when this writer explores a simple Balinese tradition that points to the power of enough. With wisdom and eloquence she invites us to "to keep our desires and aspirations in proper proportion with our gratitude and good intentions" so that you "can experience a sense of ease between your wishes for what might be and your gratitude for the beauty of what is."... posted on Aug 19, 34743 reads

Living in the Age of Distraction
"The evidence is plentiful these days that distracted people cause harm to themselves and to others. We read reports of fatal train accidents caused by the engineer texting and of commercial flights crashing because pilots were chatting. Pedestrians and drivers are killed because they're on the phone. We need look no further than ourselves to observe distraction. How long can you focus on any acti... posted on Jun 7, 68763 reads

Lessons from Messes
"While making tacos one evening several years ago, I heard the pitter-patter of my son's toddler toes scampering toward me, paired with a hearty, mischievous giggle. I remember thinking, "I wonder what's so funny...He's been so quiet, playing all by himself." A quiet toddler? Playing by himself? For 30 minutes? I should have known better: rookie mistake. I turned to greet my then 16-month-old and ... posted on Jun 29, 17680 reads

7 Paths to a Meaningful Life
Dr. Philip G. Zimbardo, a giant in the field of social psychology, delivered a commencement address at the University of Puget Sound in May. He is now a professor at Palo Alto University, a professor emeritus at Stanford University, and the president of the Heroic Imagination Project. In the speech Dr. Zimbardo lays out seven paths to personal happiness and collective well-being based on insight... posted on Jul 25, 120701 reads

Tiny Superheroes: Acknowledging The Heroism of Children
How many of us have seen children tie towels around their shoulders and race around as superheroes? In just four months, Robyn Rosenberger has given 500 children battling difficult medical conditions that feeling of invincibility by making custom capes for each one. She posts stories of these Tiny Superheroes to give each child a voice and a face for their condition. These capes are more than just... posted on Jun 18, 6074 reads

Solving the World's Biggest Problems
Echoing Green invests in individuals with the creativity and passion to "solve the world's biggest problems." Its fellowship recipients are young, bold, and talented. Get to know this innovative funding organization by meeting some of its social entrepreneurs and previewing a few of their projects: emergency medical response for urban India, micro-capital investment programs for rural West Africa,... posted on Apr 19, 2617 reads

Elizabeth Gilbert: Beyond Eat, Pray, Love
"I think I have more compassion than if I had led a life where everything worked out exactly as I had planned or if I had never been wounded or if I had never been betrayed or I had never been harmed. I don't think I would be as good a person. I'm still aspiring to be a better and better person, but I think those disappointments have made me gentler with other people and their disappointments, the... posted on Sep 30, 23690 reads

Gaze Even Here
How do we look upon the brokenness of ourselves and the world, and in fixing our gaze, relinquish our desire to fix or change? Is it possible to just be with what is broken, to look, and in looking, come to love? Click here to walk with Trebbe Johnson through the clearcut forests of Vancouver, and journeys towards an acceptance of the world as it is.... posted on Jan 10, 8468 reads

How Doctors Die
What does it mean to provide true healthcare? Do we look to doctors to cure and save us, or to help improve our quality of life? Already under immense pressure, today's doctors face a stark paradox: providing more care often means a larger paycheck and less risk of litigation, but doesn't always correspond with a patient's wishes or a doctor's better judgment. Speaking from his own experience, Ken... posted on Jan 25, 114970 reads

Malala's Birthday Wish
It is customary to make a wish on one's birthday. On her sixteenth birthday, nine months after being shot in the head in an assassination attempt by a Taliban gunman in northwest Pakistan, Malala Yousafzai addressed the United Nations Youth Assembly in New York with a wish for universal equality, universal opportunity, and universal education. Once targeted for death because of her outspoken advoc... posted on Jul 13, 6280 reads

Steve McCurry: Family Matters
Steve McCurry has been a one of the most iconic voices in contemporary photography for more than 30 years, with scores of magazine and book covers, over a dozen books, and countless exhibitions around the world to his name. He brought the world the first visuals of the conflict in Afghanistan, putting a human face to the issue with the celebrated image of the Afghan Girl and many other such powerf... posted on Sep 9, 8333 reads

Soul Surfer: Braving Life's Sharks
Kara Holden, screenwriter of the film "Soul Surfer" offers an eloquent reflection inspired by a conversation with Bethany Hamilton on whose life the film is based. Bethany is a surfer who lost her arm in a horrific shark attack. She valiantly returned to surfing less than a month after the incident and would go on to win numerous championships. In this piece the author probes into the reasoning be... posted on Jul 20, 42796 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, 122141 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, 54856 reads

Building A Regret Free Life
Through her work, Bronnie Ware, author of The Top Five Regrets of the Dying, has found a powerful way to use gentleness, loving kindness and humor to help celebrate both the strength and vulnerability of life and living. In this delightful interview, Bronnie shares what she has learned while working in palliative care and how her meditation practice saved her life.... posted on Aug 24, 25461 reads

Confessions of a Late Bloomer
In this important article, psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman asks us to reconsider how we evaluate an individual's potential. We tend to "conceptualize ability as a static property, something hard-wired into the brain by genes that are prepackaged and already activated at birth." And if someone does not display that hard-wired ability early on, we dismiss him or her as un-gifted and less likely to ... posted on Sep 24, 37171 reads

11 Untranslatable Words From Other Cultures
Words are flimsy packages that we wrap around abstract concepts and offer to others in the hopes of being understood. Friedrich Nietzsche said, "Words are but symbols for the relations of things to one another and to us; nowhere do they touch upon the absolute truth." There are so many parts of the human experience that have no satisfying word to describe it. Luckily, we can borrow words from othe... posted on Aug 31, 168442 reads

A Great Potential for Love
"Natalie Batalha hunts for "exoplanets" -- Earth-sized planets beyond our own solar system -- that might have liquid water and harbor life. ...And, I've never met anyone who speaks more intriguingly than Natalie Batalha about the connection between science, love, and gratitude for life. She is a luminous voice for the way exploring the heavens -- as we do that now -- is bringing the beauty of the ... posted on Jan 29, 26851 reads

Harlem Hate Crime Victim: I'm Feeling Gratitude
"People keep asking me what it feels like to have been assaulted in a hate crime. Honestly, I can't come up with a better response than simply 'gratitude.' I'm thankful for a few reasons. If they had attacked me any more violently, I may not be awake right now to tell my story. If they had attacked me even half an hour earlier, they would have harmed my wife and one-year-old son. [...] My wife and... posted on Oct 7, 29058 reads

When You Listen To A Child
"Having a parent that listens creates a child who believes he or she has a voice that matters in this world," says Rachel Macy Stafford, a young mother who, in this digital age, has made the life changing decision to go completely 'hands free'. She did so to ensure her children always knew, that their voice in this world matters. "Because," she continues, "someday our children will find themselves... posted on Nov 26, 88786 reads

The Pain & Beauty of Change
"The reason for our suffering is our resistance to the changes in life. And life is all changes. While I resist change (and suffer) just like anyone else, I have learned to adapt. I've learned some flexibility. I've realized this: Everything changes, and this is beautiful." Generally, it seems we have two options in regards to change: we can choose to react negatively, or we can choose to react po... posted on Feb 13, 44802 reads

Looking With Your Whole Body
"She visited the Bay Area, where she lived on a horse ranch south of San Francisco. The exposure to the beauty of the place -- the coast, the hills, the redwoods -- made a deep impression. One day, as she stepped out of her house, she looked up and saw a red-tailed hawk soaring above her. 'As I stood looking up at the hawk, in a voice as clear as day, I heard these words: 'Tell my story'." Jane Ro... posted on Jan 19, 24687 reads

Awakening Sight: Reflections From A Photographer
When photographer David Ulrich faced losing his sight he had a life-changing experience,less under the dominion of ego, and more open to life, to people, and to the changes inherent in our lives. He discovered that "The nature of our perceptions is relative and depends on our state of awareness and state of being." Follow his journey to another kind of seeing... ... posted on Jan 3, 30909 reads

Gardening At The Dragon's Gate
Gardening is a fundamental work that demands your energy and heart, and it gives you back great treasures as well. It is all about picking and choosing and following our passion. Read on for a glimpse of one gardener's beautiful insights gleaned from 25 years at Green Gulch farm.... posted on Jan 30, 21056 reads

Best Foot Forward
"At a young age, Nicholas Lowinger learned not to take things for granted. When he was 5 years old and visiting a homeless shelter with his mother, he was excited for the opportunity to show off his new light-up sneakers to the rest of the kids. But his mom cautioned him against doing so, explaining that these children might not have such luxuries. Sure enough, when Nicholas met kids at the shel... posted on Nov 16, 6512 reads

Insights From Photographing Spiritual Giants
“I may not have the most wonderful bank account, but my spiritual bank account is overflowing,” says Jane Feldman of her career as a social justice photojournalist and author. Working for the Peace and Justice Ministry of New York’s Riverside Church led her to photograph Nelson Mandela. She’s traveled with the Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation and met the Dalai Lama. Enjoy he... posted on Jan 24, 3789 reads

Teenage Football Players Conspiracy of Kindness
Without telling their coaches, the football players of Olivet Middle School conspired to execute an extraordinary play at their next home game. Actually, it was two plays. The first was to get as close to the goal line as possible without scoring. And the second? Well, you'll just have to watch the video to find out. The most remarkable effect of the play? Says one team member, "I went from being... posted on Nov 13, 8170 reads

The Art of Missing
Artist and architect Maya Lin is best known for designing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC. Her latest memorial has satellite sculptures and multimedia installations throughout various cities, but the core of the project lives on a cool website called What Is Missing? The site honors extinct or endangered animals and their habitats, ecosystems lost or degraded, and, on a positive not... posted on Dec 7, 5737 reads

Why Are We So Wired To Connect?
What drives our powerful need for social interaction? And what makes being alone difficult? These are just a couple of the questions that Matthew Lieberman, a social neurologist from the University of California, explores in his newest book, Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect. Through his research, Lieberman has identified compelling evidence demonstrating the neuroscience behind our huma... posted on Feb 24, 21049 reads

Helping Kids Overcome Fear of Failure
Are kids kept safe from failure nowadays, and in the process, are they failing to develop the resiliency needed to confront life's mistakes and challenges head on? According to UC Berkeley professor Martin Covington, fear of failure is directly linked to our feelings of self-worth, and many children go to great lengths to avoid failing. Knowing this, what can we do to create a safer environment fo... posted on Mar 23, 31004 reads

The Healing Power of Presence
"I was about 12 years old when I found out that my grandfather was born on 12/12/12. If he were alive, he would be exactly 100 years old today. I found out about his birthday, when he came to stay with us in Munich for an eye surgery. He was a diabetic and had been experiencing deterioration in his vision. At that time, it was very difficult to find an eye surgeon in Pakistan who would be able to ... posted on Jan 18, 34406 reads

Contemplating Mortality
Nobody looks forward to dying. It's good to be thinking about life and living as long and as well as possible, but we shouldn't assume that death is only about suffering and its avoidance or its suppression. There are also experiences, interactions, opportunities, that are of profound value for individuals and all who love them. ... posted on Feb 14, 8626 reads

Green Bridge Growers: Finding Hope in the Ground
"Food is so much a part of the fabric of our lives, reflecting our health, lifestyle, time, and values." But with so much of the food in our markets and on our plates coming from afar, what does our food have to say about us? How can our food be a reflection of our values, and perhaps play a role in helping address other problems found in our society? Green Bridge Growers aims to answer this quest... posted on Mar 11, 13859 reads

Saving the Kind Barber and His Street Cats
With two hefty sacks of cat food in her arms, Manuela Wroblewski can't stop smiling as she whisks toward the familiar shop. Hussein, the Turkish barber, clasps his hands in gratitude as he eyes the bags of food and the two hurry over to the tiny food dishes lined up in the alley. Soon the sound of kibble clinks against the bowls and several stiff tailed cats begin to appear. But Hussein was in tro... posted on Dec 17, 187075 reads

A PhD Student Turned Fruit Picker For Her Community
"There's a lot of people who say the problem is so big, nothing we can ever do will fix it," Sarah Ramirez says. "Well, if we all took that position, nothing would ever get done." After getting her PhD from Stanford and becoming Tulare County's epidemiologist, Sarah noticed troubling trends of diabetes, obesity, and food insecurity in her community. She also noticed that much fruit in the region w... posted on Feb 20, 5788 reads

A Christmas Wish From Beyond The Grave
This Des Moines radio station had run a "Christmas Wish" program for over 20 years, but nothing had prepared them for Brenda Schmitz's request. The wife and mom of four lost her battle with ovarian cancer two years ago, at the age of 46. Then..."About a week and half ago we got [her] letter in the mail," shares station brand manager Scott Allen. Brenda wanted the station to do something wonderful ... posted on Dec 25, 45537 reads

An Artist's Healing Project In Rwanda
Lily Yeh is a global artist who is fueled by a belief that art is a human right, and that artists can create a foundation for profound social change. This film documents the design, building and impact of the Rugerero Genocide Memorial, a project that brought hope and healing to the traumatized survivors of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. The monument now serves as the official memorial site for the ... posted on Jan 4, 3315 reads

Mind & Mood On A Breathing Planet
The awareness that stirs within each of us is continuous with the wider awareness that moves all around us, bending the grasses and lofting the clouds. Every organism partakes of this awareness from its own angle and place within it, each of us imbibing it through our nostrils or through the stomata in our leaves, altering its chemistry and quality within us before we breathe it back into the surr... posted on Feb 9, 6118 reads

On Navigating Stuckness
Jonathan Harris spent much of his life creating small, beautiful things. Going from one project to the next wasn't always so lucid, and in this article, he recounts moments where it felt like he lost his flow -- and what he did about it. "We have these brief lives, and our only real choice is how we will fill them. Your attention is precious. Don't squander it. Don't throw it away. Don't let compa... posted on Mar 8, 35984 reads

Insights From Photographing Spiritual Giants
"I may not have the most wonderful bank account, but my spiritual bank account is overflowing," says Jane Feldman of her career as a social justice photojournalist and author. Working for the Peace and Justice Ministry of New York's Riverside Church led her to photograph Nelson Mandela. She's traveled with the Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation and met the Dalai Lama. Enjoy her words on earning the tru... posted on Feb 3, 18719 reads

12-Year Old Musician With A Big Heart
Aiden Hornaday was 8 years old when he picked up his brother's dusty harmonica with no idea of how to play it. The next day, waiting for his mother at a restaurant, he took off his cap and started playing, and got 80 unexpected dollars in tips "just for taking his hat off." That night, he decided to donate the $80 to fight intestinal parasites for African orphans, and the seeds of Aiden Cares was ... posted on Feb 22, 3719 reads

21 Technologies That Will Decentralize The World
"Across the planet new technologies and business models are decentralizing power and placing it in the hands of communities and individuals." Fred Wilson, venture capitalist and futurist speaks compellingly about this transition. Here is a list of 21 technologies that over the next ten years will spur this process of decentralization.... posted on Apr 7, 184195 reads