Peace Pilgrim: The Four Relinquishments
On New Year's Day a woman named Mildred Norman Ryder left behind her home, her family and her name, to begin what would turn into a 28-year walk for 'a meaningful way of life'. Peace Pilgrim's fearlessness, love and simplicity have inspired generations of people worldwide. Here she shares the four relinquishments that powered her way of life. "Once you've made the first relinquishment, you have fo... posted on May 4, 20392 reads

Moina Shaiq's Meet A Muslim Initiative
Moina Shaiq has lived in the United States for close on four decades. This mother and grandmother is also a tireless community activist. The tragic shootings in Paris and San Bernadino brought home to her the widespread misunderstandings that surrounded the Islamic faith. So she decided to do something about it. She placed a "Meet a Muslim" ad in a local paper, inviting people to come spend an hou... posted on May 10, 16126 reads

Learning Generosity from a Homeless Child
On her annual trip home to visit her parents, author Homaira Kabir decided to invest some of her time and finances into a worthwhile cause. And despite finding many situations in which to share her generosity, it was paradoxically -- the generosity of a homeless child that made her pause and ponder the meaning of life and what makes it truly worth living.... posted on Jun 5, 14153 reads

What Matters Most?
Most of us make our way through life bogged down by our day-to-day rituals, and the demands of jobs, families and friends. But as author Patty de Llosa points out, it is imperative to stop and ask ourselves a very important question, "What do I really want?" It is a question that de Llosa believes ignites and brings to the forefront what we truly feel passionate about. In this blog post, de Llosa ... posted on Sep 16, 12485 reads

Outsmart Your Next Angry Outburst
"Robert and Howard had always gotten along well. They'd worked on several projects together and considered each other friends. So when Robert discovered that Howard held a strategy meeting and hadn't included him, he felt betrayed. He immediately shot off a text to Howard: I can't believe you didn't include me in that meeting!" Howard, who has his own narrative around Robert's previous actions res... posted on May 26, 28086 reads

The Brightness of a Greyhound Journey
"Our new driver was a brisk lady, vigilant but amiable. As we hit the road again, she introduced herself over the speakers and set the rules for the journey. She spoke clearly from experience and I wondered what kinds of situations she'd had to handle in the past. 'If you smoke on my bus, I will let you go immediately. If you do alcohol or drugs on rest stops, that is where you'll stay. It will be... posted on May 27, 14346 reads

The Great Unknown Is Me, Myself
"Jacob Needleman's voice has been prominent in the conversation about man's inner possibilities for some forty years. Turning away from a career in medicine toward philosophy while at Harvard, he went on to Yale, and then moved west when a position opened up at San Francisco State University. While teaching there, he found himself more and more drawn toward man's perennial questions. Making a deci... posted on Jun 11, 17710 reads

Rebecca Solnit: Falling Together
Rebecca Solnit, author and contributing editor of Harper's, seeks "to describe nuances and shades of meaning, to celebrate public life and solitary life...to find another way of telling." Her profound books defy category as she chronicles untold histories of redemptive change in places like post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans because, "when all the ordinary divides and patterns are shattered, peopl... posted on Jun 25, 11048 reads

A World of Solutions
Directed by Louie Schwartzberg and narrated by Morgan Freeman, this video shows the beauty and natural violence of millions of years of evolution and the impact of humans on this complex system in less than 200 years. However, while we are still in peril, we have the means to solve our problems in the present. Just as mycelium root systems feed all plant life, humans can use modern technology, suc... posted on Jun 28, 3842 reads

The Body's Grace: Insights from a Paralyzed Yoga Teacher
"Matthew Sanford says he's never seen anyone live more deeply in their body -- in all its grace and all its flaws -- without becoming more compassionate toward all of life. He's a renowned teacher of yoga. And he's been paralyzed from the chest down since a car accident in 1978, when he was 13. He teaches yoga to the able-bodied. He also adapts yoga for people with ailments and disabilities, incl... posted on Jun 29, 30241 reads

A Eulogy for My Mother
"For the first 58 years of my life, I would have to say that my relationship to my mother was a complex and difficult one. She was a huge personality, full of great passions, creativity, rages, and generosity. I remember saying to friends that I loved my mother in small doses, but that she didn't come in small doses. She was a force of nature." Celebrated filmmaker Mickey Lemle has shared the sto... posted on Jul 1, 47016 reads

When Resting is Resistance
Activists are impatient for the world we want to see. But though we seek to build a world beyond capitalism, we still fall into its traps, like the need for ceaseless productivity. We transpose capitalist definitions of 'success' onto social movements. We're either winning or losing. Within capitalism, if you're not growing and improving, you're failing. Some of us fight because our lives depend o... posted on Jul 27, 14683 reads

Why We Should Teach Empathy to Preschoolers
"Various studies show that the more empathy a child displays, the less likely they are to engage in bullying, online and in real life. Empathic children and adolescents are more likely to engage in positive social behaviors, like sharing or helping others. They're also less likely to be antisocial and exhibit uncontrolled aggressive behaviors. That's a big reason why educators have been devoting m... posted on Jul 8, 33511 reads

Former Dress Shop Owner Feeds Thousands Through Gardening
What started out as a simple gardening project for a grad student has now grown into a multitude of flourishing gardens, and a community coming together. This is the story of how the Randolph Street Community Garden came to give nearly 2,000 people access to fresh fruits, and vegetables and become a place where food, fun, and friendships grow.... posted on Jul 21, 7262 reads

The Beauty of Human Skin in Every Color
It has been 128 years since the last country abolished slavery, and 53 years since Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech, yet we still live in a world where the color of our skin gives a first and leaves a lasting impression. Angelica Dass's portrait project, Humanae, challenges how we think about skin color and ethnicity. What does it mean for us to be "black, white, yellow, red." Is ... posted on Jul 9, 3971 reads

The Benefits of Learning to Be Kind to Yourself
"Human beings are the only creatures who can make themselves miserable. Other animals certainly suffer when they experience negative events, but only humans can induce negative emotions through self-views, judgments, expectations, regrets and comparisons with others. Because self-thought plays such a central role in human happiness and wellbeing, psychologists have devoted a good deal of attention... posted on Aug 3, 30658 reads

How One Man Brought Back A Rare Butterfly Species
Bursting with hues of the ocean and the midnight sky, the wings of the Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly are considered some of the most beautiful in North America. The species has thrived in the San Francisco area for centuries, but recent development has caused the butterfly species to slowly begin to disappear. Enter 28-year-old Tim Wong who raises butterflies in his backyard as a hobby and who is... posted on Aug 14, 6075 reads

A Tribute to Mr. Happy Man
For over thirty years, Bermuda's Johnny Barnes stationed himself every morning for six hours at a busy traffic intersection. He made sure to tell all who passed by that he loved them. His delight and sincerity were infectious, and the people of the island loved him back. His service was a simple reminder of the power of happiness and loving-kindness to change any day for the better. Though Barnes ... posted on Jul 13, 5924 reads

Three Steps to Living a Life of Gratefulness
"In any process, we can distinguish a beginning, a middle, and an end. We may use this basic three-step grid for the practice of gratitude: What happens at the start, in the middle, and at the end, when we experience gratitude? What fails to happen when we are not grateful?...To be awake, aware, and alert are the beginning, middle, and end of gratitude. This gives us the clue to what the three bas... posted on Jul 19, 25494 reads

Letting Love Come In: Lessons from a Nursing Home
"Two and a half years ago my grandmother was placed in a nursing home where she will live out the rest of her life. She has dementia and so her memory capacity has been marred. Somehow though she remembers kindness. She is my constant teacher. One of things we like to do is walk down the halls in the nursing facility saying hello to the other residents...When I go to the nursing facility, it i... posted on Jul 22, 15934 reads

The Big Idea Behind Integrative Medicine
"The emerging field of integrative care is as much an idea as a set of practices. The idea is of an ecosystem of support, an intersecting set of relationships that address the whole human package -- body, mind, heart, and soul...I am reminded of the support that the poet W.H. Auden gave Dr. Oliver Sacks when he was composing Awakenings, a book about his work with a group of patients who had been i... posted on Aug 4, 16523 reads

Togetherness: A Wedding Blessing
Exactly a year and a day ago today, doctor-poet Sriram Shamasunder was asked to share a poem to celebrate the wedding of two friends, who in joining their lives together, were also making a commitment to combine their energies, gifts and talents in service of the greater good. The opening lines draw you in: "Somewhere right now so many someones are closing their eyes for the last time / and so man... posted on Aug 2, 21244 reads

All Life is Sacred: A Conversation with John Malloy
"By the time John Malloy was seventeen, he had moved forty-four times. In his young life as a rolling stone, Malloy learned to rely on himself. Whatever allies and friends he might have begun to cultivate in one place were always torn away by his constant displacement. In schools in New York, Washington D.C., San Francisco, and Oakland, as the new kid, he learned to fight. Every day was a trial. W... posted on Aug 16, 16232 reads

How Do You Heal From Sorrow Beyond Compare?
In the beautiful woods of Newtown, Connecticut, a new elementary school is about to open. Pleasing to the eye and soul, this new school replaces the Sandy Hook Elementary School in which, on December 14, 2012, twenty young children and six adults were shot and killed by a lone gunman. Not long after the shootings, the town decided to raze the old school and to build a new one on its site. In this ... posted on Aug 22, 17189 reads

Where Will All the Stories Go?
It is a simple question that P.L. Travers asks Laurens Van Der Post, the writer, soldier, and explorer who has written widely of his home country of Africa: "Where will all the stories go?" But it is not an easy answer. In a winding conversation that touches on Tolkein and the origins of mythology, Travers and Van Der Post explore what role stories play in a modern world where technology and enter... posted on Jan 21, 9499 reads

To All Artists Known and Unknown
"The radiant little man died at the Art Institute. I knew he was homeless and hanging out at the school, but I was unaware that he was living there. He died of exposure over Christmas break, and when he was found beneath a concrete overhang on the Jones Street side of the school, they found a number of sketchbooks in a backpack." From artist Richard Bergers beautiful reflection on the life and wor... posted on Aug 25, 4199 reads

Perseverance is Willingness, Not Will
"Persevering does not mean being rigid and fixed, but flowing like water, willing to meet the conditions at hand yet never giving up...Things happen all the time in this world that can make you feel as if the ground is giving way beneath your feet. Things that you think are solid and unchanging are not. The body that seemed so reliable, the relationship you thought would last for life, the narrati... posted on Sep 11, 13637 reads

From Royalty to Relics: India's Dinosaur Princess
Known as India's very own "Jurassic Park," the Balasinor Fossil Park lies nestled in the tiny Raiyoli village of Gujarat's Khera district. And guarding the Park's 65-million-year-old eggs is a fiercely passionate, dinosaur-loving former princess, Aaliya Sultana Babi. Aaliya fell in love with the fossil beds when she was a teenager and is now an enthusiastic promoter and protector of the precious a... posted on Sep 27, 12010 reads

Breathing Love into a Community
Brothers Atman and Ali Smith, and their "brother from another mother" Andres Gonzales decided in college that after they graduated, they were going to do something about the suffering they saw in the world, in a holistic way. They moved back into the neighborhood they grew up in, and started an after-school program for the problem children in a school around the corner from their childhood home. T... posted on Sep 12, 3475 reads

Seeking Better Ways of Thinking & Being
"The small street-level space that had been a pop-up office for fresh Helsinki-based start-ups, transformed perfectly into a gallery. A long table, dozens of colorful post-its, and a bulky arcade game gave way to mixed-media artworks and narratives arranged on the walls, and a 1:1 outline of a solitary confinement cell taped onto the floor. A decal on the window announced: Buddhas on Death Row." M... posted on Sep 21, 11327 reads

How to Talk to Strangers
Kio Stark enjoys interacting with people she doesn't know. Not in an "anonymous acts of kindness" sort of way, but in an adventurous way. Author of the book, "When Strangers Meet: How People You Don't Know Can Transform You," Stark has always been fascinated and enamored by the experience of interacting with strangers. Most people don't give these encounters a second thought, but Stark encourages ... posted on Oct 15, 17664 reads

Why We Shut People Out, and What to Do Instead
Why do we often see the world as "us" vs. "them"? And though it helps quiet our fears, what should we do about this unhelpful, often-damaging instinct? Harvard Psychiatrist and Zen priest Robert Waldinger, director of the longest study on health and happiness, explains why we are natural wall-builders, but actually less safe when we label people instead of relating to them. Read on for useful wall... posted on Oct 20, 24088 reads

5 Habits to Heal the Heart of Democracy
"We the People" called American democracy into being. Today, the future of our democracy is threatened. How can "We the People" call American politics back to health at a time when, in the words of Bill Moyers, "we have fallen under the spell of money, faction, and fear"? One answer is close at hand, within everyone's reach. We must return to the "first home" of democracy: the human heart. In our ... posted on Oct 10, 0 reads

Forgiving My Brother's Killer
This year, as he has done every year since September 15, 2002, Rana Sodhi hosted a memorial for his brother, Balbir Singh Sodhi who was shot while planting flowers in front of his store just four days after the 9/11 attacks. His murder turned a generation of young people, like family friend Valarie Kaur into activists, who began helping communities organize against racism and violence. But after t... posted on Oct 4, 10947 reads

Parker Palmer on the Heart of a Teacher
What is at the core of an exceptional teacher? Is it innate skills? In-depth knowledge? Infinite wisdom? Parker Palmer's book, "The Courage to Teach," proposes a different philosophy: the foundation for good teaching is built upon the identity and integrity of the teacher. This means that in order to teach well, teachers must have the courage to know themselves, and show themselves, in the classro... posted on Oct 3, 35524 reads

Teen Creates App So Bullied Kids Never Have to Eat Alone
It's the stuff of school nightmares: You walk into the lunchroom, and can't find a place to eat. You go from table to table, only to be told you can't sit there. You feel like everyone's looking at you, and your face flushes. This was the lunchroom scene not once but many times for Natalie Hampton in her old school. It felt lonely, embarrassing, and so awful that Hampton had to leave. While it doe... posted on Oct 17, 15821 reads

Navajo Justice
In January 2000, the Navajo Nation Council decided to revamp the Navajo Nation Criminal Code by, among other things, requiring the use of peacemaking in criminal cases. The Council formally incorporated into its criminal code the traditional concept of "nalyeeh" -- the process of confronting someone who hurts others with an intention to talk out the action and its consequences. Through this bold e... posted on Nov 1, 17432 reads

This Van Delivers Human Kindness
"If you want to experience real joy in your life, start giving away, start giving out..." Retired couple Peter Grazier and Nance Cheifetz decided that they wanted to become full-time Fairy Godparents, so in 2003, they sold their Lexus and bought Bodhi, their 1990 Volkswagon kindness van, and have been hitting the streets of the San Francisco Bay Area with lunch and hot chocolate. "Adults should ha... posted on Oct 8, 4524 reads

The Giving Season
"I was recently the recipient of an incredible act of anonymous kindness. It came from out of nowhere, at exactly the right time. The magnitude of the gift moved me to tears, and I was so grateful and profoundly moved by the generosity of my unknown benefactor. But I was also sure there had been a mistake. In the midst of this beautiful act, I am ashamed to admit that I was momentarily overcome ... posted on Oct 16, 13780 reads

Why Anonymity is More Artistically Rewarding than Fame
"Obscurity rids the mind of the irk of envy and spite; [it] sets running in the veins the free waters of generosity and magnanimity; and allows giving and taking without thanks offered or praise given." Read on for Virginia Woolf's reflections on the power of creating art anonymously.... posted on Oct 30, 7808 reads

A Library Where Kids Learn to Tinker
"Supplied with iPads, power tools, a 3-D printer, hot-glue guns, paint and buckets of marbles, buttons and other knick-knacks, the preteen participants [of this community "Maker Space" in Philadelphia] are given free rein to build what they please. To an outsider, it might seem the kids are just messing around, making arts and crafts from leftover junk. But for many of its young devotees, the prog... posted on Nov 10, 10814 reads

Two Words That Can Change a Life
""As I walked into the parking lot, I spotted the woman returning her shopping cart, and I remembered something in my purse that could help her in a different but hopefully profound way. It wasn't a handful of cash or a lead on a job for her husband, but maybe -- just maybe -- it would make her life better. My heart pounded as I approached the woman. "Excuse me," I said, my voice trembling a bit. ... posted on Oct 21, 0 reads

Can Love Stories Change the World?
Deep within us all lies a tender heart. A heart that's been wounded, heroic, or generous. That guides us with a whisper, or drives us like a sergeant. No matter who we are, where we live, or what we've done, we all have stories with our hearts as protagonist. Love stories. Matt Hopwood believes these powerfully personal, emotive narratives can be transformational for both individuals and communiti... posted on Jan 14, 13457 reads

Food Waste and the Culture of Rush
Journalist Diana Moreno took a job at a low-cost supermarket in Germany where she discovered what she called a nasty reality: "Every day, at a sleepy four o'clock in the morning, a random employee has to do the 'waste inventory'...we get rid of items just because they've lost their label, or because the package is broken, or because they've been left outside the fridge." This food waste adds up to... posted on Nov 27, 13277 reads

A World Where We Trust Strangers
"Something profound is changing our concept of trust, says Rachel Botsman in this TED talk. While we used to place our trust in institutions like governments and banks, today we increasingly rely on others, often strangers, on platforms like Airbnb and Uber and through technologies like the blockchain. This new era of trust could bring with it a more transparent, inclusive and accountable society ... posted on Jan 22, 18213 reads

Barefoot Skateboarders of Janwar
India's largest skateboarding park isn't in a big city, it's in a small village in Madhya Pradesh. A sport which has long been identified with urban neighborhoods across the world, is being used in a village in central India as a trigger for social change. Ulrike Reinhard, a German national, established a skate park in Janwar, Madhya Pradesh in a region notorious for being one of the most socially... posted on Oct 24, 3816 reads

Flowers from the Sky
Brenda Louie grew up during China's Cultural Revolution. She walked out of the country looking at the stars as she waited for her bound-foot grandmother to catch up. An extraordinary journey led her to Stanford. Her message is about the hope for humanity. "We have the sky. The rain and the sun come from the sky on old people, young people, rich, poor -- all colors and races, not honoring and bles... posted on Nov 19, 3828 reads

Reengineering Our Patterns
Eknath Easwaran, recommends slowing down and prioritizing our lives to live in more productive and balanced ways. As chair of the English Department at a large university, Easwaran's to-do list was long and daunting. He shares how he tackled it through inspiration from his grandmother, a woman who managed a large family with an unerring sense of what was central and what was peripheral. ... posted on Nov 16, 0 reads

The Beauty of What We'll Never Know
Sometimes transformation can be facilitated not by knowledge, but the lack of knowledge. In this novel and intriguing TED talk, Pico Iyer discusses the flip side of knowledge on the self-discovery coin. "The opposite of knowledge ... isn't always ignorance. It can be wonder. Or mystery. Possibility. And in my life, I've found it's the things I don't know that have lifted me up and pushed me forwar... posted on Nov 7, 20785 reads

Tea with Betty Peck
Betty Peck's kindergarten in Saratoga, California was a magical place. One mainstay of Betty's classroom cooking was the Kindergarten Bread. Baked weekly, the making of the bread takes children through all the stages of wheat, from kernel to loaf. The children plant the wheat each year, harvest it, grind a small amount to add to the bread, and learn about kneading, rising, and baking, singing song... posted on Feb 14, 8873 reads