Sheila Donis: A Life of Giving
Don’t miss this interview with an extraordinary woman, Sheila Donis, born on the west side of Chicago, one of nine children living in a small two bedroom apartment above a tavern. A nun for nine years, she left to become a teacher and then an administrator in poor inner-city Chicago schools, a job she loved. She also fought for donations to help her teachers and students and, over a period ... posted on Apr 11, 14468 reads

Going To School With Her Great-Great-Granchildren
Ninety-year-old Priscilla Sitienei is believed to be the oldest primary school student in the world. As an active midwife in Kenya, Priscilla helped deliver many of her primary-school classmates, including six of her great-grand children who are in her class. Community members and students affectionately call Priscilla "Gogo," which means grandmother in the local Kalenjin language. To them, Gogo i... posted on Mar 7, 5225 reads

Why It Pays To Put Kids In Control
For years, our public systems have been plagued with issues. More recently, the predominant focus has been that of social control -- where, the "policing of behavior trumps the expanding of minds." In light of this, educating for insurgency may seem a radical, and potentially, dangerous proposition. But, what if this new model empowered students to get involved and take control of their educationa... posted on Mar 10, 15757 reads

The Contentment Habit
For many of us, it is easy to fall into the habit of thinking or feeling that we are not doing enough when we see others doing great things or having amazing experiences. Constantly comparing ourselves to others and/or feeling as though we are not enough causes us to become unhappy and takes away from living in the moment. Read this article on how to appreciate every day and every moment more.... posted on Mar 9, 40975 reads

Music And The Developing Brain
Can music make you smarter? Research demonstrates it most certainly can. In fact, a 1993 study of college students showed them performing better on spatial reasoning tests after listening to a Mozart sonata. But, what is the connection? And, more importantly -- why would acquiring musical skills influence language and other higher brain functions? Read this fascinating article to learn why. ... posted on Jul 24, 12739 reads

Mary Oliver: Listening to the World
"Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting / over and over announcing your place in the family of things." In a rare interview, Mary Oliver shares details from her life and her poetry with On Being's Krista Tippett.... posted on Mar 18, 29389 reads

Is There a Fingerprint for Compassion?
As society continues to learn more and more from scientific research when it come to things like medicine and the environment, it has also led to something that might be a little more surprising: matters of the heart, or more simply … compassion. With the help of several scientific teams, researchers are starting to discover that one of the main nerves in the body might just be the fingerpri... posted on May 19, 13631 reads

Grow a Key Inner Strength
As the complications of life start to build -- whether it is health issues, financial concerns, or relationship problems -- it's important to find resources that enable you to skilfully navigate these challenges. And some of the best resources -- like mindfulness, compassion and determination -- are ones that already lie within you. Psychologist Rick Hanson, Founder of the Wellspring Institute for... posted on May 20, 16582 reads

Project 562: Photographing Beyond Stereotypes
Three years ago, photographer Matika Wilbur set out on an ambitious undertaking, traveling across America to photograph members of all 562 of America's federally-recognized tribes. Through her project, Wilbur has sought to address the problematic and romanticized depiction of Native Americans in the majority of images featuring them. Herself a member of Native-American tribes, Wilbur asks, "How ... posted on May 7, 7511 reads

How To Focus A Wandering Mind
"We've all been there. You're slouched in a meeting or a classroom, supposedly paying attention, but your mind has long since wandered off, churning out lists of all the things you need to do -- or that you could be doing if only you weren't stuck here...Suddenly you realize everyone is looking your way expectantly, waiting for an answer. But you're staring blankly, grasping at straws to make a se... posted on Apr 18, 152651 reads

Can I Be Fearless?
What's the difference between "be not afraid" and "have no fear"? If fear is a fundamental part of what makes us human, how can we come to better know ourselves and our strengths through the things that make us afraid? Margaret Wheatley ponders these questions and more, pushing us all to be with, rather than be our fears.... posted on Apr 25, 19181 reads

The Real Junk Food Project
For Adam Smith, the slogan 'Life is a Beach' turned out to be somewhat prophetic. Drawing inspiration from his days on the beaches of Australia, Smith decided to dedicate his life to creating The Real Junk Food Project (or TRJFP for short). And the words 'junk food' isn't meant to describe candy bars and potato chips, but rather for food that would otherwise be thrown away as junk from grocers, fa... posted on May 3, 121330 reads

Turning To Gift To Cure His Cancer & Society
Faced with the harsh reality of being diagnosed with stomach cancer, Brice Royer took a leap of faith and became voluntarily unemployed and turned his focus towards living in a 'gift economy'. With his belief that the gift economy "is an important way to reduce social stress and isolation...which leads to healing," Royer's story has caught the attention of many. Read more about his remarkable jour... posted on May 25, 23430 reads

Are You Cultivating Knowledge Or Consuming Information?
The internet represents an unprecedented opportunity to share and access information. But how do we mindfully engage with this tool, and with other emerging technologies, without getting lost in a maelstrom of distractions? Gregory Ciotti suggests that, with a specific set goals for personal growth in mind, we can find a healthier balance between engagement and immersion.... posted on May 4, 21234 reads

10 Timeframes For Measuring Life
How do we measure time? From the passing of seasons to the minute hand on a clock, the way we capture and measure moments is always changing. Today, we have more and more ways to track time, but we don't seem to be any closer to figuring out how best to use it. What if we change the very way we situate ourselves in the "when"? What if we stop measuring time in terms of nanoseconds of productivity... posted on May 10, 17259 reads

Change Leader, Change Thyself
When an association begins to start thinking about organizational change, whether it be a company, a school, or maybe even a community, many groups simply roll out a list of performance objectives and initiatives. But what is most often overlooked in this process is the one that is the most crucial: the awareness of leaders to make changes within themselves. This thought-provoking article delves i... posted on Jun 2, 8722 reads

The Prison Freedom Project: Transforming Lives Through Yoga
Five years ago, Brian Bergman and a fellow yoga teacher set out to bring the practice of yoga to prisons in South Africa. At the time, their only resource were 'bucket loads of energy and compassion', and a steadfast determination to serve. Today, the Prison Freedom Project touches the lives of inmates in eight prisons, sowing seeds of radical transformation. It all began with a simple question: H... posted on May 9, 15499 reads

Making Mother's Day
When a young man returns home after a two and a half year unexplained absence, his mother's instinctive response to seeing him at the door blows him away. Reflecting on her years of hard work and sacrifice for the well-being of her children, he decides it's time to return the favor. On his birthday he sits her down for a special and heart-warming surprise...... posted on May 11, 4980 reads

What to Focus on Instead of Goals
"We all have things that we want to achieve in our lives -- getting into better shape, building a successful business, raising a wonderful family, writing a best-selling book, winning a championship, and so on. And for most of us, the path to those things starts by setting a specific and actionable goal." Here, James Clear, wonders whether there might be a better way, than focusing on goals, to ... posted on Jun 22, 38200 reads

Desmond Tutu & His Daughter: On Ubuntu and More
Can we recover from the legacy of slavery, lynching, land theft, disenfranchisement, redlining, job discrimination, and mass imprisonment? Listen to what Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter, Rev. Mpho Tutu, have to say about Ubuntu, the spirit of forgiveness, which helped South Africa transition from apartheid to a multiracial democracy.... posted on Jun 21, 13533 reads

Home: The Movie
World renowned photographer, Yann Arthus-Bertrand, released "Home" on World Environment Day, June 5, 2009. Shot in 54 countries and 120 locations over 217 days, "Home" is almost entirely composed of aerial footage showing how everything on earth is interconnected. Though the visually stunning images inspire a sense of awe, wonder, and appreciation for our home planet, this film was produced to awa... posted on Jun 12, 4460 reads

Moving Beyond the Blame Game
Why do we waste so much energy looking for someone to blame when something doesn't go our way? Dr. Brene Brown provides us with valuable insight into how the constant search for blame limits the meaningfulness of our relationships. Brene Brown is a highly respected researcher on the subject of vulnerability. She has mastered using the art of storytelling and self-disclosure to bring life and pract... posted on Jun 26, 5392 reads

Pico Iyer on Bringing Calm Into the Motion of the World
"Pico Iyer is not a spiritual teacher or even, he says, a spiritual person per se. But he has become one of our most beloved and eloquent translators of the modern rediscovery of inner life. As a journalist and novelist, he travels the globe from Ethiopia to North Korea, and he lives in Japan. But he also experiences a remote Benedictine hermitage as his second home, retreating there many times ea... posted on Jul 10, 20533 reads

Pablo Neruda's Greatest Lesson from Childhood
As a child the renowned poet Pablo Neruda discovered a hole in a fence board from which, suddenly, appeared a tiny hand of a boy about Neruda's own age. The hand just as soon disappeared, and in its place there was a marvelous white toy sheep -- a gift to Neruda. This isolated incident would spark something deep in the poet and influence his work in all the years to come. In this beautiful passag... posted on Jul 14, 17967 reads

Just One Thing: Forgive Yourself
Why is it so difficult to forgive ourselves? One small, innocuous 'mistake' and our minds are instantly spinning. At times, it seems an endless battle between our inner critic and our inner protector -- with cynicism and regret often winning. But, what if we could turn it all around? In this article, author Rick Hanson explores practical techniques for 'hushing' our inner critic.... posted on Jul 26, 23013 reads

Just Eat It: Eating Trash For A Cause
"After learning that nearly 50 percent of the food grown in North America each year is thrown out, filmmakers Grant Baldwin and Jenny Rustemeyer decided to stop buying groceries and only eat food that would otherwise be thrown away." Read further to see a trailer of "Just Eat It," a film documenting their exploration into the wastefulness of the industrial food system -- and their experience with ... posted on Jul 30, 10087 reads

Martin Luther King on the 6 Pillars of Non-Violent Resistance
Non-violence is a term one often hears next to names like Martin Luther King and Gandhi. It may bring to mind boycotts and "passive"forms of resistance -- but when one digs deeper into the writings of Martin Luther King, we find so much more underlies the spirit and loving force of non-violence. Maria Popova of Brainpickings walks through six tenets of non-violent resistance, as outlined by Martin... posted on Jul 20, 22647 reads

Unlikely Mechanic Gives the Needy a Lift
Take a moment to reflect on the pivotal role cars play in many of our lives. They get us to and from work, they get us to the grocery store, to our doctor's appointments and so much more. Now imagine what a car breakdown means to someone who can't quite afford to pay for the high cost of repairs. The domino effect can be devastating. And that's where the heroic story of Cathy Heying begins.... posted on Jul 12, 5939 reads

Rebuilding a Neighborhood with Dignity and Hope
In this inspirational and motivating TED Talk, Bill Strickland shares his remarkable journey from a kid flunking out of school in a high crime-rate ghetto of Pittsburgh, to a man who has inspired thousands of people in his own neighborhood. Building on the belief that you can transform anyone by offering them hope, respect and dignity, Strickland has been lauded as a visionary genius by some of th... posted on Aug 1, 11348 reads

The Radical Power of Humility
"Today I'd like to surface an unpopular virtue. One that's fallen out of favor in a time of selfies and relentless status updates..." In this recent keynote that took his audience by storm, the founder of ServiceSpace makes a compelling case for -- humility. Rich with insight and studded with stories of unassuming heroes ranging from Nelson Mandela to unknown janitors, pilgrim monks and revolutio... posted on Jul 7, 117552 reads

17 Ways You Can Work for Social Justice
"If you're feeling inspired by the Supreme Court's historic same-sex marriage decision, then do your part to help build and sustain forward momentum toward justice for all. Inequality takes many forms, and people are still waiting on their ability to live freely, safely, or, just to live." In this article, learn about some ways you can be involved in creating a more just and peaceful world -- afte... posted on Aug 20, 14004 reads

How Awe Makes Us Generous
"What do the Grand Canyon, Sistine Chapel, and gazing at distant stars all have in common? They can awaken a deep appreciation for the world around us and inspire a profound sense of awe....But is that experience strictly personal? New research from UC Berkeley and UC Irvine suggests that experiencing awe can actually prompt us to act more benevolently toward others. In other words, awe can help m... posted on Sep 12, 10002 reads

Co-Working Spaces in Trees
Coworking is all the rage these days - with innovative spaces cropping up all around, designed to help invoke our inner creative spirit. There are spaces which double as coffee shops and climbing gyms. And, now? There is a shared space within the trees. Dubbed TreeXOffice, the project brings together six to eight people at a time to work under the canopy of a tree. It is designed with the intentio... posted on Aug 29, 10900 reads

Learning to Not Know
For centuries, our ancestors have gathered around the proverbial fire, so to speak--holding space for unity and peace. In many ways, these 'circles' have helped to foster dialogue, to grow community, and engage in a shared path of understanding. In this lovely interview, Kay Pranis, a national leader in restorative justice, discusses the wisdom within our collective knowledge, and the blessing our... posted on Aug 30, 16466 reads

A Century in the World
Grace Lee Boggs, Chinese-American philosopher and civil rights legend, talks here on her 100th birthday about her extraordinary life of helping others and how her studies in philosophy led to “a whole new way of thinking about change and how it develops...how the positive has to be achieved through the labor-patient suffering of the negative.” ... posted on Oct 6, 5492 reads

All We Have Is Now
Growing up and growing old sounds like a logical notion but it also appears to be a surreal process that we don't realise is happening until it has happened. This trailer for "Present Perfect," gives you a glimpse into a yet-to-be released film which explores the very real experience of aging in America. Providence Mount St. Vincent in Seattle, Washington, is home to more than 400 elderly resident... posted on Sep 21, 5167 reads

Anam Cara and the Essence of True Friendship
Nowhere do the beauty, mystery, and soul-sustenance of friendship come more vibrantly alive than in Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom by the late, great Irish poet and philosopher John O'Donohue. Anam Cara is Gaelic for "soul-friend". This piece shares more...... posted on Oct 21, 21399 reads

The Secrets to a Happy Life
What is the secret to a happy life? Ask anyone you know, and each will provide a different and widely varying response. In 1938, 268 men volunteered for a intriguing study conducted by Harvard University -- one in which their personal happiness might be measured throughout the years. Though no single study could ever predict the outcome of a man's life, there were some interesting revelations. Two... posted on Oct 25, 30397 reads

Boston's High School & Senior Center in One
They didn't plan on creating a shared space, but when architect Philip Poinelli met with the city leaders he realized they realized that the needs of the town's elderly overlapped quite neatly with those of its teenagers. But the synergy didn't stop short of a shared physical space -- each week, students and seniors work together to leverage and extend personal experience."There was so much overla... posted on Oct 26, 5462 reads

The Complex Relationship Between Nature and Culture
With a trip inside Angkor Wat, a temple inside one of the world’s most mysterious and important archeological sites, Norwegian photographer Christian Houge asks a question that has long perplexed man … “Is nature with us or against us?" Through a series of brilliant photographs, Houge gives us a glimpse of the complex relationship between man and nature.... posted on Dec 15, 6302 reads

A Beautiful Mind: A Conversation with Gina Sharpe
What if "the real adventure and beauty in life does not consist in grand gestures but in imperceptible acts of daring -- moments of daring to be open, to listen, to not run away or defend ourselves from what arises"? In this interview, Tracy Cochran explores precisely this idea with Gina Sharpe, co-founder of Manhattan retreat center New York Insight. Their illuminating conversation explores how ... posted on Jan 30, 19736 reads

My Daughter Malala
Pakistani educator Ziauddin Yousafzai reminds the world of a simple truth that many don't want to hear: Women and men deserve equal opportunities for education, autonomy, an independent identity. In this TED talk, Yousafzai tells stories from his own life and the life of his daughter, Malala, who was shot in the head at point blank range by the Taliban in 2012 simply for daring to go to school. Yo... posted on Nov 29, 3774 reads

Should We Train Doctors for Empathy?
The term 'bedside manner' has long been used to describe a doctor's ability to connect and empathize with a patient. According to recent studies, the importance of good bedside manners is becoming more and more critical, as patients whose doctors listen and demonstrate an understanding of their concerns not only are more satisfied with their treatment, but also enjoy better health. This article sh... posted on Nov 14, 13173 reads

The Power of Not Knowing
Every day, the world we live in and the vast universe around us, offer countless questions waiting to be answered. And despite all of our scientific advances and vast reservoirs of knowledge many times the answers remain elusively just out of our reach. In this thoughtful piece writer Wayne Muller explores the counter-intuitive power of not knowing.... posted on Nov 21, 17993 reads

The Story of the Man Who Gave Us Pain Relief
For the longest time, doctors basically ignored the most basic and frustrating part of being sick -- pain. In this lyrical, informative talk, Latif Nasser tells the extraordinary story of wrestler and doctor John J. Bonica, who persuaded the medical profession to take pain seriously -- and transformed the lives of millions. ... posted on Apr 12, 14246 reads

Can We Create Social Change Without Money
Can we create social change without money? Just holding that question can raise some very interesting insights. In theory, our society is supposed to balance our three big sectors. The private sector, the voluntary sector and the public sector. Each has its purpose and, in theory, it works. But in practice, money has become such a driving force that we have started to put a price tag on everything... posted on Oct 28, 33369 reads

Peter Kalmus: The Question of Progress
"In every house, there were blue flickering lights going in synchrony because everyone was watching the same TV show. It was a quiet night and I was alone, just walking with the sound of the freeway and the blue flickering lights. And what had seemed normal to me my whole life suddenly seemed strange." Here's a moving interview with a young climate scientist at Caltech.... posted on Oct 30, 0 reads

Erich Fromm on the Art of Loving
Our cultural mythology "continually casts love as something that happens to us passively and by chance, something we fall into, something that strikes us arrow-like, rather than a skill attained through the same deliberate practice as any other pursuit of human excellence. Our failure to recognize this skillfulness aspect is perhaps the primary reason why love is so intertwined with frustration. T... posted on Jan 12, 19150 reads

Debt As A Relationship Based On Love
For all that debt contains and constrains us, debts worth having are all around when we care to look for them. The debts that are worth having are those that allow us to be more fully ourselves, that we honor with our freedom rather than our servitude. This article presents a revolutionary way of looking at debt and provides a vision for a more compassionate and relationship-based debt system.... posted on Dec 7, 9076 reads

The Surgeon General on Health Via Happiness
"Happiness is not an emotion, an inherited disposition that is awarded to a select few, or even dependent on events that happen to you in life." Rather, the U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy argues that "happiness is a perspective, and that everyone can create it for themselves with four simple, free approaches: gratitude exercises, meditation, physical activity and social connectedness." In this... posted on Dec 8, 24841 reads