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, 17968 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, 117555 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, 21402 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, 3775 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, 17994 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, 19151 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, 24842 reads

What Does A Grateful Brain Look Like?
Evidence is mounting that gratitude makes a powerful impact on our bodies, including our immune and cardiovascular health. But how does gratitude show up in the brain? At the University of Southern California a new study sheds light on the neural nuts and bolts of gratitude, offering insights into the complexity of this social emotion and how it relates to other cognitive processes.... posted on Jan 2, 16309 reads

Lessons from the Longest Study on Happiness
If you were going to invest now in your future best self, where would you put your time and energy? While we're constantly told to lean in to work, to push harder and achieve more, The Harvard Study of Adult Development tracked the lives of 724 men for 75 years and found that the healthiest at age 80 were those who had had the most satisfactory relationships. This fascinating TED talk shares more.... posted on Jan 8, 145740 reads

The Power of Treating Employees Like Family
Parenting gave CEO Bob Chapman an epiphany about leadership: "Parenting is the stewardship of the precious lives that come to you through birth, adoption or second marriages. Leadership is the stewardship of the precious lives that come to you by people walking through your door and agreeing to share their gifts with you." This insight ultimately transformed how Chapman runs his company. In a new ... posted on Jan 9, 0 reads

The Top 10 Insights from the Science of a Meaningful Life 2015
From the link between kindness and awe, and the keys to bridging political divides, to the effect of mindfulness on making healthy choices, and news about the contagious smell of happiness (that's right, you read that correctly -- 'the smell of happiness'), there's a lot that was uncovered in 2015! Enjoy this intriguing list of insights compiled by the Greater Good Science Center from the past y... posted on Jan 7, 18742 reads

The Best Leaders are Insatiable Learners
Nearly a quarter century ago, at a gathering in Arizona, John W. Gardner -- a legendary public intellectual and civic reformer -- delivered a speech that may be one of the most quietly influential speeches in the history of American business. Surprisingly, this speech was not about money nor power. Rather, it was on "Personal Renewal" -- "the urgent need for leaders who wish to make a difference a... posted on Jan 13, 16376 reads

5 Important Things We Learned About Mindfulness in 2015
The more we learn about mindfulness -- cultivating a focused awareness on the present moment -- the more health and well-being benefits we discover. In 2015 researchers delved deeper into the science of meditation and uncovered even more surprising evidence of the powerful effects of mindfulness on mind and body. ... posted on Jan 25, 23206 reads

Shelagh Was Here: An Ordinary, Magical Life
"Shelagh Gordon was another name in the obituaries, an ordinary woman who had died suddenly." Or was she? Here's what her passing revealed about Gordon: "Her relationships were as rich as the chocolate pudding pie she'd whip together...She was both alone and crowded by love...She was the interpreter, she made sure everybody understood each other's feelings...You could put your heart on the table ... posted on Jan 18, 110934 reads

Dr. Abdul Kalam on Life's Pursuit
This artful rendition of the inspiring words of the late former President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, cautions us against the constant pursuit of material goods and status symbols, and prompts us instead towards discovering our own deepest dreams and convictions.... posted on Jan 29, 17869 reads

Introspection is Out, Outrospection is In
What is your capacity for empathy? Is it just reserved for the down and out? How about empathizing with those in power? Can empathy travel across great distances and through time? This informative animation challenges how we tend to view empathy and advocates for the transformative power that can bring about change for individuals as well as entire societies. ... posted on Jan 10, 5733 reads

A Comic Book For Refugee Children
"International Medical Corps developed a series of comic books for children displaced by the conflict in Syria and Iraq in order to teach them important messages about disease prevention, safety in camps and about how to promote their well-being. The first two comic books in the series tell stories about children facing the same problems young refugees encounter in their daily lives, introducing s... posted on Jan 24, 9023 reads

Tiny Houses Built with a Big Heart
Some may see the makeshift tents and tarps that line the streets merely as garbage or eyesores, but Gregory Kloehn sees a game plan. Inspired by the improvised shelters that homeless people craft, Kloehn, the founder of Homeless Homes from Oakland, California, decided to start making his own "mini" homes with material mainly sourced from waste. With 35 houses built and counting, these miniature ho... posted on Jan 16, 5229 reads

The End of Solitude
Technology is taking away our privacy and our concentration, but it is also taking away our ability to be alone. Today's young people seem to feel that they can make themselves fully known to one another. They seem to lack a sense of their own depths, and of the value of keeping them hidden. So we live exclusively in relation to others, and what disappears from our lives is solitude.... posted on Feb 13, 12060 reads

We Are All Homeless
Many of us feel uncomfortable and nervous when we come across homeless people carrying signs asking for money. We cross the street or look away to avoid making eye contact. Designer and artist Willie Baronet started buying signs from the homeless as a way to deal with his discomfort. In 1993, he embarked on a cross-country trip, buying signs from homeless people from Seattle to New York City. Alon... posted on Feb 3, 5721 reads

The Story of Bopsy: The Very First Make-a-Wish Kid
"In 1978, 5-year-old Frank "Bopsy" Salazar was diagnosed with leukemia. Doctors advised his mother, Octaviana Trujillo, to check him in to St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix. At the time, Trujillo was 26, single, and couldn't afford to put Bopsy on her health insurance. She checked him in anyway. Over the next two years, Bopsy was treated by Dr. Frank Barranco, a physician who the... posted on Feb 4, 18418 reads

Our Shortened Attention Span & 3 Ways To Stay Focused
"In the digital age, where the news is limited to 140 characters and conversations take place in the form of emojis, our attention span has shortened. A recent study has found this digital lifestyle has made it difficult for us to stay focused, with the human attention span shortening from 12 seconds to eight seconds in more than a decade....Humans now have less of an attention span than a goldfis... posted on Feb 17, 24643 reads

The Disappointed Diner Who Now Feeds 1200 Children Daily
Unhappy with the service he'd received at a restaurant, Darshan Chandan sent the management an email expressing his disappointment. When the management apologized and offered him a free meal, Darshan asked them to feed underprivileged children instead. What happened next changed the course of his life. The restaurant carried out his request and sent pictures of the children they'd fed. "This is th... posted on Feb 6, 25168 reads

Karen Armstrong on Leading from the Heart
"It is difficult not to feel helpless as we witness the widespread cruelty, poverty and injustice that human beings inflict upon one another. It is tempting to harden our hearts or to dwell only upon the suffering that we have endured. But this can no longer be an option. Compassion is not emotional feeling of goodwill; it does not mean pity; it is rather the principled determination to put oursel... posted on Feb 16, 15852 reads

The Principle of Sufficiency
Lynne Twist, author of "The Soul of Money," shares the distinction, as she sees it, between sufficiency and abundance and why understanding this distinction can help build a future that will serve us all. "We can move our money, or the money we are entrusted with, toward that which will serve us all from a sense of our own wholeness rather than a desperate longing to be complete. I call this livin... posted on Feb 19, 5038 reads

Peace Fleece: Spinning A Good Yarn
"Peace Fleece started as an act of protest, a way of challenging the continuation of the Cold War...Founded on the mantra of 'peace through trade,' Pete and Marty combined American and Soviet wool into yarn -- it was detente through domestic art." Read on to learn how Pete used this practice to deal with his psychological wounds from memories of Vietnam and how this project blossomed into a compan... posted on Mar 1, 11252 reads

David Whyte: On Anger, Forgiveness & What Maturity Means
"Our emotional life maps our incompleteness, philosopher Martha Nussbaum wrote in her luminous letter of advice to the young. A creature without any needs would never have reasons for fear, or grief, or hope, or anger. Anger, indeed, is one of the emotions we judge most harshly in others, as well as in ourselves and yet understanding anger is central to mapping out the landscape of our interior ... posted on Feb 8, 43606 reads