The Gift of Lewis Hyde's
"Gifts pass from hand to hand: they endure through such transmission, as every time a gift is given it is enlivened and regenerated through the new spiritual life it engenders both in the giver and in the receiver. And so it is with Lewis Hydes classic study of gift giving and its relationship to art. The Gift has never been out of print; it moves like an underground current among artists of all k... posted on Nov 20, 1930 reads

The Fearless Organization
A completely fearless organization is an aspiration that will always remain slightly out of reach. It will never be the case that every single person shows up at work with a fearless stance that looks outward and forward, and that everyone is more interested in contributing to shared goals than in staying personally safe. Having said that, a 'mostly fearless' organization is one in which people fe... posted on Dec 30, 1200 reads

Ikebana and the Jedi Model
"The Japanese traditional arts including ikebana have adopted the apprenticeship model [of the Jedi]. Once you enter the world of ikebana, you are trained under one certain master for at least several years and if the master thinks you are ready to be a master, which is called "shihan" in Japanese, the master recommends you to the board of masters which would approve you as shihan. If approved, yo... posted on Jan 10, 2219 reads

Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgement
"In Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgement, Nobel Prize Winner, Daniel Kahneman together with co-authors Olivier Sibony, and Cass R. Sunstein show how noise helps produce errors in many fields, including medicine, law, public health, economic forecasting, food safety, forensic science, bail verdicts, child protection, strategy, performance reviews and personnel selection. And although noise can be found... posted on Jan 21, 2180 reads

Zach Shore: Shining A Light Amidst Deep Moral Conflicts
"After an encounter on campus with a fellow blind student who had just returned from a solo excursion with seeming ease, Zachary Shore had a moment of awakening: "My problem wasn't my blindness. It was my lack of skills and confidence." He would indeed come to find a remarkable set of skills and confidence -- eventually earning a doctorate from Oxford University, becoming a distinguished scholar o... posted on Feb 8, 2094 reads

The Company We Keep: Deborah Meier
"When all goes even remotely well, we are remarkable learners. Our capacity to be so is linked to our equally remarkable capacity to imagine being another. We are designed to learn from others, to be apprentices to adults. All we need are those adults and a setting that seems to accept us and, in turn, seems acceptable to us. This allows us to trust sufficiently to explore and imagine, predict and... posted on Feb 13, 2585 reads

Asymmetry & the Art of Generous Creation
"As an artist or writer, how do you compose a work that is generous? How do you place a group of rocks together in a garden, or branches, berries and blossoms together in an ikebana arrangement,-- or ideas and language on a page -- to invite real participation? The artist is giving a gift, I think, if she leaves some connections unfinished. Implied. The artist is giving a gift, I think, when the c... posted on Mar 6, 2628 reads

Amishi Jha: Pay Attention to Your Attention
Amishi P. Jha came to her pathbreaking work studying the neuroscience of mindfulness and attention when, as a young professor of cognitive neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania, she lost feeling in her teeth. She had been grinding them as a profound stress response to burnout from her responsibilities as a wife, mother, and tenure-track professor. Knowing from her academic work that the b... posted on Mar 9, 5078 reads

Shay Beider: Resilience is Rooted in Source
Over the last two decades Shay Beider has done pioneering work in integrative medicine through her non-profit organization, Integrative Touch, that enhances well-being, minimizes suffering and facilitates healing for children with special medical needs and their families."Essentially, our entire role as a team is to listen with every little bit of our capacity. And so that's not just listening wit... posted on Mar 16, 2752 reads

Deborah Cohan: The Dancing Doctor
"Deborah Cohan is a lifelong dancer, obstetrician-gynecologist, and teacher of embodied medicine. In 2013, moments before undergoing a double-mastectomy, she and the entire operating room team broke out into dance, filmed by the anesthesiologist for Deborahs friends and family. The video found its way into the public sphere and has since been viewed 8 million times. Deborah oversees births at Zuck... posted on Apr 21, 3918 reads

Curiosity: A Sponge for Terror
"And so I moved from hoping every morning to find myself waking up from a bad dream to realizing that this room and its contents were the only life I had. And this was the body I had to live it with. I started waking up ready to fully live this specific life and get acquainted with what was in many respects a new body every day. I started the day asking, what part of my body works today? What can ... posted on Jun 15, 3598 reads

Thirsty for Wonder
"Contemplative life flows in a circular pattern: awe provokes introspection, which invokes awe. Maybe you're making dinner and you step outside to snip chives from the kitchen garden just as the harvest moon is rising over the easterslopes. She is full and golden, like one of those pregnant women who radiate from within. Suddenly you cannot bear the beauty. Scissors suspended in your hand, tears p... posted on May 4, 3024 reads

The Thread of My Life: Following the Heart's Wisdom
"One of the great paradoxes of life is that we must go inward in order to find the road out of ourselves. That is what life asked me to do 15 years ago. After a long period of trying to run away from dark thoughts and feelings my body and mind collapsed. And that was the best thing that could ever happen to me! Before this breakdown I never wondered about what living really means. I just followed ... posted on May 9, 3082 reads

Seasons of the Monastic Table
"'Remember the earth whose skin you are,' writes Joy Harjo, and there is literal truth to this. We are grown from the body of the Earth, we are made of it, and to it we return. Plants, bacteria, animals, fungi, humans: we all exist in relationship to each other and to a rotating and orbiting planet whose journey around the sun gives us waxing and waning light, seed sprouts and withering stems. Bei... posted on Jul 5, 1679 reads

Carrie Newcomer: Asking the Right Questions in Song
Carrie Newcomer is an American performer, singer, songwriter, recording artist, author and educator. The Boston Globe described her as a "prairie mystic" and Rolling Stone wrote that she is one who "asks all the right questions." According to a 2014 PBS "Religion and Ethics" interview, Newcomer is a conversational, introspective songwriter who "celebrates and savors the ordinary sacred moments of ... posted on Jul 15, 2945 reads

Slowing Down in Urgent Times
"To slow down in times of crisis--times that in so many ways require action on all fronts--can seem counterintuitive. We are constantly met with pressures to achieve more, act faster and be better. Dr. Bayo Akomolafe disagrees. Urgent times, he urges, call for quiet; for rest and respite. Instead of ramping up, we must surrender, and wait to witness the transformative potential of stillness. Dr. A... posted on Jul 22, 2852 reads

Adrian Arleo: Metaphors for Interdependence
Writes Adrian Arleo, "For 40 years, my sculpture has combined human, animal and natural imagery to create a kind of emotional and poetic power. Often there's a suggestion of a vital interconnection between the human and non-human realms; the imagery arises from associations, concerns and obsessions that are at once intimate and universal. The work frequently references mythology and archetypes in ... posted on Jul 27, 1575 reads

Jessica Gigot: Moon
"The full moon rises over the blackberry bramble along the ditch. It has been shining so bright these past few nights, aiming light into all the dark spaces, memories, regrets. ... I am inside with our two girls. We can't afford a full-time babysitter, so in the afternoons, my husband and I alternate, fusing into one person running the farm. During this particular day I have milked the sheep and m... posted on Dec 15, 1477 reads

It Takes Brokenness to Find It
"My father was 67 when he died, and that's too young, but lately, as I stare at some hard realities of aging and mortality, I begin to appreciate the fact that he didn't have to endure a long period of frailty, pain, and dependence. My father was himself to very the end, brilliant and good and a force of nature, the most important person in my world, and I miss him terribly even now. Maybe espec... posted on Aug 6, 3861 reads

Cloudy is the Stuff of Stones
"Whenever I'm outside for more than ten minutes I start picking up rocks. In Patagonia, in Phoenix, in a Home Depot parking lot -- my gaze is invariably sucked downward into the gravel. I weigh the merits of pebbles by some fickle and mutable aesthetic and either pitch them back or pocket them and stack them among hundreds of their brethren on the counter behind our kitchen sink like fortification... posted on Aug 18, 1608 reads

This Hunger for Holiness
"Being in the presence of Barbara Brown Taylor's wonderfully wise and meandering mind and spirit, after all these years of knowing her voice in the world, is a true joy. I might even use a religious word -- it feels like a "blessing." And this is not a conversation about the decline of church or about more and more people being "spiritual but not religious." We both agree that this often-repeated ... posted on Aug 26, 4349 reads

I Use My Voice as a Weapon of Mass Connection
"I'd always been doing community sings and gatherings, and people ask me, "What do I have to do in order to be able to sing with you?" And I say, "Are ya breathin'? Good. That's the only qualification." And we need that so much. In my talk, I'll be talking a lot about why we need to share each other's music and how important that really, really is..." Melanie DeMore is a singer/composer, choral co... posted on Oct 3, 2221 reads

Greater Good Resources for Peace & Conflict
"Here at the Greater Good Science Center, the war between Israel and Hamas is provoking a range of emotions: sadness, anger, fear, and more. Were reading the news every day and wishing that there were more we could do to help.As an educational nonprofit, the best we can do, perhaps, is to remind ourselves and our readers that peace is always possible, the vast majority of people resist killing, ev... posted on Oct 16, 2219 reads

Life's Present: Visits with my Mother and Dementia
In a touching reflection, Jackie Bailey shares heartwarming and intimate details about caring for her elderly mother, whose demeanor has softened with age and dementia. She muses, "It's not that mum has simply forgotten all her old beefs. Getting older is making her brain kinder." Citing studies on neuroimaging and the release of oxytocin, she asserts, "older people are kinder than the rest of us.... posted on Jan 3, 2264 reads

Conversation with Peacemaking Mystic, Orland Bishop
“What are the questions being asked of me?” and “Why would I do something my heart is telling me not to do?” Orland Bishop addresses these two questions in his interview with Berry Liberman, spanning from his emigration to the United States to his social healing work. Bishop discusses how what is happening in the world today due to the collective unconscious reflects the un... posted on Apr 30, 2410 reads

Sri Lanka's Untold Story of Resilience
When the legendary Dr. A. T. Ariyaratne -- often called "the Gandhi of Sri Lanka" -- passed away last month at the age of 92, his enduring legacy of selfless love expanded in hearts across the globe. For over sixty years, Dr. Ariyaratne's humility and servant leadership stewarded thousands of self-sufficient villages in Sri Lanka. Working quietly and often behind the scenes, the unique non-governm... posted on May 7, 2254 reads

Becoming a Possibilist
“I don’t have a crystal ball to know what’s going to happen in the future, but I know that in the present moment, there are possibilities for us as human beings to transform our conflicts.” Author and negotiation expert William Ury’s opens his discussion on Sounds True’s Insights at the Edge podcast with this explanation of what it means to be a possibilist. The... posted on May 13, 2853 reads

Listening to Stones
Thought leader Don Hill and renowned Blackfoot elder and scholar Leroy Little Bear explore “different visions of reality” on their hike to the archaeological site, Writing-on-Stone, in Alberta, Canada. They conversed with one another, but also with wind, hoodoos, petroglyphs, local birds, insects and surroundings exploring “ways of knowing.” Little Bear explained that life ... posted on May 16, 2037 reads

Learning the Language of Plants
Jessica J. Lee and Zoë Schlanger delve into the intricate world of plant intelligence, memory, and cultural belonging. Their new books offer fresh perspectives on the interconnectedness between humans and plants. Schlanger, inspired by the profound vitality of plants, discusses their intelligence and adaptability, challenging conventional notions of consciousness. Lee, reflecting on the histo... posted on May 22, 1784 reads

Popular Sneaker Shop Returns -- With A Twist
A sneakers store will soon reopen in California; however, it will not sell new sneakers. Through gatherings, mentoring, internships, and workshops, locals will learn shoe cleaning and repair, and how to make their old shoes “spicier.” But the space, known as SoleSpace Lab, is about a lot more than shoes. Participants will also learn about the many harmful materials that go into sneaker... posted on Jun 11, 1479 reads

The Surgeon Who Accepts Community Service as Payment
As a child, Demetrio Aguila admired his physician father who worked long hours, but with such a higher purpose that “there was always joy in everything he did.” Demetrio wanted to find his own joyful higher purpose. He became a surgeon, and was inspired by his experiences with humanitarian services in the military to help the less fortunate. After much soul searching and some stumbling... posted on Jul 26, 2417 reads

The Benefits of Volunteering
Experience and research show that while volunteering is good in and of itself, volunteers may receive as much or more than they give. Some of the benefits: it keeps people active; leads to new friendships, less loneliness, and more social support; it instills a sense of purpose, and improves self-esteem and self-confidence; and they feel a sense of accomplishment. Researchers find volunteering may... posted on Aug 3, 1848 reads

Ice Cream Aunties Bring Joy and Healing
A devastating and highly destructive fire last year traumatized people in Lahaina on the island of Maui. Some residents were fearful of coming out of their places of refuge, even when essentials were left on the lawn. Locals who wanted to help wondered what it would take to get them out. Then one had an idea: free ice cream. Now known as the Ice Cream Aunties, they began to signal ice cream delive... posted on Aug 8, 1719 reads

Iris Murdoch: How to See More Clearly and Love More Purely
Maria Popova explores essays by Iris Murdoch around self-knowledge and relationships. She stresses that self-knowledge is a lifetime journey. When we do not see progress, or fail in our strivings, we may become anxious “where we feel the discrepancy between our ideals and our personality.” The discrepancies may show up as hurtful to others, and create more anxiety. She writes, “f... posted on Aug 13, 2503 reads

Untitled
Thoughts and even subtle emotions influence the activity and balance of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS interacts with our digestive, cardiovascular, immune and hormonal systems. Negative reactions create disorder and imbalance in the ANS while positive feelings such as appreciation create increased order and balance in the ANS, resulting in increased hormonal and immune system bal... posted on Jul 25, 781 reads

Linking Relationships and Physical Health
Research on the link between relationships and physical health has established that people with close interpersonal relationships recover more quickly from disease and live longer. And now the emerging field of social neuroscience, the study of how people’s brains entrain as they interact, adds a missing piece to that data. The most significant finding has been that of "mirror neurons," brain ce... posted on Nov 20, 2119 reads

Untitled
Meet a very special group of puppets. They dress and act like real children. Like real children, each one has definite likes and dislikes, hopes and fear, talents and limitations. And, like real children, some have differences like mental, physical or emotional disabilities, and some have lives touched by abuse, drugs or divorce. Together, the Kids on the Block form the core of a unique and exciti... posted on Oct 2, 558 reads

Energizing Elixir
Love is in the air almost everywhere -- in movies, on TV, in greeting cards and, of course, in steamy romance novels. Ministers preach about it, pop stars sing about it, but what exactly is love? Researchers at Fetzer Institute are trying to understand its subtler, altruistic nature and coming to interesting conclusions. For instance, having a clear-eyed assessment of your spouse, and not the am... posted on Jun 12, 1165 reads

To the Rescue in Bangladesh
Driving in Old Dhaka (Bangaldesh), she saw a cycle-rickshaw standing by the side of the road. Under the decorated hood were two women; one looked young and "very confused." Then she noticed a vehicle with two men in it coming down the road. She sensed something was wrong. "It looked like a dalal (pimp) and his client. I thought "I have to do something!" I looked at the young girl and said, 'Do y... posted on Nov 7, 1045 reads

Barefoot Solar Engineeers
Gulab Devi is illiterate, but she talks about circuits, transformers and condensers as other women talk about cooking and sewing. She is one of many barefoot solar engineers. Ask her what she does for a living, and she'll tell you she makes electronic circuits and chargers for solar lighting panels. And before you start wondering whether you heard wrong, she'll tell you that she also installs and... posted on Jul 24, 1501 reads

Windsurfing For Sustainability
They're 23 years old, windsurfers, and expert sailors. To inspire young kids to do sustainable development, Diogo Guerreiro and Flávio Jardim embarked on 6,500 Km trip across the coast of Brazil. And they travel light -- a windsurf board and a small bagpack. "We go into the class and tell children about how we are living. That we are just using the wind as an energy source," explained Diogo Gu... posted on Nov 9, 1160 reads

Out of the Rat Race
For years, Mark Albion ran at the head of the rat pack. He earned three degrees and an appointment at Harvard University, he was regularly sought by the best and the brightest companies for advice, he had brilliant colleagues, unlimited resources, few bosses, a flexible work schedule, and personal wealth. He was also miserable because he felt his work didn't enrich the lives of others. After witne... posted on Apr 28, 2329 reads

You Do What You Eat
Forget tougher punishments and hiring more police. The solution to crime and violence is on your plate. Appleton Central high school, for example, replaced their vending machine with water coolers; the lunchroom took hamburgers and French fries off the menu, making room for fresh vegetables and fruits, whole-grain bread and a salad bar. Yup, that's all. And the student behavior radically improv... posted on Feb 1, 1908 reads

Myth of the Mid-life Crisis
Recent discoveries at George Washington University Medical Center show that the aging brain is more flexible and adaptable than we previously thought. Studies suggest that the brain's left and right hemispheres become better integrated during middle age, making way for greater creativity. As our aging brains grow wiser and more flexible, they also tend toward greater equanimity. And a great deal o... posted on Mar 27, 2173 reads

Unexpected Outcomes
Dr. Hill asks his mathematics students at Georgia Tech to go home and either flip a coin 200 times and record the results, or merely pretend to flip a coin and fake 200 results. The following day he runs his eye over the homework data, and to the students' amazement, he easily fingers nearly all those who faked their tosses. There is more to this than a classroom trick. Dr. Hill is one of a growin... posted on Apr 9, 2246 reads

Finding Flow
Athletes refer to it as "being in the zone" and artists and musicians as "aesthetic rapture.” For decades now, a remarkable researcher from the University of Chicago -– and author of President Clinton's favorite book -– has studied exactly this. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi started with art students, then chess players, musicians, inner-city basketball players, and eventually Bornean weavers and ... posted on Apr 24, 1764 reads

More Nutritional Bang For Your Buck
Consider this the next time you force the nutrition in: researchers have found that food that's unfamiliar or unappetizing winds up being less nutritious than food that looks, smells and tastes good to you. Does this mean we should be reaching for the donuts and forgoing the raw cauliflower? No. The food has to have nutritive value in the first place. And how does the mind affect nutritive value? ... posted on May 13, 1647 reads

Child Poet and Peacemaker
Speaking at 14 year-old Mattie’s funeral, Jimmy Carter said that he’d traveled to 122 countries and met kings and queens, but Mattie Stepanek was “the most extraordinary person I ever met.” Despite suffering from muscular dystrophy, Mattie’s first poem came when he was 3! His wisdom, positivity, and messages of peace have inspired and given hope to millions. At the age of 10, Mattie wrot... posted on May 14, 2437 reads

Raising 10 Kids on 35 Words or Less
In the mid-1950s, the ten Ryan kids lived on the edge of disaster and dispossession. Dad drank away his machine-shop wages, and his witty, resourceful wife, Evelyn, was too busy at home to take a job. So she started entering contests -- not today's sweepstakes but tests of literacy mettle -- churning out hundreds of rhyming couplets and mini-essays hailing the merits of soap and cat food. And by G... posted on Jun 8, 2540 reads

Five-A-Day Plan For Well-Being
Simple activities such as gardening or mending a bicycle can protect mental health and help people to lead more fulfilled and productive lives, a panel of scientists has found. A "five-a-day" program of social and personal activities can improve mental wellbeing, much as eating fruit and vegetables enhances physical health, according to Foresight, the government think-tank. Its Mental Capital and ... posted on Oct 30, 5945 reads