College Happiness Clubs
"College students often get stereotyped as stressed out and sleep-deprived. But at universities across the country, students are aiming to change that as they join clubs dedicated to a common, joyful purpose: spreading happiness. Northwestern University is home to one of the country's oldest college happiness clubs, which began unofficially in 2008 when a group of students handed out hot chocolate... posted on Feb 24, 12367 reads

Estella's Brilliant Bus
Even after 50 years as an educator, Estella Pyfrom was not ready to slow down after retirement. When Estella realized that fewer students had access to computers after school, she and her husband spent their life savings on a mobile learning lab called Estella's Brilliant Bus. Now, Estella provides whatever services a community might need, from after-school tutoring to free food distribution. Her ... posted on Feb 26, 3424 reads

Three Surprising Ways to Feel Less Busy
"Although people tell me all the time they like feeling busy--perhaps because it makes them feel important and significant-- I'm not buying it. Would you ever choose busyness over a more relaxed form of productivity? When life starts to feel hectic, here are a few ways to dial back the overwhelm." This article shares three tips for achieving relaxed productivity (and also shares information on why... posted on Mar 11, 38542 reads

Six Cities Designed for Health
What would it look like if cities were designed for health and happiness of its residents? The YES! magazine profiled 6 such cities which are taking steps -- from creating new distributed green spaces that will improve water quality, to developing opportunities for greater community interaction, to forging partnerships to support holistic medical options -- to helping residents live more healthful... posted on Mar 31, 14945 reads

Gulabi Gang: We Are Fire
Bundelkhand region, in the hinterlands of Uttar Pradesh, is one of the poorest districts in India. In this deeply patriarchal society, domestic and sexual violence against women is endemic. The Gulabi (pink) Gang was founded by Sampat Pal to start a movement for change. Named for the pink saris worn by the women members, the organization helps raise women's consciousness and empowers them to becom... posted on Mar 15, 2873 reads

Understanding of the Heart: A Conversation with Irene Sullivan
Irene Sullivan is an artist. She's lived in remote regions of Alaska as a nurse practitioner; her experiences with indigenous people led her to an interest in female shamanism among arctic peoples and to independent research as a Fulbright Scholar. Later she became an ordained priest in the Episcopal Church in the sub-arctic region of northern Manitoba where she served three villages of the Cree p... posted on Mar 17, 13671 reads

A Prosecutor's Vision For A Better Justice System
"[H]ow many of you, by the age of 25, had either acted up in school, went somewhere you were specifically told to stay out of, or drank alcohol before your legal age? How many of you shoplifted, tried an illegal drug or got into a physical fight -- yes, even with a sibling? Now, how many of you ever spent one day in jail for any of those decisions? How many of you sitting here today think that you... posted on Apr 3, 15689 reads

The Capacity for Successful Solitude
When asked to share her thoughts on the value of solitude, and her view that if people don't learn to be alone, then they are guaranteed to be lonely, author and psychologist Sherry Turkle had this to say...... posted on Apr 25, 24773 reads

4 Reasons to Cultivate Patience
As virtues go, patience is a quiet one. It's often exhibited behind closed doors, not on a public stage: A father telling a third bedtime story to his son, a dancer waiting for her injury to heal. In public, it's the impatient ones who grab all our attention: drivers honking in traffic, grumbling customers in slow-moving lines. We have epic movies exalting the virtues of courage and compassion, bu... posted on Apr 7, 0 reads

Unlocking Multiple Forms of Wealth
Much of today's society is designed through the lens of financial wealth, but is our world richer for it? Nipun Mehta uses that question as a springboard to make a compelling case for alternative forms of wealth that are often overlooked -- like time, community and attention. Drawing on his personal journey with ServiceSpace, as well as fascinating research and real-world examples, this inspiring ... posted on Apr 19, 52960 reads

Yoo-Mi Lee: Giving the Gift of Time
Yoo-Mi Lee's family moved from Korea to Uganda. Six years later they immigrated to the Bronx. She was 12. Graduating from Cornell, she ended up by happenstance on Wall Street. Executing trades, glued to three video screens, working three phones and keeping up with the ticker tape, she was headed for a seat at George Soros' currency desk. Then she walked away from the world of Big Money. "I decided... posted on May 6, 4409 reads

The Dream We Haven't Dared to Dream
What are your dreams? Better yet, what are your broken dreams? Dan Pallotta dreams of a time when we are as excited, curious and scientific about the development of our humanity as we are about the development of our technology. Pallotta asks us to "Imagine living in a world where we simply recognize that deep, existential fear in one another -- and love one another boldly because we know that to ... posted on Sep 7, 15897 reads

Grafitti Grandma
Most people have a negative image of graffiti and "tagging." However, there are a group of grandmas and a few grandpas in Lisbon, Portugal, who are encouraged to create street art through workshops given by an organization called Lata 65. This video is a tribute to one of the "crew." Meet Lusa Corteso, a graffiti grandma who never let age impede her imaginative spirit. ... posted on May 9, 4379 reads

Billions in Change: The Man Who Gifts 99% of His Wealth
How do you change the world? Is foreign aid the most effective tool, or should charities funded by millions of small donors lead the way? A new organization called Billions in Change is trying a new strategy: creating inventions to solve the most fundamental problems that people face around the world. Founded and funded by multi-billionaire Manoj Bhargava, the organization has a unique opportunity... posted on May 16, 21374 reads

A Life-Saving Coat for the Homeless
"Six years ago, Veronika Scott accepted a challenge from her college professor: Design something to "fill a need" in Detroit. Scott, an art student, found her inspiration on the streets."In Detroit, there's this large homeless population, and they kind of just disappear into the landscape," Scott said. "I wanted to design for this whole population of people that we just don't see." In 2010, Scott ... posted on May 19, 7089 reads

Translating Meaning Into Life: A Taoist Parable
"During a time of great drought, a Taoist master was asked by members of a village if he could help bring rain to their dry fields. They confessed trying many other approaches before reaching out to him, but with no success. The master agreed to come and asked for a small hut with a garden that he could tend. For three days, he tended the garden, performing no special rituals or asking anything fu... posted on Dec 29, 44732 reads

The Sandwich Man
Allan Law first came across hunger and homelessness as a middle school teacher in the inner city schools of Minneapolis, Minnesota. In his retirement, Law has spent every day of the last 12 years on the streets of Minneapolis, leaving his small condominium filled with freezers at 8pm and returning around noon the next day. He distributes 6 - 700 sandwiches a day, along with other essentials, sleep... posted on May 30, 2443 reads

New Trail of Hope
"Walking into the park to get a better look, I was shocked to see how many pieces of art I saw. It was hard to believe. This was a city park, after all. Sure, one might see a piece of public art here and there in a park, but nothing like this. And this work was alive. Across the language barrier I made out something like this: "Whatever this creative ability is that has been given to me, it's not ... posted on Jun 7, 5175 reads

Art & Healing: Katherine Sherwood
UC Berkeley art professor, Katherine Sherwood suffered a serious cerebral hemorrhage paralyzing her right side. Impatient with the slowness of rehabilitation therapy, she decided to go back into the studio and try painting using her left hand. It turned out to be the most effective therapy she could have imagined. And her painting, many agreed, had become better than ever. As she says, "I strongly... posted on Jul 2, 4296 reads

The Science of the Story
Stories are told in the body. It doesn't seem that way. We tend to think of stories as emerging from consciousness -- from dreams or fantasies -- and traveling through words or images to other minds. We see them outside of us, on paper or on screen, never under the skin. But we do feel stories. We know in our gut when we're hearing a good one -- and science is starting to explain why.... posted on Jun 9, 19835 reads

Thinking Outside the Box
Despite its relative small size, big things are emerging from an innovative idea that is bringing a wealth of knowledge and hope to those living in marginalized communities. The 'ZubaBox,' is a shipping container that has been cleverly transformed into a solar-powered internet cafe that provides school children in remote areas "a space that they deserve to improve their learning experience and ach... posted on Jul 3, 16943 reads

How Great Leaders Inspire Action
Simon Sinek has a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership starting with a golden circle and the question "Why?" His examples include Apple, Martin Luther King, and the Wright brothers . He shares more here, in one of the most popular TED talks of all time.... posted on Jun 20, 23803 reads

Elizabeth Gilbert: Choosing Curiosity Over Fear
Her name is synonymous with her fantastically best-selling memoir Eat Pray Love. But through the disorienting process of becoming a global celebrity, Elizabeth Gilbert has also reflected deeply on the gift and challenge of inhabiting a creative life. Creativity, as she defines it, is about choosing curiosity over fear not to be confused with the more familiar trope to "follow your passion, but ra... posted on Sep 5, 17189 reads

We All Benefit When We Design For Disability
"I believe that losing my hearing was one of the greatest gifts I've ever received," says Elise Roy. As a disability rights lawyer and design thinker, she knows that being deaf gives her a unique way of experiencing and reframing the world a perspective that could solve some of our largest problems. As she says: "When we design for disability first, you often stumble upon solutions that are bette... posted on Sep 17, 11528 reads

The Little Free Pantry
Created by Jessica McCarland, Little Free Pantry in Fayetteville, Arkansas, is a low-cost, direct-action approach to fighting food insecurity by allowing people in Jessica's neighborhood to share surplus food and household goods. After a short article on the pantry spread through social networks, the idea inspired other neighborhoods to start their own Little Free Pantries. While global issues can... posted on Aug 11, 16141 reads

Can Science Help You Become Wise?
As science continues to make amazing inroads into just about everything, like the Hubble telescope and the Human Genome Project, there is one thing that science is just starting to scratch the surface of: wisdom. Enjoy this fascinating interview with Krista Tippett, author of the book, "Becoming Wise: An Inquiry into the Mystery and Art of Living," on the developing evolution of wisdom.... posted on Aug 15, 12213 reads

James George: If Not Now, When?
"International diplomat, author and visionary environmentalist James George is now 98. I met and interviewed him as he was about to get married at the age of 86. Having just received a copy of his most recent book, Last Call, I thought it fitting to revisit this earlier, light-emitting interview. As Jim George says, "You see, Consciousness is permeating human beings to the degree that it can, but ... posted on Jul 24, 4632 reads

Giving To People Who Give
YouTube prankster Big Daws has over 1.7 million subscribers to his channel, BigDawsTV, but in this video, he addresses the issue of homelessness. Watch this social experiment in which Big Daws pretends to be a homeless person in need, and then gives to those that lend him a hand. "I just want to make the world a happier place and bring out the best in people."... posted on Jul 28, 4492 reads

Earthscapes: Art that Goes Out with the Tide
For Andres Amador, the earth is his canvas, literally. Instead of paintbrushes or pencils, Amador uses garden rakes to create beautifully crafted designs in the sand. From his hands emerge bold graphics, symmetrical sequences and organic patterns. The medium of using sand means sustainable designs that come from the earth and return to the earth. While there is no permanence to Amadors art, he doe... posted on Aug 6, 3892 reads

When the Boss Flunked
"Bob stood up and read his evaluation out loud. It was not pretty. There were lots of problems and weaknesses that his team had identified. He had basically flunked. As the 100 top leaders sat there, listening to Bob read his report, the place was absolutely quiet." This article shares the riveting story of what happened when the leader of a successful company failed his 360 degree evaluation. It ... posted on Aug 19, 15105 reads

How a Yellow Car Saved Me
When a little yellow car drove into Toni Powells life, she had no idea how much it would alter her ability to handle stress and worry. This funny true story tells of a moment of epiphany in a suburban street and offers a memorable tool that anyone can use to help make their life calmer.... posted on Aug 21, 6320 reads

The Left Shoe
Remember the joy of a new pair of shoes? This beautiful film, based on a story attributed to Gandhi's life, depicts the lives of two boys. It is the first film by then, 20-year old filmmaker, Sarah Rozik, and won the Jury's special award in the short film category at the 2014 Luxor Egyptian and European Film Festival.... posted on Aug 26, 6689 reads

The Present
The Present, based on a comic strip by Brazilian artist Fabio Coala, is a 2014 graduation short from the Institute of Animation, Visual Effects and Digital Postproduction at the Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg in Ludwigsburg, Germany. After a very successful festival circuit, running in over 180 film festivals and winning more than 50 awards, the creators of the film have decided to share The Pres... posted on Sep 4, 7193 reads

The Power of Forgiveness at Work
Over the last two decades, much research has been published about the positive impact of forgiveness, particularly on the forgiver and in relationships. Now, a new study -- building on a smaller but growing body of research in the workplace -- supports the power of forgiveness to potentially improve well-being and productivity in professional settings.... posted on Sep 15, 13810 reads

The Man Who Transformed a Wasteland
For years, Jonathan Bergman was bothered by the sight of a neglected piece of property across the street from his office. It was a wasteland -- overgrown, ugly, trash-strewn, unloved. In the middle of it was a huge slab of cement covered in graffiti. He wondered to himself why no one had done anything about it. One day, he approached a man he saw looking at the land; they were both bothered by the... posted on Sep 30, 14340 reads

Zilong Wang: Medicine Journey
The quiet directness of Zilong Wang, his articulate, measured way of speaking and something so open about him makes an immediate impression. If one is around him very much at all, its impossible not to feel, in some measure, hope for our future. Because he was soon leaving on a solo bicycle pilgrimage across the U.S. and ultimately around the globe, I asked if we could record a conversation before... posted on Oct 5, 3978 reads

Elle Luna: The Crossroads of Should & Must
"If you want to know Must, get to know Should. This is hard work. Really hard work. We unconsciously imprison ourselves to avoid our most primal fears. We choose Should because choosing Must is terrifying, incomprehensible. Our prison is constructed from a lifetime of Shoulds, the world of choices weve unwittingly agreed to, the walls that alienate us from our truest, most authentic selves. Should... posted on Oct 6, 17506 reads

The Secret Life of Trees
In The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate, German forester Peter Wohlleben chronicles what his own experience of managing a forest in the Eifel mountains in Germany has taught him about the astonishing language of trees and how trailblazing arboreal research from scientists around the world reveals "the role forests play in making our world the kind of place where we want t... posted on Oct 11, 20140 reads

How to Awaken Joy in Kids
In an effort to help young kids to not only cope, but to actually thrive in the stress-filled worlds they live in, authors James Baraz and Michele Lilyanna outline several scientific-based practices that they have cultivated through their experiences as teachers of both children and adults.... posted on Oct 22, 21533 reads

What Great Leadership and Music Have in Common
Management consultant Jim Crupi. who founded and runs Strategic Leadership Solutions, says all leaders should aspire to inspire, just as great music does, pointing out that "Our reaction to a great song can be so visceral that we are forever connected to it...reliving a wonderful moment." In this article he outlines seven ways a good leader can make great music to his staff or followers.... posted on Dec 3, 8988 reads

How Libraries Save Lives
"Knowledge sets us free, art sets us free. A great library is freedom," Ursula K. Le Guin wrote in contemplating the sacredness of public libraries. "You never know what troubled little girl needs a book," Nikki Giovanni wrote in one of her poems celebrating libraries and librarians. A beautiful testament to the emancipating, transformative power of public libraries comes from a little girl named... posted on Nov 25, 12427 reads

Civic Beauty Without Permission
It wasn't long before Tony and I were standing on San Jose's Santa Clara Street, cars whizzing by, looking at a vintage concrete bridge. Its sides were tiled. In some places, the tile had been broken off, vandalized. Each panel featured colorful, original designs. The work, obviously, had required thousands of hours. But it wasn't finished and now stood in benign neglect. What happened here? I ask... posted on Jan 13, 3364 reads

Grit: The Power of Passion & Perseverance
What is grit? In this interview, University of Pennyslvania psychology professor Angela Duckworth explains that grit is the capacity to work hard and stay focused. She shares why grit is necessary in additino to talent, and why talent needs the drive that grit provides in order for one to be successful. ... posted on Nov 26, 15618 reads

Can Virtuous Habits Be Cultivated?
Does doing what is right require strenuous effort to resist the alluring temptations of vice -- to resist selfish impulses and push yourself to do what moral duty prescribes? Is virtue hard work or could it become a habit -- that is, a relatively effortless, automatic tendency to do what is morally right, with a minimum of inner struggle? The answer to this question, crucial for understanding and ... posted on Dec 19, 14391 reads

The Pilgrim Who Walked 8000 Miles 50 Years Ago
Satish Kumar commemorates the 50th Anniversary of his Peace Walk from India to Washington D.C. with a 50 mile walk along the River Thames. In this short beautifully made video narrated by Kumar, he enumerates all the things you can learn by walking, as well as ways in which you can learn to make peace with people and with the earth. So, let us "accept life as it is, in its abundant form and celebr... posted on Dec 6, 3944 reads

Free Nature
Deep inside us is an “ecological self” according to Bill Devall, Sociology professor at Humboldt State University in California and author of Living Richly in an Age of Limits. He says that people need nature more than they have any idea, even a diminished landscape like a city park. They feel better when they are sitting under trees, but parks lack ability to continue the evolutionary... posted on Jan 19, 3471 reads

Greater Good's Top 16 Books of 2016
The Greater Good Science Center sponsors and disseminates cutting-edge research on well-being in order to "foster a thriving, resilient, and compassionate society." Here, the editors share their picks for the year's most thought-provoking, important, or useful books on the science of a meaningful life.... posted on Dec 23, 30148 reads

It's About Critical Connections Not Critical Mass
Connection to others is important in many aspects of life, from establishing a sense of self to securing basic safety. In this piece, Curtis Ogden shares the story of a couple who discovered this truth while hiking in the mountains of Nepal during the 2015 earthquake and makes a compelling case for why critical connections are a key to resilience and to moving from chaos to order in times of crisi... posted on Feb 4, 27812 reads

12 Questions Around Volunteerism
In this thoughtful piece ServiceSpace founder Nipun Mehta fields twelve probing questions on how to nurture and sustain a volunteer culture."Since 1999, ServiceSpace has been volunteer-run. It's a constraint and an asset. It opens us up to sensing multiple forms of capital...Leadership turns into laddership. Compassion is contagious; instead of pushing, we count on the pull. The metaphor shifts fr... posted on Jan 12, 20027 reads

A Deep Dive into the Gift Ecology
Traditional incubators support entrepreneurs in becoming sustainable through money. Service Space's "Laddership Circles", on the other hand, have been flipping that tradition, and exploring how to be sustainable through generosity. In a recent Laddership gathering, a small group of folks from across the globe joined together for a conversation on the "Gift Ecology" -- discussing everything from ho... posted on Jan 26, 11990 reads