A Town Rolls Up Its Sleeves
Word travels quickly in the small fishing village of Port Washington, Wisconsin. So when Mardy McGarry wanted to build a playground for kids with special needs, she knew it wouldn't take long to generate interest in the project. But she never expected that 2,800 people -- a third of the town -- would roll up their sleeves and use their vacation days to bring her vision to life.... posted on Nov 8, 4948 reads

Homeless Men Dream of Odyssey At Sea
Two dozen homeless men are building a ship to sail themselves around the world at the St. Lazarus Social Pension here, in the yard of a former tractor factory. Sparks fly from the rusty 55-foot hull as they weld it into form, even after losing the priest who led and inspired the mission.... posted on Sep 18, 3043 reads

5 Steps To Happiness At Work
Australian positive psychologist Timothy Sharp -- otherwise known as "Dr. Happy" -- asked 50 people a simple question: What do you consider to be the top three contributors to happiness at work? Their answers provide food for thought to managers and employees alike. This article from Greater Good shares more.... posted on Sep 30, 16620 reads

Make A Gratitude Adjustment
As a child, Chris Peterson absolutely hated writing thank-you notes. His aversion continued right into his 40s, until one day he knew he had to face it. A psychology professor at the University of Michigan, Peterson regularly gave his students an unusual homework assignment. He asked them to write a "gratitude letter," a kind of belated thank-you note to someone in their lives. Studies show such l... posted on Sep 8, 6450 reads

India's Tree Planting Guru
An Indian civil servant, SM Raju, has come up with a novel way of providing employment to millions of poor in the eastern state of Bihar. His campaign to encourage people to plant trees effectively addresses two burning issues of the world: global warming and shrinking job opportunities. Evidence of Mr Raju's success could clearly be seen on 30 August, when he organised 300,000 villagers from over... posted on Sep 19, 4204 reads

The Same Walk, for 27 Years
For 27 years, he has walked the same path, Monday through Friday, rain or shine. His presence has become as familiar to early morning parkgoers as the cool gray mist that accompanies most mornings. He is noticed, not just because he is always there, but because as he walks, he raises a brown weathered hand and waves to everyone who crosses his path -- the joggers, the walkers, the gardeners. He sm... posted on Oct 1, 4400 reads

My Run: 75 Marathons in 75 Days
After tragically losing his wife to breast cancer and struggling to raise three young children on his own, Terry Hitchcock seized on an idea. He wanted to accomplish the impossible: run 75 consecutive marathons in 75 consecutive days to bring attention to the incredibly difficult lives of single-parent families.... posted on Oct 8, 3692 reads

Outpouring of Volunteerism in the Media
Discerning TV viewers might notice a recurrent theme on their favorite shows this week. The doctors on ABC's "Private Practice" give homeless teens free checkups. On NBC's "30 Rock," Kenneth Parcell tries to adopt every dog at a shelter. And two characters on CBS' "Numb3rs" discuss joining Big Brothers Big Sisters. The outpouring of volunteerism is no coincidence. Rather than just "running a bun... posted on Oct 21, 2714 reads

The Smell of Virtue
People are unconsciously fairer and more generous when they are in clean-smelling environments, according to a soon-to-be published study led by a Brigham Young University professor. The research found a dramatic improvement in ethical behavior with just a few spritzes of citrus-scented Windex.... posted on Oct 29, 3490 reads

The Fun Theory: Piano Stairs
If stairs played musical notes when you walked on them, would you be more likely to take them? Volkswagen has launched a popular new campaign called "The Fun Theory" which is "dedicated to the thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people's behavior for the better." It turns out that 66% more commuters opted for stairs over the escalators! Take a look at this utterly ... posted on Nov 9, 7309 reads

Saving Lives, One Click at a Time
For a decade now, Khushroo Poacha has stood by the sole belief that to do good work you don't need money. Poacha runs indianblooddonors.com, a site that lets over 50,000 blood donors and patients in need of blood connect with each other almost instantaneously -- all without cash donations. His site is perhaps a classic example of what the Internet is truly capable of, but more importantly, it is a... posted on Nov 14, 2537 reads

NeighborGoods
If you have a lawnmower, you may use it for five to 10 minutes during a two-week span. The rest of the time it simply takes up space in the garage while your mower-less neighbors are fretting about the jungles of grass in front of their homes. NeighborGoods launched last week in Los Angeles as an online community that allows people to freely share, borrow, and lend the things they already own wit... posted on Nov 24, 2514 reads

The Victory of the Commons
Over many decades, Elinor Ostrom has documented how various communities manage common resources -- grazing lands, forests, irrigation waters, fisheries -- equitably and sustainably over the long term. The Nobel Committee's recognition of her work effectively debunks popular theories about the Tragedy of the Commons, which hold that private property is the only effective method to prevent finite re... posted on Nov 19, 3160 reads

The Elder Wisdom Circle
When 85-year-old Mollie Pier was admitted to the hospital a few months ago after surgery, the first thing she asked for was a computer. Pier, a grandmother, is a member of the Elder Wisdom Circle, a group of seniors ages 60 to 103 who dispense advice via the Internet to young questioners from around the globe.After applying to the group and going through a screening process, the seniors are free t... posted on Nov 25, 6782 reads

For The Man Who Hated Christmas
"It's just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past ten years or so. It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas -- oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it -- overspending... the frantic running around at the last minute to ... posted on Dec 9, 13057 reads

Mother Teresa On The Gift Economy
Lynne Twist has raised over $800 million dollars for worthy causes; she's as good a fundraiser as anyone can be. Yet, in Soul of Money, she speaks about a person she knew really well and who beat to a different drum:Mother Teresa... posted on Jan 23, 4115 reads

Wired To Care
In his recent book, "Wired to Care: How Companies Prosper When They Create Widespread Empathy," CEO Dev Patnaik argues that it is not the lack of innovation that hampers companies, but the "empathy gap" -- the chasm between employees in organizations and the people that they serve. Companies, he said, "do a good job of stamping empathy out of employees, then are surprised when employees make poor ... posted on Dec 12, 3332 reads

Blue Eyes, Brown Eyes: A Lesson in Tolerance
When Martin Luther King Jr. was killed in April 1968, one teacher in a small town in Iowa decided to do something to help her students fathom the shocking event. She understood, more than most, the power of good teaching. Her lesson plan rocked the nation -- and what she taught her students that day would last them a lifetime.... posted on Jan 21, 8745 reads

Why Wise Leaders Don't Know Too Much
"Could it be that knowledge is overrated? Don't get me wrong -- knowledge is a good thing. But there is a point at which it may be bad. Even the sturdiest shelf crumbles under the weight of too many books." In this thought-provoking article, Jeffrey M. Stibel, an entrepreneur and brain scientist shares more about the 'knowledge trap'.... posted on Jan 20, 6754 reads

Suja & Scott Thomas: Ultra-Frugal for A Cause
Suja Thomas, who wears socks with holes, isn't giving her husband anything for Christmas. Likewise, when Scott Bahr proposed to Thomas in spring 2008, he offered her a red plastic heart in place of an engagement ring. The Champaign couple's intense frugality is by design. Their idea is to save as much as possible in order to give more money to others in need. This Christmas, the pair raised the st... posted on Dec 27, 2413 reads

A Life of One's Own
"In art speak, James Hubbell could be called an 'outsider' artist; in architecture, a 'fringe' architect. Talking with Hubbell, one feels the irony of these terms. As I spent time with him, something quietly grew, an impression that it was really Hubbell, the man himself, who was the most remarkable element in all of this. Outsider? Not if it's humanity you're interested in." In this Works & Conve... posted on Dec 26, 2506 reads

Shop Class As Soulcraft
Matthew Crawford was on what most people would think was the "right track." Then he left his job as executive director at a think tank in Washington to open a motorcycle repair shop. In his new book, Shop Class as Soulcraft, he makes the case that our society has placed too great a value on white-collar work and not enough value on the trades.Crawford tells host Guy Raz that the mechanical arts ha... posted on Jan 5, 3258 reads

Life With A Little More Music
Every time 71-year-old Andy Mackie draws a breath, it is music to his ears, whether there's a harmonica there or not. He's just glad to be alive."How are you still sitting here?" asked CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman. "I guess they don't need a harmonica player in heaven yet," Mackie said. Mackie, a Scottish-born retired horse trainer, lives in a camper in Northwest Washington State, even tho... posted on Jan 7, 5214 reads

Seeing How Far $100 Can Go
She's a Brooklyn-based writer who, five years ago, was shocked to find herself in possession of a six-figure book advance. She wanted to give a chunk of it away, but was not sure how. So she decided she would make it someone else's problem -- nine other people's problems. She chose nine thoughtful friends, gave them each $100, and told them they would be expected to account for what they had done ... posted on Feb 9, 4578 reads

Birds Do It. Bats Do It.
Cooperation is not unique to humans; it is part of nature, down to the cellular level. From these biological blocks, cooperation prevails at every level of the animal kingdom -- ants that march to the same drummer move faster, fish rid other fish of harmful bacteria for a free meal, small birds protect each other from predators, bats that share food survive. According to evolutionary biologists, ... posted on Feb 15, 4496 reads

The Bus Ride That Changed My Life
"A few years ago I was an employee of an international company that sold computer devices. I had to travel a lot as part of my work. I remember that I was at a stage of my life where I only cared about how to make more money and how to solve technical problems. I was locked in my own world living as a robot that only worked in a mechanical way. On one particular business trip, I encountered a 20 ... posted on Feb 24, 6770 reads

iBrain: Mobile Communication Device in Your Head
Before brain scans, nobody could see your brain. Thinking was one thing; doing was another. Scans, however, have abolished that distinction and illuminated the paradoxical world of cognitive acts. Now, brains scans take us beyond "behavior that is readily observable" to something deeper: behavior within the brain. But this inner behavior, in turn, is only a clue to something still deeper. The ... posted on Feb 12, 4211 reads

Canada's Bravery Awards
Canada gives out three bravery decorations for selfless acts of courage: the Medal of Bravery, Cross of Valour and Star of Courage. Anyone can nominate a person who has risked injury or death to save another. This inspiring story highlights a few of the 47 people who were recently decorated by Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean ... including an eight year old girl who saved her mother when she fell through... posted on Feb 21, 1942 reads

Common(s) Sense
Garrett Hardin's famous essay, "The Tragedy of the Commons," argued that individual self-interest would always destroy any land or resource collectively held by a community. Elinor Ostrom, the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Economics last year, thinks otherwise. Citing examples from Swiss peasants to African farmers, Ostrom argues that community property often does flourish and people... posted on Mar 9, 3442 reads

Cabbie from Congo
We often get so absorbed in the minutiae of our daily lives that we do not stay open to learning experiences. In her article, Jacqueline Novogratz writes about how a late cab ride home from dinner could have just been another opportunity to check her email or stare out the window. Instead, after a strange request from her cab driver, she had the opportunity to do small acts of kindness, and grow c... posted on Mar 15, 4942 reads

Former Cambodian Boy Soldier Defuses His Past
He's the little guy trying to make his country safe, according to photo displays at tourist museums. His method is simple. Aki Ra walks from landmine to landmine, defusing bombs not unlike those he had activated as a child soldier during the rise of the Khmer Rouge. In Cambodia, where 300 people a year are still injured by mines set over 3 decades ago, Ra has devoted his life to disarming them. Re... posted on Apr 18, 1486 reads

Global Oneness Project
Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee discovered the power of "oneness" in jazz music. An accomplished bass player who was performing and teaching jazz by his mid-20s, he recalls with reverence those rare moments when an ensemble melds into something special that transcends the skills of the individual players. For the past five years, Mr. Vaughan-Lee has put that concept of "oneness" into practice on a larger sc... posted on Mar 8, 2367 reads

Science Says: Kindness is Contagious!
In findings sure to gladden the heart of anyone who's ever wondered whether tiny acts of kindness have larger consequences, researchers have shown that generosity is contagious. Goodness spurs goodness, they found: A single act can influence dozens more. In a game where selfishness made more sense than cooperation, acts of giving were "tripled over the course of the experiment by other subjects w... posted on Mar 12, 4136 reads

How Innovation Happens
Ever wonder how Michael Dell came up with the idea to create his own computer company? Or how Pierre Omidyar dreamed up the online marketplace eBay? Or how Jeff Bezos came up with the bold moves needed to develop Amazon.com into one of America's most successful companies? "I always thought creativity was genetic -- that some people have it, some people don't," Jeff Dyer said. But that was before... posted on Mar 10, 8300 reads

Cancelling School Due to Good Weather
The principal of Bellingham Christian School canceled classes at the private school today because it's too nice out. "Good morning students, parents and staff. Yes, It's a Sun Day! Wahooo," Sampson wrote on a page on the school's Web site. The page also features a picture of him giving a thumbs-up from the seat of his year-old Suzuki 450 motorcycle. "That's right, school is CANCELLED today due t... posted on Mar 28, 2746 reads

Flow Funding of a Rockefeller
Born into wealth, Marion Rockefeller Weber has been a philanthropist since age 21, deciding which worthy causes to support among the many that would come her way. "The table would be like this," she says lifting both hands shoulder high to indicate the stacks of proposals piled high on her living room table. It wasn't a pleasant process for her, so she took a one-year sabbatical, a time of self-r... posted on Apr 6, 4313 reads

Celebrating Earth Day in Tough Times
What does Earth Day during the recession mean for Corbyn Hightower's family of five? Fixing, not tossing. Pedaling, not driving. Growing, not buying. Corbyn reflects, "Our needs are modest, our overhead has been lowered, and life has become about simple, sustainable pleasures." Even the four-year-old is turning the soil!... posted on Apr 23, 3230 reads

Man Sheds 365 Pounds Through Yoga
Last year, he started riding his bike for the first time since 1985. "I feel amazing. I feel like a child released on a playground," Larry says with a smile, his health and happiness clearly restored. How did he do it? "Yoga," he claims, along with the power of a positive attitude. ... posted on Apr 25, 4552 reads

Grannies for Social Change
On May 7th and 8th, five hundred grandmothers from across sub-Saharan Africa will gather in Swaziland. The purpose? To raise awareness of the AIDS epidemic sweeping their continent. Currently, these grandmothers are caring for scores of grandchildren who have been orphaned by AIDS. At this first International Grandmother's Gathering in Africa, they hope to take steps towards creating a hopeful fut... posted on May 6, 1796 reads

Clean Hands, Clear Mind
How many times have you heard the expression - maybe you've used it yourself: I'm going to wash my hands of something. Could there be more to the metaphor than meets the eye? Could washing your hands have some tangible effect on your thoughts? A study out recently in the journal Science suggests that the answer is yes, that hand washing can actually change your thinking. The author of the study, M... posted on May 27, 5147 reads

Climbing Mount Everest
Standing at 26,028 feet (8,847 meters) above sea level, 13-year-old Jordan Romero became the youngest person to summit Mount Everest on Saturday. Before starting out, the determined young boy from Big Bear, California said he wanted to climb Everest to inspire more young people to get outdoors. "Obese children are the future of America, the way things are going," he said on April 9 in Kathmandu. "... posted on May 23, 2107 reads

Money Giveth, Money Taketh Away
The idea that money does not buy happiness has been around for centuries, but now scientists have shown for the first time that even the thought of money reduces satisfaction in the simple pleasures of life. In two experiments, conducted by scientists at the University of Liege in Belgium, the subject's "savoring" ability -- the feeling of positive emotions such as contentment, gratitude, joy, awe... posted on May 31, 4875 reads

The Benefits of Single-Tasking
Doing several things at once is a trick we play on ourselves, thinking we're getting more done. In reality, our productivity goes down by as much as 40%. We don't actually multitask. We switch-task, rapidly shifting from one thing to another, interrupting ourselves unproductively, and losing time in the process. In this article, a Harvard Business Review blogger Peter Bregman writes about his one-... posted on Jun 17, 11313 reads

No Money? No Problem!
When people say, "Time is money," they usually don't mean it literally. But Maria Villacresses does. When the economy put a hitch in her wedding plans, she used "time dollars" on everything from a wedding-day makeover to an elaborate seven-layer cake. In a time bank, members get credit for services they provide to other members, from cooking to housekeeping to care rides to home repair. For each h... posted on Jun 26, 2943 reads

Most Valuable Helper
Would you know it if you lived in the midst of a giant? A local newspaper described real-life giant Manute Bol thus: "He symbolizes an unfortunate side of our sports obsession and how we measure the worth of those who play. The best athletes get the love, most times regardless of what they do away from sport. Bol, doing the work of a saint, is largely ignored." Once the tallest player in the NBA, ... posted on Jun 27, 1898 reads

Meditation Boosts Focus
These days, it seems nearly impossible to pay attention to one thing for a long time. A new study indicates that meditation helps people focus because it enables them to discern small differences between the things they see. The research was inspired by work of Buddhist monks, who spend years training in meditation. "You wonder if the mental skills, the calmness, the peace that they express, if th... posted on Jul 30, 4828 reads

The Business of Giving
Billionaire Paul Allen has taken his friend Bill Gates up on his challenge to publicly pledge the majority of his wealth to philanthropy. In honor of the 20th anniversary of his Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, which has given 3,000 grants to various nonprofits, Allan plans to leave the majority of his $13 billion estate to philanthropy to continue the work of his foundation and fund scientific re... posted on Jul 18, 1413 reads

Entrepreneur of Small Things
Jay Shafer lives in an 8-by-12 foot house. He built it from scratch. With no prior carpentry knowledge or experience. "I'm sure there are people out there who think I'm crazy for living so small, but living in this little house has allowed me to totally reinvent my life," he says. With a desire to "escape the rat race," the former grocery-store clerk's intentions were simple: focus on the things h... posted on Jul 22, 9201 reads

From Untouchable to Businesswoman
Plenty of people visiting Times Square traveled a long way to reach New York, but it's safe to say that few covered anything like the distances Kakuben Lalabhai Parmar had. This is not just a matter of mileage, although it's certainly a hike from Madhutra, a rural village in India's western state of Gujarat, to 42nd Street. At a deeper cultural level, her journey embodies a half-century of global ... posted on Jul 26, 3588 reads

Secret Agent of Kindness
For the past year, Laura Miller has been living a double life of sorts: administrative assistant by day, secret agent of kindness by night. The 32-year-old only recently revealed herself as the woman behind "Secret Agent L," a giver of random acts of kindness that has been brightening the days of unsuspecting Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania residents since July 2009. What started with a friend's request ... posted on Aug 10, 5754 reads