The Dogs that Protect Little Penguins
When foxes discovered little penguins on a small Australian island, they nearly wiped the colony out. But a farmer came up with a novel way to protect the birds -- and the story has been made into a hit film.... posted on Dec 20, 24623 reads

5 Ways to Show Kindness this Holiday Season
"With the holiday season upon us, it's easy to feel pressure that you aren't spending enough, doing enough or otherwise keeping up with everyone else around you. If that's the case, log out of Pinterest, take some deep breaths and remind yourself that true holiday spirit can't be bought -- no matter how good the bargains get." This lovely piece offers up 5 immediate ways to be kind in this season ... posted on Dec 24, 13891 reads

Unexpected Joy on the Copenhagen Metro
In the quiet of the Copenhagen Metro, the clear, sweet notes of a flute panned across the train. As commuters looked on with smiles, the members of the Copenhagen Phil joined into a rendition of Morning Mood from Edvard Grieg's Peer Gynt, Op. 23. As listeners drank in the beauty of the melody, perhaps they were aware that at least for this particular commute, they were bonded with the strangers on... posted on Dec 29, 5059 reads

Ten Ways to Set A Positive Tone For the New Year
"For thousands of years, humans have marked the beginning of a new year with sacred festivals. January is named after the Roman god Janus, whose two faces looked to both the past and the future. As you consider the many days ahead in 2016, take some time to reflect on the past as well. Try these tips if you're searching for ways to make this year's New Year's celebration more meaningful."... posted on Dec 31, 57448 reads

A Simple Formula for Changing Our Behavior
"I had just walked into my daughter's room as she was working on a science project. Normally, I would have been pleased at such a sight. But this time, her project involved sand. A lot of it. And, while she had put some plastic underneath her work area, it wasn't nearly enough. The sand was spreading all over our newly renovated floors." When a fraught interaction with his daughter led Peter Bregm... posted on Jan 4, 44230 reads

The Top 10 Kindness Stories of 2015
What if we invited people from different parts of the world, to sit around a fireplace and share stories of their experiences with kindness? A kind act that they may have done, received, or been a witness to. That is what the online KindSpring.org community looks like. It's hard to select a few stories from thousands that were shared. Some are small acts that make someone's day, while others are l... posted on Jan 5, 35843 reads

Stop. Look. Go: Practices for Grateful Living
"All of us want to be happy...by experiencing, by becoming aware that every moment is a given moment -- it is a gift! You haven't earned it. You haven't brought it about in any way. You have no way of assuring that there will be another moment given to you. Grateful living -- that's the most valuable thing that can ever be given to us." In this beautiful video, filmmakers from Gnarly Bay have used... posted on Jan 26, 5620 reads

Bhutan's Dark Secret to Happiness
"Citizens of one of the happiest countries on Earth are surprisingly comfortable contemplating a topic many prefer to avoid. Is that the key to joy?...In Bhutanese culture, one is expected to think about death five times a day. That would be remarkable for any nation, but especially for one so closely equated with happiness as Bhutan. Is this secretly a land of darkness and despair? Not necessaril... posted on Mar 5, 25360 reads

Serving Up Dignity: A Soup Kitchen Set Up Like a Restaurant
The Kansas City Community Kitchen has been serving the community as a soup kitchen for 30 years. But this February, it re-opened its doors with a new restaurant-style initiative that allows the homeless to "dine with dignity." The new process includes greeters, waiters, and menus that lets diners choose what they want to eat.... posted on Mar 27, 10361 reads

Six Ways to Help People Change
"Often in life, you may find yourself trying to help other people change. Whether you're acting as a mentor, a parent, or a well-meaning spouse, you hope to exert a positive influence and assist someone in reaching their goals. What's the best way to do this?" Read on for six scientifically-backed tips. ... posted on Mar 22, 26662 reads

Be The Punchline
In comedy, first there is the setup, then the punchline. In his life, comedian Michael Jr. understands that doing TV shows and making people laugh is just the setup. His punchline is to make laughter commonplace in uncommon places. Watch this film to learn about one of the most powerful moments in Michael Jr.'s comedy career. ... posted on Mar 29, 3966 reads

Generosity: The Most Powerful Animating Force of Art
Annie Dillard notes, "People love pretty much the same things best. A writer, though, looking for subjects asks not after what he loves best, but what he alone loves at all...Why do you never find anything written about that idiosyncratic thought you advert to, about your fascination with something no one else understands? Because it is up to you. There is something you find interesting, for a rea... posted on Apr 15, 13002 reads

The Surprising Habits of Original Thinkers
"How do creative people come up with great ideas? Organizational psychologist Adam Grant studies 'originals': thinkers who dream up new ideas and take action to put them into the world. In this talk, learn three unexpected habits of originals - including embracing failure. 'The greatest originals are the ones who fail the most, because they're the ones who try the most,' Grant says. 'You need a lo... posted on Apr 28, 29120 reads

The Paper Bag Boy of Abu Dhabi
As a young boy, Abdul Muqeet's concerns are not about playing sports or being with friends. Instead, Abdul is on a mission to protect his world. After learning about the terrible effects of plastic bags on the environment, Abdul decided to take a stand. Since he was 8-years-old, Abdul has been making paper bags from recycled newspapers. To date, he has completed over 5,000 of his "Mukku bags," don... posted on Apr 13, 4399 reads

5 Life Lessons from My Specially-Abled Son
Global tech executive VR Ferose has been celebrated for his considerable accomplishments in the business world. The guiding inspiration and motivating force in his life? His five-year-old son Vivaan who was diagnosed a few years ago with autism. "My journey as a parent of a specially-abled son has been one of extreme emotions -- from disappointment to hope; from pain to joy; from love to anguish -... posted on May 2, 15192 reads

Pronounce a Silent Blessing
"I think that the best way to discover what pronouncing blessings is all about is to pronounce a few. The practice itself will teach you what you need to know. Start with anything you like. Even a stick lying on the ground will do. The first thing to do is to pay attention to it. [...] The more aware you become, the more blessings you will find." This beautiful passage reawakens us to the power of... posted on May 8, 17149 reads

On Art & Mindfulness
"The qualities that distinguish great art from the rest are, directly or indirectly, related to ethics. At the heart of great art you will find love and compassion. A great work of art cannot come from hatred or cynicism." What is it that makes some works of art stay alive long past the time in which they were made? Artist Enrique Martinez Celaya shares some powerful reflections.... posted on Jun 22, 4360 reads

How to Cultivate Ethical Courage
Have you ever been in a situation where, morally, you know how you want to act or respond, but instead react differently due to outside pressures and influences? If yes, you are certainly not alone. This insightful article from the Greater Good Science Center, offers up three useful practices that can help you stay true to your core values.... posted on Oct 1, 17579 reads

Does Forgiveness Make Kids Happier?
Parents of young children may find themselves constantly trying to teach their kids to apologize for their mistakes. In the process a key area of development that tends to get overlooked is the art of forgiveness. In this helpful article from the Greater Good Science Center, author Sarah Wheeler offers up tips that can assist in teaching children how to forgive, and be the happier for it.... posted on Jun 19, 17509 reads

Your Brain is Not a Computer
"The validity of the metaphor that our brain is like a computer is generally assumed without question. But it is, after all, just another story we tell to make sense of something we don't actually understand. And like all the metaphors that preceded it, it will certainly be cast aside at some point -- either replaced by another metaphor or, in the end, replaced by actual knowledge." Read on to see... posted on Jun 21, 10154 reads

The Chicken Lady
An article in a local newspaper spurred Amy Murphy to ask a local fried chicken restaurant if she could have their leftovers at the end of the night. With the help of friends, the Chicken Lady sets up the equivalent of a pop-up restaurant every Monday to serve her homeless friends. Murphy does not consider what she does "feeding the homeless," rather, it is serving friends. They are part of the sa... posted on Jun 24, 4788 reads

How Music Bonds Us Together
Most everyone would agree that they enjoy listening to music, whether it be live music, the car radio, or maybe from your smartphone with the headphones on. But now researchers are discovering that more than just a universal mode of satisfaction, listening to music can actually help foster an environment where people have stronger social relationships and a healthier sense of community.... posted on Jul 16, 23460 reads

Caught Red-Handed
Benedictine monk, Brother David Steindl-Rast rises to the challenge of reporting on what he has stolen for a magazine's issue on Theft. Check out his heartfelt confessions, that range from stealing a bird's egg from a nest at age five, to swiping food when he was starving ("Stealing in wartime was a far more pragmatic matter. Motives and consequences were plain. You stole because you were hungry... posted on Aug 8, 12082 reads

The Loneliness of the Modern Nomad
Author Kira Newman shares insights from Melody Warnick's new book, "This Is Where You Belong," where Warnick chronicles her own journey toward "place attachment," a series of research-backed experiments and practices designed to make one love where one lives... posted on Aug 31, 15226 reads

Is Artistic Inspiration Contagious?
When you hear the word contagious, most people assume it applies to catching the flu or a cold from someone. But researchers are now finally testing to see if there is some contagious inspiration between reading and writing that would ultimately show "the power of the written word as a vehicle for sharing the peaks of human experience." ... posted on Aug 24, 8039 reads

Reclaiming Friendship
Is friendship indispensable or have we corroded its meaning by applying the word too often when we mean 'acquaintance' or colleague? C.S. Lewis believed that friendship, "like philosophy, like art, like the universe itself ... has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival." Maria Popova examines the meaning of friendship in detail, and concludes that, at leas... posted on Sep 1, 14897 reads

Measuring What Makes Life Worthwhile
When the dotcom bubble burst, hotelier Chip Conley went in search of a business model based on happiness. In an old friendship with an employee and in the wisdom of a Buddhist king, he learned that success comes from what you count.... posted on Sep 2, 26985 reads

Love's Footprints: A Bittersweet Tale of Lost & Found
"My colleagues who know about Pet Grief said "Get a paw print from Stella before she dies." Determined to honor her passing exactly right, I vowed "I will get that footprint." So begins this powerful story of a woman, a dog, two compassionate Vet Techs, and love's footprints...not always the ones you want, but the ones you need.... posted on Sep 19, 15166 reads

James Doolin: A Relationship with Reality
James Doolin's paintings of Los Angeles reveal essences of the place on another scale. As he said, "Being a painter, just watching is so important. Just watching everything!" He was a searcher. "I wanted to confront the great things. The three years I spent living in the desert were probably the high point in my life. You see things you would never see unless you're alone." At such moments sudden... posted on Oct 28, 3305 reads

Online 'University of Anywhere' for Refugees
"The University of the People, based in California, is a fast-growing, non-profit project designed to provide higher education for those with the academic ability to study, but without the ability to pay or without any practical access to a traditional university. "There isn't a better reason for the invention of the internet," says the university's founder and president, Shai Reshef. The universi... posted on Nov 12, 8754 reads

How Sleep Resets the Brain's Emotional Compass
"As most of us know all too well, lack of sleep and a bad mood often go hand-in-hand. But a poor night's sleep doesn't just put a damper on your own emotions. New research from The University of California, Berkeley suggests that it may also hinder your ability to accurately read the emotions of others -- an impairment that may have wide-ranging consequences for our social interactions."... posted on Nov 11, 18432 reads

The Women Who Restored Jungles
When a governmental effort to encourage cash crops threatened their food security and native land, India's indigenous families came together to revive their traditional food systems.... posted on Dec 22, 11636 reads

From Stands with Fists to Dances with Wolves
"For three quarters of my life, I have been like the character in the film Dances with Wolves whose Lakota name translates to Stands with Fists." As many of you can attest (Mom), ever since I was young, I stood with fists when confronted with something with which I was not in agreement. Not only would I physically stand rigidly with my hands clenched into fists, but I would also argue until my fac... posted on Dec 21, 10362 reads

Two Blind Brothers: A Cause Driven Clothing Brand
"In an effort to shop from socially-conscious brands this holiday season, I came across an interesting startup that caught my eye. Two Blind Brothers is a cause-driven clothing brand that sells luxury causal wear and gives 100% of its net profits to medical research to cure blindness. Read on."... posted on Dec 30, 12610 reads

Orchestra for Ghaza
Daniel Barenboim is an Argentine-born Jew with a Palestinian passport. For 12 years, he has used his musical reputation to push for peace between Israel and its neighbors. In May 2011, he crossed from Egypt into Gaza with 25 handpicked musicians from the leading ensembles in Europe to play for an audience hungry for music.... posted on Dec 27, 2575 reads

I Trust You
Karim Sulayman is an Arab-American tenor from Chicago. Ten days after the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Sulayman teamed up with filmmaker Meredith Kaufman Younger to perform a trust experiment. Watch this silent video (set to Sulayman singing Sinead O'Connor's "In this Heart") as Sulayman stands blindfolded outside Trump International Hotel in Central Park West in New York City and asks strange... posted on Jan 3, 9253 reads

Singing to Tomatoes
"Modern biological science has developed highly sensitive tools that perceive the continuous movement of living cells, including plant cells; movement that creates a fluctuating rhythm. This knowledge seems to match the insights of indigenous science, these ancient ways of knowing that also perceive the vibration of plants, their song. But they perceive it through other states of consciousness, th... posted on Feb 7, 14009 reads

The Art & Inspiration of Laurel Burch
Those who are familiar with Laurel Burch's hopeful, whimsical, colorful art might be surprised to find she was struggling with pain for most of her life; her outlook was the polar opposite of how she felt physically. Diagnosed with severe osteopetrosis at the age of 7, Burch's bones would easily break or fracture just from a fall or bump. Raising two children on her own was quite a challenge not j... posted on Feb 16, 4355 reads

Love Your Enemies. What Does It Mean? Can It Be Done?
Love comes in a variety of forms. We can love our families, our friends, our work, our home... but have we been able to fully embrace the possibility of loving our enemies? Here Benedictine monk Brother David Steindl-Rast translates this idealistic-sounding notion into a real world, every day context. Brother David proposes that so long as we have rigid convictions, we make ourselves 'enemies' of ... posted on Apr 17, 15985 reads

A Mindful Approach to Time Management
Do you have dreams you are putting off for that "someday" in the future? Dreams of writing a book, taking a journey that changes your life, creating an organization to help the world, or any other vision that would give more meaning to your life? The cause of putting these dreams off for someday in the future is the lack of focus in our days. We expend too many hours on tasks that have little to d... posted on Apr 1, 14763 reads

Active Hope
Shifting our world toward a life-sustaining society takes active hope. We need to counter the voices that say we're not up to the task, that we're not good enough, strong enough, or wise enough to make any difference. If we fear that the mess we're in is too awful to look at or that we won't be able to cope with the distress it brings up, we need to find a way through that fear. This piece, co-aut... posted on Mar 19, 18259 reads

Where Dance, Design & Inner Transformation Meet
At the end of her first day at her first job at a prestigious design firm in Mumbai, 20-year-old Miti Desai came home and wept for five hours straight. Questioned by her concerned parents, the explanation that instinctively rose to her lips was this: "Every aspect of what happens there ultimately comes down to a financial transaction. I can't live my life that way." Twelve days later she quit. A f... posted on Mar 1, 9052 reads

The Man Who Planted Trees
Who says a single person can't make a difference? This Academy Award-winning short film, based on an exquisitely wrought story by Jean Giono was created in 1987 by renowned animator Frederick Back. It beautifully illustrates the fable of one shepherd's long effort to re-forest a desolate valley in the foothills of the Alps near Provence in the first half of the 20th century. Embedded within this s... posted on Sep 27, 3757 reads

The CEO Who Gave 90% of His Salary to His Staff
In April 2015, Dan Price, CEO of a Seattle-based tech company Gravity Payments, did something with barely any precedents in the modern business world. He gave away 90 per cent of his own pay to raise the salaries of his employees to a minimum $70,000 a year. Price's decision came after reading a study from Princeton University, which found that emotional wellbeing rises with income up to a cut-off... posted on Jun 5, 34555 reads

Our Greatest Obstacle to Happiness and How to Transcend It
Maria Popova of Brain Pickings points out that "perhaps the greatest paradox of human life is that although happiness is the most universal of our longings, it is unobtainable by striving. The more ferociously we try to attain it, the more it eludes us." Join Artist Agnes Martin as she examines this paradox.... posted on Jun 6, 16233 reads

Designing for the Circular Economy
What do you do with a toaster when you no longer want it? Until recently, no one thought about that question until the toaster was ready for the scrap heap. Today, designers at the London-based Agency of Design are turning that practice on its head. As advocates of a circular economy, they believe that the best time to address end-of-life issues is when a product is first being designed and that i... posted on Apr 24, 16142 reads

Red Onions: Transformed by Beauty
Alanda Greene peeled back the outer layer of a red onion. As the sun caught its redness, lit it up like a ruby, she gasped at the startling beauty of it. Her mind had been elsewhere, grumbling about something that had happened, but she was suddenly called to what the Navajos refer to as the Path of Beauty. Beauty is everywhere, she discovered, as "the red glow absorbed my being in gratitude and aw... posted on May 29, 13313 reads

The Bicycle Machines of Guatemala
Since 1997, Maya Pedal has been focused on sustainable development in Guatemala. Locals were handed control in 2001. Recycling bicycles from the USA and Canada to create Bicimaquinas or pedal-powered machines is one of the ways the organization benefits the developing nation. But it wasn't always easy. In this video, director Mario Juarez shares how the program kept getting rejected, while also de... posted on May 28, 2729 reads

Artists & Nature
"Nature draws us out to explore, then gently sends us inward to reflect. Most often, we wind up feeling better as we gaze upon the moment-to-moment changes in the ocean, sky, mountain, desert, forest, meadow, or garden. We might be awed by the tiniest flower, bird, or insect, cheered by a profusion of color, intrigued by creatures looking for food or a mate, lulled by the incoming and outgoing tid... posted on Mar 4, 3037 reads

Give That Which is Organic To You: A Recipe to Avoid Burnout
"When I give something I do not possess, I give a false and dangerous gift, a gift that looks like love but is, in reality, loveless - a gift given more from my need to prove myself than from the other's need to be cared for." Parker Palmer from his book, "Let Your Life Speak", reflects on giving from a place of fullness. In this passage we are invited to give by moving outward from our true natur... posted on Jun 12, 12631 reads