Community-Led Initiatives that Are Protecting the Natural World
In 2008, Ecuador's leadership rewrote its constitution to include the rights of nature, effectively awarding legal rights to the environment. Indigenous communities have recognized the rights of nature for thousands of years, but Ecuador was the first country to make it a constitutional right by awarding ecosystems legal rights to protect the environment and its people. It was a seminal moment for... posted on Jan 20, 12760 reads

The Question is How to See (Not - What To Do)
What does it mean to see beyond thinking; to keep the eyes of the soul open past one's ability to understand? Jeanne de Salzmann provides one way to sit with this question, staying with the asking rather than striving toward the answering. Jeanne was a musician, dance instructor and pupil of G.I Gurdjieff for over 30 years. She continued his work, leading the Gurdjieff Institute in Paris until she... posted on Dec 24, 10404 reads

Happiness Experts on Why Mind Wandering Can Be So Miserable
In the last 15 years, the science of mind wandering has become a popular topic of scholarly study, thanks in part to advances in brain imaging. It turns out that our brains are wily, wild things, and what they do when we're not paying attention has major implications for our happiness. In 2010, Matt Killingsworth, then a doctoral student at Harvard University, designed an iPhone app that pinged pe... posted on Jun 22, 5211 reads

Five Limits Your Brain Puts on Generosity
When we give, we receive. Altruism is something that humans feel the benefit of. We can be incredibly empathetic. But what about the times when we aren't? Science has the answer. The brain actually puts certain limits - boundaries - on our expressions of good-natured giving. Learn about these 5 heart blocking brain responses. Awareness of these limits may allow us to stretch beyond them, and outsi... posted on Jan 18, 11262 reads

The Man Who Wasn't There: Explorations at the Edge of Self
What makes you, you or I, I? That is the age-old question science journalist Anil Ananthaswamy tackles in his book, 'The Man Who Wasn't There: Tales from the Edge of the Self'. He examines the nature of selfhood from all angles, turning to philosophy, neuroscience and in-person interviews with people afflicted with neurological conditions that in some way rob them of some aspect of their selfhood.... posted on Sep 13, 9015 reads

The Psychology of Self-Righteousness
"When it comes to moral judgments, we think we are scientists discovering the truth, but actually we are lawyers arguing for positions we arrived at by other means." The surprising psychology behind morality is at the heart of social psychologist Jonathan Haidt's research. He explains "liberal" and "conservative" not narrowly or necessarily as political affiliations, but as personality types ways ... posted on Sep 21, 17576 reads

An Unlikely Friendship Reignites Two Artists
Brian Peterson didn't know what he had in common with Matt Faris when he went out of his way to meet his Santa Ana, Calif., neighbor. Every day, Peterson would pass by Faris, who has been homeless for more than a decade. But it took some guts, Peterson admits, to finally walk up to him. It was during that first conversation that they discovered they shared the pursuit of art. And Peterson, a car d... posted on Dec 2, 3510 reads

The Right Stuff: A Conversation with Jim Brooks
"I'd gone to the Elko, Nevada Cowboy Poetry Festival at the invitation of some friends. I'd been having a great time. "You've got to visit Capriolas," my friend said - Elkos famous vendor of cowboy gear. It's where I ran into the first black cowboy I'd seen at the festival. I didn't know it was Jim Brooks, a legendary figure. But I didn't need to know that. He was such a striking figure, I immedia... posted on Jan 13, 2992 reads

That Friend Walking Behind Me
In this beautiful reverie, Parker Palmer imagines a friend who has been walking behind him all the time, calling his name. The inner friend finally has to resort to depression to wake him up to ask himself what he really wants behind all his activities, and to help him realize he isn't alone. It's not the intellectual self or the ethical self or even the spiritual self, but what Thomas Merton call... posted on Apr 14, 13497 reads

Spotlight on Redemption
With the dawn of each new year, we vow to make changes, usually little things--lose a few pounds, eat better, exercise more, be more patient. Sometimes those changes stick; sometimes by February we are wondering where our resolutions have gone. But what of the big changes--atoning for a life of crime, or giving up destructive or selfish pursuits, for instance? Are those sorts of big changes possib... posted on Jan 3, 7355 reads

GK Chesterton: A Piece of Chalk
Imagine "roaring with laughter" at the sudden radiant realization that the very thing you so desperately need is right there in abundance all around. You may currently be keenly aware of lacking something physical like the artist's chalk in this essay. Possibly, you are aching with the lack you feel for something deeper such as love or belonging. Read how expanding your awareness and truly 'seeing... posted on Aug 12, 9981 reads

If This Was Your Mom, What Would You Do?
In this moving piece, gastroenterologist Venu Julapalli shares what it is like for a doctor when a life-threatening condition touches one of their own family members. He shares the devastation of his own family after his mother suffered from a ruptured brain aneurysm and how a doctor simply holding space for them helped them pull through.... posted on May 16, 6841 reads

KidsCan: Children Changing the World
Nickelodeon, in partnership with KidsRights Foundation, has just launched #KidsCan, an international campaign to spotlight the stories of nine International Children's Peace Prize winners and nominees from around the globe who are creating positive change in their communities. Says Bradley Archer-Haynes, a vice president, at Nickelodeon International, "Kids everywhere have the power to make a diff... posted on Apr 3, 8820 reads

The Strangest Social Justice Story
Though many know the story of Mahatma Gandhi, very few have heard the powerful story of his successor, Vinoba Bhave. Vinoba's loving spirit was responsible for "the biggest voluntary land donation project in the history of mankind" which many argue demonstrates that humanity is not exclusively self-interested. Instead, "if love is nurtured and valued as the bedrock of community, then seemingly imp... posted on Jun 18, 13645 reads

How to Unhijack Your Mind from Your Phone
What if we didn't unplug, but changed the way we used our phones? Would it increase productivity? Would it improve your mood? See what a former Google employee has to say about mindfulness, and how to avoid unnecessary phone time. ... posted on Aug 14, 9106 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 l... posted on May 29, 4337 reads

Dare to Be Astonished
What would it be like to take out the analytical side of our thoughts and approach experiences with a child-like wonder? That's what Fabiana Fondevila set out to determine. See what she has to say.... posted on Jun 24, 8142 reads

Bridging Divides in Kosovo with Rock Music
The power of rock and roll. It brings people together from all different facets of life. That's what students from Mitrovica, Kosovo, found out through The Mitrovica Rock School. The program, created by Musicians Without Borders, involves 113 students, in 10 ethnic bands, led by 16 local teachers. ... posted on Oct 4, 6306 reads

What I Regret Most Are Failures of Kindness
For many people, the things we regret in life might be the big ones: either moral failings, career opportunities missed on the way to success, or all those things that fall into the category of "adventures we should have taken." For American writer George Saunders, his list of regrets is quite simple: failures of kindness. What grabs at his heart the most is missing those seemingly insignificant c... posted on Jul 28, 0 reads

The Man with the Halo
This inspirational short documentary tells the unfathomable comeback story of Tim Don, the fastest Ironman triathlete of all time, after breaking his neck in a cycling crash. Coming just days before the Ironman World Championships, where Tim was a favorite to top the podium, the crash looked to have ended not only Tim's hopes of becoming World Champion, but potentially his career. Despite the long... posted on Jul 20, 2802 reads

Eliza Ramos: Into the Real
During a symposium of physicians and health care workers, Eliza Ramos was sharing part of her story... "I was under a lot of stress in NYC so I decided to go to Rwanda." Rwanda? Eliza's story is remarkable. For instance, just out of USC, she moved Mexico. Looking back she reflects, "What was I thinking? It was a little crazy at the time, because I didn't know Spanish." She found herself working in... posted on Aug 7, 3337 reads

Why Looking for the Good in Others Matters
How do you provide kindness? When it seems like nothing else is good in the world, that feeling becomes even more important. Learn what moral elevation is and how it can help you make the world a better place. ... posted on Aug 28, 10298 reads

Giang Dang: A Happy Soul Serves Happily
"Who is Giang Dang? She is a grassroots change-maker in Vietnam, who serves the underprivileged communities with small acts, such as transforming the abandoned land in the city into a community garden, who does not take no for an answer because making the seemingly impossible possible gives her extra motivation, and who recognizes the importance of self-care because she knows that a happy soul ser... posted on Sep 5, 3760 reads

How Does Change Happen?
For most of his life Jason Angell was a political activist, believing the story that social transformation comes through radical legislation pushed along by brave elected leaders. He saw himself as one of those leaders giving a speech to a massive group of people in the National Mall in Washington DC; and came from a family background, where his father had run unsuccessfully for Congress in 1972, ... posted on Oct 28, 7329 reads

5 Scientists on the Heroes Who Changed Their Lives
Every hero and innovator stands on the shoulders of the giants who came before. But sometimes the power of influence one has on another is subtle or indirect. Perhaps it is a life spirit shared by Helen Keller in her autobiography that inspires a scientist to fully engage in her study of plants. Perhaps it is a shy physicist who plants the seed in a student that he, too, can aspire to something gr... posted on Jul 15, 2156 reads

The Man on a Mission to End Loneliness
Mike Niles had a high paying job in London, but felt that something was missing from his life. He gave up his lucrative position to start a charity, b:Friend, to help to eliminate loneliness among isolated elders. In Niles' home town of Doncaster, a quarter of its elderly population is classified as "chronically lonely" by Age UK. An idea that took root after he visited an elderly neighbor who was... posted on Nov 17, 3214 reads

The Meaning of Proportion
"Across time there has been a very deep relationship between the human measure derived from the human body and the measure of place. In many cultures divine proportion is still present. An Indian temple is not just a geometrical figure. Now to talk about that in contemporary terms, if we were to look at a squatter town in Peru or a community in Oakland--how could we understand this in contemporary... posted on Nov 26, 2027 reads

Hidden Wonders of a Forest
When many of us think of India, we think of a land teeming with human life. However, the vast continent also is home to a multitude of plant and animal lives all working in harmony to sustain the complex ecosystem. Dive into this visually beautiful essay to discover some of the small, yet crucial, inhabitants of the Western Ghats forests.... posted on Oct 28, 3347 reads

How to Be Yourself
Some days, you need to remind yourself about what's truly important in life. So sit back with a cup of your favorite beverage and give yourself a few minutes to savor this sweet video, which gives you a prescription for happiness in two minutes, starting with "show up."... posted on Feb 1, 11462 reads

Rick Fairall: Blood Brothers
The jagged boulders at the bottom of the snow-filled gully werent fully covered by the snow. They lay in a jumble, piled there by the receding glacier from the last ice age. There was plenty of time to fully regard them as he accelerated towards them, approaching some terminal velocity, down the ice chute into which hed been unceremoniously pitched, headlong. Thus begins Rick Farrells account of ... posted on Dec 22, 1975 reads

A Small Dark Light: Le Guin on the Legacy of the Tao Te Ching
Brain Pickings' Maria Popova explores Ursula Le Guins life long love affair with the Tao te Ching. Le Guins relationship with this ageless wisdom began as a young child. Ursula's interpretation of this work spans almost 70 years. Her work with distilling the essence of the Tao continues to teach us about personal and political power. This beautiful interpretation makes the Tao more accessible to ... posted on Mar 10, 7056 reads

Thinking About New Year's Resolutions?
"In past years, youve probably targeted minor vices -- eat fewer snacks, exercise more, whatever your particular self-admonitions may be. But it is too easy to get lost in the particulars -- and in the negatives. This time around, try something a little different."... posted on Dec 31, 7303 reads

Handing Out Positive Tickets
Tired of hearing about the negative in your neighborhood? Well, so were these high school kids, who started a program, now sponsored by the City of Rochester, NY, to reward the positive. Each summer, the youth walk around different neighborhoods, looking for the good. And if they spot it, they hand out a ticket: A Positive Ticket.... posted on Jan 4, 2636 reads

Eight Inspiring Moments from 2018
As the year 2018 slowly fades into the rearview mirror, may we take one look back to see what greater good can be learned from this last year. Though we may remember the difficult or even awful things that happened, there was good that came out of some of the painful events that occurred. In these inspiring stories, one can see the bigger lessons to be learned: that we are not alone when we reach ... posted on Jan 27, 9003 reads

Grief is Praise
In this excerpt from The Smell of Rain on Dust, Martin Prechtel tells the story of a friend who has asked his advice about burying his recently deceased mother. In the book, Prechtel explains that the unexpressed grief prevalent in our society today is the reason for many of the social, cultural, and individual maladies that we are currently experiencing. In this beautiful tale, he illustrates wha... posted on Jun 1, 39035 reads

Maria Popova: Books are the Original Internet
Maria Popova is a Bulgarian-born writer, blogger, literary and cultural critic living in Brooklyn, New York. She writes Brain Pickings, a blog she calls "my one-woman labor of love." In this interview by Oscar Schwartz, she says "Books are the original internet." Schwarts calls her "switched on, irresistibly articulate, fully engaged...She talks about complex ideas in a way that transforms them in... posted on Feb 17, 8916 reads

Ana Valdes-Lim: The Reward is in the Process
Ana Valdes-Lim is the first Filipina graduate of New York's prestigious Julliard School. She was cited as one of their 100 Most Outstanding Alumni in 100 years. Additionally, she is an author of several books on theatre. After a successful career in the U.S., she returned to the Philippines, where she is passionate about theater as a vessel for transformation. Ana shares her vision and talents w... posted on Feb 23, 7892 reads

Brink of Extinction
Anna Louisa first became interested in Faroese ponies because of a children's book. She soon learned that these enchanting creatures, ponies by size but often called horses due to their strength, were almost extinct. Between 1850 and 1920 large numbers of them were exported from their home in the Faroe Islands. By 1960 there were only five left in the wild. Fortunately they have made a remarkable ... posted on Apr 6, 2082 reads

The Gentlest Thing in the World
"The gentlest thing in the world is an open mind. Since it doesn't believe what it thinks, it is flexible, porous, without opposition, without defense. Nothing has power over it. Nothing can resist it. Even the hardest thing in the world a closed mind can't resist the power of openness. Ultimately the truth flows into it and through it, like water through rock."... posted on Apr 16, 8193 reads

The Courageous Mary Oliver
Lisa Starr shares her insights from the last years of her friend Mary Oliver's life. From this deep perspective of love - we see Mary's courage, strength and generosity. She lived her craft - listening for the words - to the very end - using them to transform the heartbreak of living into things of beauty.... posted on May 26, 31910 reads

Meredith's Joy Jars
How do you help a teen get over a broken heart? Pam found a way and Meredith found a calling. A simple solution which has reached thousands around the world. Learn more through this beautiful short video.... posted on Jun 4, 4022 reads

Make a Living, Make a Life
I met poet and independent bookstore owner John Evans over 20 years ago. Here, he paraphrases Louis Patlers response to a womans question about the place of independent bookstores in the culture. "This may sound strange to you, but I think a bookstore's main function is to provide an aesthetic presence in its neighborhood." Evans writes, "I understand that completely." In this short essay he unpa... posted on Jun 8, 2923 reads

Flying the Big Ones
"I used to be a flight attendant with TWA back in 1970. They almost wouldn't hire me as a flight attendant because I was really tiny, like 105 pounds. They didn't feel like I could even do that job, let alone, later on, wrestle around a stretch DC-8, a 727 or a 747." She proved them wrong, and after she turned 50, she became one of 40 women pilots in commercial aviation along 150,000 men. ... posted on Jul 4, 1983 reads

Gift Ecology: A Conversation with Nipun Mehta
"The path from transaction to trust goes through relationships. So if we cultivate such a field of deep relationships, trust will naturally arise. Then the question is: How do we cultivate such a field? I think it starts with small acts of service. Its the small acts of service that create an affinity between us, and that connection over time creates deeper bonds. Thats the home for virtue to grow... posted on Jul 5, 8175 reads

Befriending Ourselves: An Invitation to Love
Is self-improvement sometimes a disguised version of self-agrression? If the focus is always on how I might be "better" in the future, it can be hard to extend toward myself a hand of friendship and compassion. I miss out on the present miracle of who I am NOW. Maybe moving from a perspective of improvement toward one of healing actually begins with loving my current messiness.... posted on Jul 28, 8974 reads

Creating Welcoming Space
"Hospitality means creating welcoming space for the other. Henri J. Nouwen notes that the Dutch word for hospitality, gastvrijheid, means 'the freedom of the guest.' It entails creating not just physical room but emotional spaciousness where the stranger can enter and be himself or herself, where the stranger can become ally instead of threat, friend instead of enemy." In a time when it is more cr... posted on Jul 12, 7696 reads

Jane Baker: An Artist Who Gives It All Away
One day, San Francisco artist Jane Baker realized something. Now she operates from a new place -- new, but also very old: "I don't know art history that well, but it is only in the last few hundred years that art has been a commodity. Before that, most artists were doing it out of their love for, frankly, for God or their church. Most of the art that's been made has not been made for money. So I'm... posted on Aug 6, 2148 reads

A Young Poet Tells the Story of Darfur
Emtithal "Emi" Mahmoud writes poetry of resilience, confronting her experience of escaping the genocide in Darfur in verse. She shares two stirring original poems about refugees, family, joy and sorrow, asking, "Will you witness me?"... posted on Aug 9, 9403 reads

Chitrakoot's Tree Man: 11 Years, 40,000 Trees
The tragic death of his wife and three children led Bhaiyyaram to vow to live only for others. He began to plant trees on fallow land near his village. No water near, so four times each day he hauled two 20-kilo boxes with a rope slung over his shoulders. Living in a hut he built nearby to guard the trees from thieves, his eleven years of work has produced a plantation of 40,000 trees. ... posted on Aug 26, 8602 reads

The Hospital in a Hut
Dr. Ashish Satav and his wife Dr. Kavita share their story of transforming lives in a remote tribal area of India. This inspiring journey of creating health started over 21 years ago in a hut. They have learned to create health from the bottom up -- transforming their own lives in the process.... posted on Sep 18, 4207 reads