Oprah's Favorite Giveaway
Over the years, television's Oprah Winfrey has given away everything from cars and homes to cookies and sweaters on her show. But last week, she gave away a different sort of gift -- the gift of giving. Every member of Oprah's audience received $1,000 and a Sony DVD Handycam, with one catch: the more than 300 audience members were told they had to use the money for a good cause. "You're going to o... posted on Nov 6, 3686 reads

Soccer as a Tool for AIDS Prevention
Created over the summer of 2006, Lusaka Sunrise is a 7 minute short film that examines how soccer/ "football" is fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa. Through the work of several organizations, the powerful and commonly accessible platform of soccer is facilitating the spread of knowledge and providing African youth with the skills, understanding, and community support to live HIV-free. Lusaka Sunrise take... posted on Dec 1, 1771 reads

Rachel's Challenge
As part of her essay at Columbine High School "My Ethics, My Codes of Life", Rachel Scott wrote, "Compassion is the greatest form of love humans have to offer." This essay was found in her room by family members a few weeks after Rachel died -- the first victim in the Columbine shootings in 1999. Rachel's Challenge, a program started by her family, consists of five challenges based on Rachel's jou... posted on Feb 21, 4941 reads

Outside-the-Box Service
For eight weeks straight, every day of the week, Swiss-born designer and conceptual artist Markuz Wernli Saito carried out 'At-Your-Service', a relational art experiment on the streets of Kyoto: for an hour, he offered citizens a chance to participate in outside-the-box interventions in urban areas. Every Tuesday, for example, was "I Love Trash" day, when people left thank-you notes on trash bags,... posted on Feb 26, 2307 reads

Airline Ambassadors: Wings of Love
It was 10 years ago when Nancy Rivard asked a simple question. "I'm working on these flights every day, and I would see empty space in the overhead bin, empty space underneath in freight, empty seats, and I thought, why can't we use this to help others?" she says. Initially, the airline answer was no, but Nancy would not give up. Eventually, she convinced executives any additional costs were outwe... posted on Mar 14, 2368 reads

The Baby Academy
When Dina Abdel Wahab's son Ali was born with Down syndrome, she was unable to find a preschool to meet his needs. Children with Down syndrome do not benefit from environments where they are kept apart from mainstream society. And in Cairo, at the time, Dina had no other options for her son; if a better place was going to exist, she would have to create it herself. Determined to help Ali lead a no... posted on Mar 17, 2007 reads

Lessons From A Dyslexic CEO
As a student, Paul Orfalea had always had trouble with words, so he focused instead on people. Kinkos, the mega copy centre chain store he started, is testimony to his inspiring ability to turn the disability of dysexia into an asset. Through his tremendous people skills, and really paying attention to the things that matter, Orfalea grew Kinkos into a household brand. He says, "My favorite questi... posted on Apr 21, 2655 reads

Ethical Wills: Legacies of Wisdom
When he dies, Abraham Leibson wants to leave his heirs three things: a love of learning, the flexibility to change, and the courage to face their fears. And while such abstract concepts cannot be bequeathed as tangibly as a pocket watch or a stock portfolio, ideals and values are part of one's legacy, nonetheless -- and they can be passed from one generation to another. So Leibson, who is 69 and i... posted on Apr 9, 3823 reads

The Four Fingered Pianist
Born with only four fingers (two digits on each hand) and no legs beneath her knees, 20 year old Hee-ah Lee is an inspiration to all who know her. Although she began playing the piano at age 7 for therapeutical purposes, today she is a renowned concert pianist. Hannah's mother always saw her daughter as perfect just the way she was, and has been the driving force behind her amazing career. Today,... posted on Jun 22, 4659 reads

The Healthiness of Giving
When he was sad as a boy his mother would say, 'Well, Stevie, why don't you go out and help somebody,' " Dr Post recalls. "I would go out and rake leaves or help a neighbor put canvas over a boat." He still remembers those small moments vividly because they gave him the impression that helping others was rewarding. Now he knows it for sure. For the past five years, Dr. Post has been funding resear... posted on Aug 6, 4541 reads

Leprosy And A Mother's Love
On her first night in India, Becky Douglas lay awake thinking about beggars. As she tossed and turned that night, Douglas prayed. "'I'm just a housewife. Tell me what I should do.' And the thought came to me: 'You can at least look at them. You can at least acknowledge that they're suffering.' And the next day I did." Six years later, Douglas is a veteran activist fighting to end leprosy in India.... posted on Aug 1, 3024 reads

When Was The Last Time You...
"When is the last time you cut someone off in traffic or scared someone with an insistent and angry horn? When was the last time you took the last cart, or cookie, or pool chair and pretended not to look at someone waiting behind you? When was the last time you said no when you could have said yes? When was the last time you cut someone you love with words because you were tired, cranky, hurt, ove... posted on Aug 17, 4338 reads

China's Umbrella Samaritans
Thanks to a rainy day and an inspiring series of photos that captured a random act of kindness, residents in Qingdao, China don't need to worry about being caught in the rain without an umbrella. The "Love and Care Umbrella" campaign provides free umbrellas in places like banks, shopping malls, and even buses and taxis. It was started after a series of pictures were posted online, accompanied by a... posted on Aug 29, 2616 reads

88 Keys To Happiness
Harlan Creech fell in love with the piano when Woodrow Wilson was president. It was 1920 and Creech was 8 -- a creek-splashing dreamer stuck with a squeaky violin his parents made him play. His sister got the piano, which sounded to him like a sunny day set to music. He's wanted to play ever since. Creech grew up to be a husband, a father and a Methodist minister -- a job where he made time for ev... posted on Sep 23, 3466 reads

A 22,000 Mile Run
It is a strange sight to see: a woman running down a Pennsylvania’s Route 45 with a large cart in tow. 60-year-old Rosie Swale Pope has been running since she left her home in Wales nearly four years ago. Rosie, as she's called, is trying to raise awareness about the importance of being screened early for cancer. If you can save someone's life by reminding them to go for an early checkup that's... posted on Sep 26, 1867 reads

Dying Homeless Man's Lesson in Humanity
A homeless man with a few months left to live and his caregivers have formed an unusual bond. Patrick Conway, with virtually nothing to his name turned out to have a lot to offer others. And in return, Conway, who'd always hated hospitals,is beginning to understand how love and compassion can enter a man's life in unforeseen ways. Dr. Melissa Mattison calls Conway "a breath of fresh air...There he... posted on Nov 2, 3348 reads

StoryCorps: Tell Your Story
StoryCorps began with the idea that everyone has an important story to tell. And since 2003, this remarkable project has been collecting the stories of everyday Americans and preserving them for future generations. From more than ten thousand interviews, StoryCorps -- the largest oral history project in the nation's history -- presents a tapestry of American stories, told by the people who lived t... posted on Dec 10, 2783 reads

Walking the World with Love & No Money
Equipped with only a few T-shirts, a bandage and spare sandals, former dotcom businessman Mark Boyle is set to cross Europe and the Middle East. On his 9,000-mile trek to Gandhi's birthplace, he will have to pick his way through war-ravaged Afghanistan. Mr Boyle, 28, said: "I will be offering my skills to people. If I get food in return, it's a bonus." He says he is part of the freeconomy movement... posted on Feb 11, 2691 reads

For the Homeless From the Heart
For Toni Dukes, love isn't delivered with Hallmark cards or red roses. It's given in a Ziploc bag stuffed with a hat, gloves and a packet of Kleenex, and the words "From the Heart" written in black marker on the outside. The 39-year-old single mom works the swing shift as a 911 dispatcher. But Dukes hasn't been able to call it a day after her high-stress shifts. On her route to work she couldn't h... posted on Feb 16, 3458 reads

Slow Medicine
A group of culinary mavericks took a giant step backward down the evolutionary trail with the "slow food" movement. Now doctors are following suit, rejecting the assembly line of modern medical care for older, gentler options. For many of us, a big challenge is to decide what kind of medical care our parents should get. Dr. Dennis McCullough, a professor of medicine at Dartmouth College, shows in ... posted on Feb 28, 3064 reads

The 'Do One Nice Thing' Lady
It began in the simplest way. Over lunch with girlfriends, Debbie Tenzer listened as they argued over the state of the world –- war, crime, schools in Los Angeles -– and how they felt helpless to change anything. Tenzer found herself resisting that view, and began to think what she could do. She started with small gestures of kindness one day of the week. Friends soon suggested she post these ... posted on Mar 26, 4309 reads

Acts of Reconciliation
In a way, it's a story of two diamond engagement rings. Laura Waters Hinson sits in the Discovery Channel building at the Silverdocs film festival, flashing a brilliant stone on each hand, explaining how she got here. A couple of weeks ago, the 29-year-old won the top documentary prize at the Student Academy Awards in Los Angeles for "As We Forgive," her film about reconciliation in Rwanda between... posted on Jul 9, 5151 reads

Mildred Norman's Simple Message
In the summer of 1952 Mildred Norman, traveling alone, hiked the entire length of the 2050 mile-long Appalachian Trail. She was the first woman to accomplish this feat. It turned out to be a practice run. From 1953 until 1981, she walked more than 25,000 miles across the United States , bearing the simplest of messages: this is the way of peace --overcome evil with good, and falsehood with truth, ... posted on Jul 19, 3265 reads

Peace, Love and Ice Cream
Matt Allen,won't disclose his age but must hover around 30. He finds happiness in life's small wonders. He plays kickball; he does the happy dance. With free-flowing floppy hair and thrift-store threads, he resembles an elementary student allowed to pick his own outfit for the day. Matt Allen is not just an ice cream man, he's "The" Ice Cream Man. And his venture, meanwhile, has grown from a one-m... posted on Jul 23, 3987 reads

Believing You're Right Even When You're Not
"What does it mean to be convinced?" Neurologist-turned-writer Robert Burton explores that question from the standpoint of modern biology which tells us, "despite how certainty feels, it is neither a conscious choice nor even a thought process. Certainty and similar states of "knowing what we know" arise out of primary brain mechanisms that, like love or anger, function independently of rationali... posted on Sep 9, 4400 reads

Lessons from the World's Happiest Man
What is happiness, and how can we achieve it? Matthieu Ricard, declared by University of Wisconsin neuroscientists as the happiest man they have ever tested, says that happiness can't be reduced to a few agreeable sensations. Rather, it is a way of being and of experiencing the world -- a profound fulfillment that suffuses every moment and endures despite inevitable setbacks. Authentic happiness i... posted on Dec 29, 12753 reads

Gifted Hands: The Story of Ben Carson
Benjamin S. Carson went from an angry street fighter in Detroit to become director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Carson, who attributes his escape from the poverty of his youth to the support and love of his mother, is the recipient of numerous honors and awards. His autobiography, "Gifted Hands", chronicles the road from a broken home and poor self-esteem to his life today.... posted on Feb 11, 5433 reads

The Gift-Economy House of Kelowna
"Once in a while you are given an incredible opportunity to really make a difference in one family's life," said a group of volunteers in a small Canadian town of Kelowna. Just like a popular reality TV show, their idea was to demolish and then rebuild a new house -- yes, a whole new house! -- for an amazing family of nine in their community. There was only one caveat: it was 100% community funded... posted on Mar 11, 2222 reads

Jasmine the Rescue Dog
When Jasmine the abandoned greyhound arrived at a wildlife sanctuary shivering and desperate for food, she needed all the love in the world to nurse her back to full health. Now it appears the kindness and patience shown to her has rubbed off - for the rescue dog has become a surrogate mother for the 50th time. Seven-year-old Jasmine is currently caring for tiny Bramble, an 11-week-old roe deer fa... posted on Apr 21, 87810 reads

Vimala Cooks. Everybody Eats.
Vimala Rajendran's personal story shines with resilience and inspiration. It is the story of someone who refused to be a victim and who chose to give back. For 12 years, Vimala has blended her love of cooking with a commitment to community to create weekly dinners in her Chapel Hill home. These dinners have grown to feed up to 100 people weekly. Men in collared shirts, women with dreadlocks, stude... posted on Apr 24, 3702 reads

The Difference Makers
Are you a Difference Maker? What is it that you possess -- beyond the material -- that you can give to the world? Time? Energy? Art? Love? Inspiration? Happiness? Jason Miller and Mathew Boggs have launched a global campaign called The Difference Makers, with a mission to unify, edify, and magnify world-shapers' talents for the highest global good.... posted on Jul 16, 3827 reads

How Emotions Influence Advice Taking
Research from Wharton and Carnegie Melon has shown that emotions not only influence people's receptiveness to advice, but they do so even when the emotions have no link to the advice or the adviser. At one level, the conclusion that the two researchers -- Maurice Schweitzer and Francesca Gino -- came to, seems obvious. Of course, people's moods affect their frame of mind. Most people have felt str... posted on Aug 28, 4459 reads

A 16-year-old Dancer's Awe-inspiring Performance at Julliard
Kiera Brinkley contracted a deadly bacterial infection, when she was just 2 years old, that required doctors to amputate her arms and legs. But they couldn't take away her love of dance. In August 2009 she realized a long-standing dream of hers and performed at Juillard in New York city, and in the process reinforced for students there what one Julliard instructor describes as the "magic of dance ... posted on Sep 14, 7958 reads

The Philanthropist Autorickshaw-driver
If you liked the Cash Cab for its ability to gift people a truly memorable ride, you'll love Sandeep Bacche's autorickshaw. For the last ten years, Sandeep has been giving free rides to the blind, donating money to an old age home, and raising money to distribute notebooks among slum children at the start of the school year. Right now, he's on a mission to raise funds for the treatment of a friend... posted on Sep 28, 3416 reads

Sylvia's Center: A Living Memorial
Liz Neumark, cofounder of one of New York City's most successful catering companies, started Sylvia's Center on the farm she bought to supply produce for her business. There she hosts inner city schoolchildren so they can not only see how food grows, but participate in the process and taste it fresh. The center is named for her daughter, who died suddenly at the age of six. It combines who Sylvia... posted on Oct 4, 2064 reads

The Burden of Genius
Elizabeth Gilbert's book "Eat, Pray, Love" was so successful that everyone worried if she'd ever be able to repeat that creative performance. The concern led Gilbert to investigate how past cultures and societies handled creative strokes of genius, and she discovered a rather curious insight from ancient Greek and Roman cultures -- that people aren't geniuses, but rather they have a genius. Funny,... posted on Nov 2, 6350 reads

Taking In The Good
Much as your body is built from the foods you eat, your mind is built from the experiences you have. The flow of experience gradually sculpts your brain, thus shaping your mind. Some of the results can be explicitly recalled: This is what I did last summer; that is how I felt when I was in love. But most of them remain forever unconscious. This is called implicit memory, and it helps form your exp... posted on Nov 7, 7488 reads

What Makes Couples Happy?
What makes marriages last? It's the small stuff, it turns out: telling him he looks great in his jeans, bringing her coffee in bed in the morning, sneaking off without the kids from time to time, taking turns doing the laundry. Terri Orbuch, a Michigan-based research professor and a family therapist, spent decades charting the love lives of 373 married couples in the U.S. -- the longest-running st... posted on Feb 26, 9971 reads

Palestinian Translating an Israeli Book
Six years ago, Elias Khoury's 20-year-old son, George, was killed in a Palestinian terrorist attack. The Khourys are Palestinian, so the murder of George -- who was out for a jog and shot from behind by gunmen in a car -- produced an apology. Sorry, the killers said, we assumed the jogger was a Jew. Now, in memory of his son, Mr. Khoury did something that shocked many in his community. He paid fo... posted on Mar 7, 1757 reads

Best Career Advice: Take Poetry
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard...No one will care if you ever studied American poetry when you get a job." said James Martin's faculty advisor at Wharton School of Business. "Fortunately, I didn't take his advice," Martin announces with a smile, "And it's one of the few courses I remember very well from school." James Martin, Jesuit Priest and author of 'The Jesuit Guide to Almost Eve... posted on Apr 21, 6727 reads

A Poem Is
Nancy Weber shares: "As the director of a creative writing organization, I have heard a lot of amazing, wildly creative poems and stories written by young writers in our workshops. However, I was absolutely stunned by this beautiful poem by Sadie McCann, a five year=old girl from our workshop at the Brooklyn Public Library, Bay Ridge branch. If she hadn't written it right in front of me, I would n... posted on Apr 26, 8909 reads

The World's Happiest People
"I'm always a happy person," says Nina Nielsen, 24, roaming a bustling street with her mother and friends in Denmark's capital of Copenhagen. In more than one study (including a 2009 report from Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development), residents of Denmark have been designated the happiest people in the world. What's their secret? A well-balanced lifestyle. A positive o... posted on May 20, 6509 reads

A Trash-Free Year
"Any time I throw something away, I think of you." It sounds like an insult, but to Amy and Adam Korst, it's a typical compliment. Since July 2009, the young couple have been on a quest to answer the question: "Is it possible for a couple to live an entire year without placing trash in a landfill, in a country that produces more waste each year than any other country in the world?" According to th... posted on May 26, 3702 reads

The 12-year-old Headmistress
As an infant, Bharti Kumari was abandoned at a railway station in Bihar, one of India's poorest states. Now, at 12 years-old, she is the head teacher at a school in Kusmbhara, her adopted village. Under the shade of a mango tree every morning and evening, she teaches Hindi, English, and math to 50 village children who would otherwise receive no education. In between, she attends a state school in ... posted on Jun 9, 10192 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, 1913 reads

A Global Teacher
From a tiny closet in Mountain View, California, Sal Khan is educating the globe for free. His 1,516 videotaped mini-lectures -- on topics ranging from simple addition to vector calculus and Napoleonic campaigns-- are transforming the former hedge fund analyst into a YouTube sensation, reaping praise from even reluctant students across the world. "I think he rocks. I'm studying pre-algebra and I l... posted on Jul 1, 5572 reads

The Compliment Guys
"I like your jeans." "I like your brown shoes." "Have a nice day!" Don't you love it when someone says something nice about you? Doesn't that brighten your day? Imagine how wonderful your day would be if someone said something nice about you, just because. Brett Westcott and Cameron Brown, also known as The Compliment Guys at Purdue University, are doing exactly that. "When people come up after th... posted on Jul 5, 3506 reads

Misfit Entrepreneurs
Imagine Walt Disney at the age of nineteen. His uncle asks him what he plans to do with his life, and he pulls out a drawing of a mouse and says, "I think this has a lot of potential." Or Springsteen. After a show one night, his father, who hated the guitar, asked him what he thought he was doing with himself. How does he tell his father, "I'm going to be Bruce Springsteen"? All great things begin... posted on Aug 3, 5324 reads

Six Keys to Excellence
Until recently, Tony Schwartz accepted the myth that the potential to excel is predetermined by our genes- that some people are born with special talents while others aren't. Lately though, his work with dozens of executives reveals that it's possible to build any given skill or capacity in the same systematic way we build a muscle: push past your comfort zone, and then rest. Talent, then, may act... posted on Aug 30, 10517 reads

See Yourself in Six Billion Others
From a Brazilian fisherman to a Chinese shopkeeper, from a German performer to an Afghan farmer, all answered the same questions about their fears, dreams, ordeals, hopes: "Who are you? What have you learned from your parents? What does love mean to you?" A project of "Earth From Above" photographer Yann Arthus Bertrand, 6 Billion Others weaves together video portraits of lives across the globe. E... posted on Sep 18, 7171 reads