The Gift That Matters
"From a very young age, my oldest daughter has been a gift giver. Like most children, her offerings consisted of items that adults wouldn't ordinarily classify as gifts. Broken seashells, traumatized frogs, dying weeds, and misshapen rocks were often presented in small, dirt-laden hands beneath a wide smile. In the past two years my child's gift giving practices have moved up a notch. Gifts are no... posted on Feb 8, 0 reads

The Gift That Matters
"From a very young age, my oldest daughter has been a gift giver. Like most children, her offerings consisted of items that adults wouldn't ordinarily classify as gifts. Broken seashells, traumatized frogs, dying weeds, and misshapen rocks were often presented in small, dirt-laden hands beneath a wide smile. In the past two years my child's gift giving practices have moved up a notch. Gifts are no... posted on Feb 9, 26276 reads

A Family Living (And Thriving) Without Money
"A Berlin family of three has been living on practically nothing but love and the goodwill of others for more than two years and counting --not as a victims of the rough economy, but as activists who are on a money strike to protest what they call our "excess-consumption society.""... posted on Feb 23, 18040 reads

What Signs Are You Not Seeing?
"I want you to think about some of the big signs with big messages that I bet you wish you could wear around your neck sometimes so that people would be more gentle ... or even that you could put around the neck of someone you love ... my husband had an accident in 2004 that injured the frontal lobe of his brain. It has taken 6 years to get him back but in the middle there, between 2004 and now lo... posted on Mar 19, 75036 reads

Our Planet Through the Eyes of Children
"A competition launched by a National Geographic photographer titled Children's Eyes On Earth has drawn an astonishing number of striking images from children in 90 countries around the world. Over 4,000 photographs, on the themes I Love Nature and I Fear Pollution, were submitted by young people under the age of 17, from regions as diverse as the USA, Romania, Australia and Iran. The winning entr... posted on Mar 21, 12102 reads

The Stubborn Gladness of Elizabeth Gilbert
The bestselling memoir "Eat, Pray, Love," about losing and finding herself, was the book that shot Elizabeth Gilbert to fame. It is now both a movie and travel tour. Yet there is much more to Gilbert than this runaway success. "Her collection of short stories, 'Pilgrims,' was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award, and her debut novel, 'Stern Men,' was a New York Times Notable Book. Her 2009 TED T... posted on Apr 7, 32726 reads

My Friend, My Companion: Lessons From Mia
In June 2010, Snigdha Manickavel and her husband Bapoorau brought home a little black puppy from an animal shelter in South India. Mia had been brought in with her mother and three of her siblings, and was the only one of the pups to survive. The young couple who took her home had no idea how deeply this bright-eyed newcomer would touch their hearts and transform their lives. In this short piece S... posted on Mar 31, 15015 reads

Roger Ebert Goes Gently Into That Good Night
Celebrated film critic Roger Ebert passed away yesterday from cancer. In 2009, he'd shared a beautiful reflection on his own mortality, called 'Go Gently Into That Good Night:' "I know it is coming, and I do not fear it, because I believe there is nothing on the other side of death to fear. I hope to be spared as much pain as possible on the approach path. I was perfectly content before I was born... posted on Apr 5, 40336 reads

5 Delightful Ways to Live What You Already Know
"In your heart of hearts, in the deepest place within yourself, you know the truth. The truth of living from love, of being free of whatever holds you back, of fullness, well-being, and contentment. Why pretend you don't know any longer? You might be afraid to acknowledge and live this knowing. You might be diverted by thinking your life doesn't measure up or you've been dealt a bad hand or you're... posted on Apr 14, 24538 reads

How to Change the World with Hot Cocoa & Neruda
"Wake up. Don't press snooze. Sling your legs over the side of the bed. Right. Left. Turn on music. Good, good music...You need a life soundtrack. Has anyone told you that yet? Pick out something spectacular from your closet. Feel good in your skin. Put on an item that tells some kind of story. Always have a story to tell, just a wrist or coat sleeve away. And if that yellow sweater ain't got a st... posted on May 28, 36506 reads

Stay A Lover of Little Things
"No matter what big cities you go off to and big opportunities you are graced with, always take time to acknowledge the little things. Never give up on the things that make you smile, because smiling is one of the most important things we can do in this world. Find time to just wander. With No Direction. No Plan. No Time Restrictions. Look for beauty everywhere you go. The ladybugs on the windowsi... posted on May 1, 58064 reads

Why Do We Not Ask For Help?
"My husband and I have just spent two weeks on a skiing vacation in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with our three adult kids. We were greeted by other family members and their adult kids, so to say the least, there were Feltons everywhere. Unfortunately, one of the family members ("Nan") was out skiing on the first day and broke her shoulder in four places. She had never had a traumatic injury before. For... posted on Jul 18, 9414 reads

What My Mother Gave Me
"Mother's Day is this Sunday. While some people are racking their brains to think of the perfect way to show their love and appreciation for Mom, a group of distinguished women recently flipped that script and wrote about the most profound gift their own moms gave to them. Their essays are collected in the new book What My Mother Gave Me: Thirty-One Women on the Gifts That Mattered Most." This art... posted on May 11, 10224 reads

A Moving Letter from Fiona Apple
Opening up her heart to her fans or "a few thousand friends I have not met yet" in her own words, Fiona Apple lays her vulnerabilities bare in this touching and most-humane note to cancel an upcoming concert tour so she can be with her dying dog. Her words share the deep joy and dedication she feels for her most cherished companion of 14 years, Janet - a rescued pitbull who seems the embodiment o... posted on Jun 16, 22152 reads

David Foster Wallace's Speech for the Ages
O, the maddening tedium of the everyday responsibilities of adult life! It plagues us because the "default setting" of our mentality is to feel victimized by circumstance. We place ourselves in the center of the universal narrative, making the plot-line all about ourselves. In his 2005 commencement address, novelist David Foster Wallace speaks refreshingly about personal empowerment. The freedom c... posted on May 16, 6045 reads

The Nature of Ambition
If you are lucky you will find something you love doing. Maybe you'll bake cream puffs or take alligators for walks. And maybe you'll find a way to make lots of money doing it. But what happens when your exotic animal walking business grows too fast and dog walkers band against you and you're faced with inner turmoil, fierce competition and self doubt? Find out in Grant Snider's insightful comic a... posted on Jul 16, 58645 reads

Mama Hill: A Gang's Worst Nightmare
This is an inspiring story of a 73-year-old former school teacher who has transformed her home into a refuge and resource center for local youth in Watts, CA. From her days of marching with MLK Jr., to raising kids as a single mom, and a long career serving in some of LA's toughest schools, Mama Hill (as she is endearingly called by her community) has a deep understanding of what urban youth need... posted on Jul 5, 8711 reads

An Abiding Ocean of Love: Artist Chris Jordan
The internationally acclaimed artist and cultural activist Chris Jordan explores contemporary mass culture and asks us to consider our roles in becoming more conscious stewards of the world. His work reflects the practices of making the invisible visible and developing empathy for all living things. In his series titled "Running the Numbers," for instance, he creates "beautiful works of art that ... posted on Jul 29, 83520 reads

Eckhart Tolle: The Easier Path
To the uninitiated, his persona -- a soft German-accented voice, his boyish visage, his love of vests -- doesn't exactly scream 'guru!' Yet Tolle is one of the world's most popular spiritual teachers and a literary powerhouse whose best-selling books 'The Power of Now' and 'A New Earth' have influenced millions. Born in Germany, educated at the universities of London and Cambridge, Tolle writes ... posted on Jun 23, 84533 reads

At 18, He Taught Us How To Live Before He Died
"Every teenager believes they are invincible," said Zach Sobiech. "It's not the kind of invincible like Superman; it's the kind of invincible like, 'I'll see you in five months.'" Zach didn't have five months. He died of cancer on 20 May 2013, shortly after his 18th birthday. This film gives us glimpses of Zack's enormous capacity for love, his gentle humor, haunting music, and the quiet courage w... posted on May 25, 10023 reads

Rituals for Wastelands
"We shut ourselves away from wounded places, psychologically, emotionally, and communally, but there is a better way to heal ourselves and our world." As earth-bound beings, when we witness the destruction of the natural environment, we find the darker parts of our humanity staring back at us. How do we heal our relationship with the land and with ourselves when such destruction can be so difficul... posted on Aug 26, 16918 reads

A Romanian Truck Driver's Love of Underdogs
Truck driver Tamara Raab has made a couple of 2,000 mile round trip journeys to drive a massive load of donated dog and cat food, veterinary supplies and pet beds to animal shelters in Romania -- a global hot spot for animal cruelty and neglect. But this time she didn't have the 3,500 Euros required to pay the fuel. So she sought support from a nonprofit that sponsors major animal protection effor... posted on Jun 20, 29700 reads

6 Ways to Find Work You Love
"The idea of fulfilling work -- a job that reflects our passions, talents, and values-- is a modern invention. Open Dr. Johnson's celebrated Dictionary, published in 1755, and the word "fulfillment" doesn't even appear. But today our expectations are higher, which helps explain why job satisfaction has declined to a record low of 47 percent in the U.S., and is even lower in Europe. If you count y... posted on Aug 8, 52410 reads

Can Patriotism Be Compassionate?
Patriotism can be a tricky word in a world where love of one's country can sometimes be streaked with a fear or intolerance of other nations. But that's not the whole story..."When the Greater Good Science Center analyzed the results of its "connection to humanity" quiz, it found plenty of people who identified with both country and humanity. They are not mutually exclusive. Indeed, so far the res... posted on Jul 4, 20512 reads

Elizabeth Gilbert: Beyond Eat, Pray, Love
"I think I have more compassion than if I had led a life where everything worked out exactly as I had planned or if I had never been wounded or if I had never been betrayed or I had never been harmed. I don't think I would be as good a person. I'm still aspiring to be a better and better person, but I think those disappointments have made me gentler with other people and their disappointments, the... posted on Sep 30, 23692 reads

Gaze Even Here
How do we look upon the brokenness of ourselves and the world, and in fixing our gaze, relinquish our desire to fix or change? Is it possible to just be with what is broken, to look, and in looking, come to love? Click here to walk with Trebbe Johnson through the clearcut forests of Vancouver, and journeys towards an acceptance of the world as it is.... posted on Jan 10, 8469 reads

Soul Surfer: Braving Life's Sharks
Kara Holden, screenwriter of the film "Soul Surfer" offers an eloquent reflection inspired by a conversation with Bethany Hamilton on whose life the film is based. Bethany is a surfer who lost her arm in a horrific shark attack. She valiantly returned to surfing less than a month after the incident and would go on to win numerous championships. In this piece the author probes into the reasoning be... posted on Jul 20, 42799 reads

10 Keys for Happier Living
We all want to be happy. And, happiness is the one thing we wish most for those we love. So, why is it so difficult? And, why aren't we working harder to make happiness our priority? "If you want to feel good, do good" -- this is just one of the many brilliant points carried forward by the Action for Happiness, a group of like-minded individuals from all walks of life who are intent on creating th... posted on Oct 16, 122142 reads

Joanna Macy: A Wild Love for the World
Joanna Macy is best known today as a Buddhist scholar and activist. She also translated the poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke. Her adventurous life included working for the CIA in Cold War Germany, then, as a young mother, she moved with her husband to post-colonial India, where she cared for Tibetan refugees, joining the young, newly exiled Dalai Lama. Later, she became an environmental activist. Lear... posted on Nov 3, 35473 reads

What Are The Secrets To A Happy Life?
With so many self-help books and articles out there posing different theories about what leads to happiness in life, and so many passing fads and trends, how do we know when we've found the right tools that will lead us to a lifetime of joy? Since 1938, The Grant Study has followed 267 sophomores from Harvard University as their lives have unfolded, with the aim of documenting the key factors that... posted on Oct 23, 67183 reads

21 Blessings in Disguise
"It's easy to give thanks for the blessings that we do have. Love, family, friends, bounty. These are the hugs and warmth and praises analogous to a soothing back rub or an aromatic cup of tea. For these, we are thankful daily. They make us feel good and we expect and receive them with little to no toll." But then there are the things that do take a toll -- like our insecurities, flaws, sadness, a... posted on Nov 18, 62331 reads

Haircuts for Hugs
"Each Wednesday, barber Anthony Cymerys sets up his chair in the shade of an oak tree in Hartford's Bushnell Park. His clients line up on park benches, some of them also turning out for free meals provided on Wednesdays by a local church. One by one they take a seat in a folding lawn chair above a car battery Cymerys uses to power his clippers. For longtime clients, the homeless, or those just do... posted on Jan 5, 9999 reads

Chai With Love
Meet R. Sekar, a reserved man who sells tea for a living in his little tea shop in India. With his meagre earnings, this man with a golden heart shows us that you do not have riches to help others. "I am happy with what I have and can do with even less. I do not need more. What will I do [with more]?" he asks. Read about how this big-hearted man touches the lives of those who visit his tea shop.... posted on Feb 15, 28071 reads

The Man in the Red Bandana: A 9/11 Hero
Welles Crowther began carrying a red bandana when he was 6 years old. It soon became his signature, and a link between father (his dad carried a blue one) and son. When Welles turned 16, he signed up as a junior firefighter at the local fire station -- Empire Hook and Ladder Co. No. 1. On September 11, 2001, Welles was working as an equities trader on the 104th floor of the South Tower of the Worl... posted on Sep 11, 5840 reads

Cancelled Wedding Turned Feast for the Homeless
Willie and Carol Fowler's daughter was getting ready to walk down the aisle. The wedding venue, food, and decorations were all in order. But forty days before her big day, she canceled her wedding. Willie and Carol were left with a fully paid event -- but no guests. What they did next was an unscripted act of radical kindness: they invited 200 homeless people as their honoured guests. The event, w... posted on Feb 21, 14111 reads

Transformative Organizing: A Labor of Love
Elizabeth Flores played a pivotal role in the quest for equal rights of undocumented workers. Her passionate work helped persuade Governor Jerry Brown to sign the "California Domestic Workers Bill of Rights" into law. Flores' approach was one of 'transformative organizing' -- a way of combating injustice, that emphasizes creating change through how we are as individuals, how we relate to one anoth... posted on Jan 9, 15522 reads

Two Children Teach the World About Love
Trenton and Lindsay Cochran are best friends, brother and sister, support and inspiration. 10-year old Lindsay, who suffers from Spinal Muscular Atrophy, has been in a wheelchair since she was 2. Trenton understands deeply that his life would have been very different if he didn't have a disabled younger sister. Not only is this mature 12-year old a helper and protector, he is an advocate and amba... posted on Apr 11, 13843 reads

How To Turn Your Brain From Anger To Compassion
Why do we need compassion? Are we so genetically compelled to alleviate the suffering of others, that our minds are momentarily able to shift from 'self' to 'selflessly?' Or, is it possible that acting with compassion helps to relieve our own pain, as well? The Buddhist tradition offers, "Just like me, you want to be happy; just like me, you want to be free of suffering" -- thus, reinforcing the b... posted on Jan 26, 25373 reads

Grateful: A Love Song to the World
Inspired by the 21-Day Gratitude Challenge, talented musicians Nimo Patel and Daniel Nahmod brought together dozens of people from around the world to create this beautiful, heart-opening melody -- a celebration of our spirit and all that is a blessing in life. For 21 Days, over 11,000 participants from 118 countries practiced exactly that, learning that 'gratefulness' is a habit cultivated consci... posted on Nov 27, 11392 reads

The Real-life Courage of Harry Potter Fans
When teacher, Andrew Slack, finally conceded to the pleadings of his students - he had no idea what he was getting into. They had been begging him to read the Harry Potter series -- an enchanting story about a teenage wizard who uses his magic to conquer the dark forces world. At first, Slack was mesmerized by the stories -- captivated by the notion that one boy could do so much good. And then on... posted on Feb 25, 30545 reads

Contemplating Mortality
Nobody looks forward to dying. It's good to be thinking about life and living as long and as well as possible, but we shouldn't assume that death is only about suffering and its avoidance or its suppression. There are also experiences, interactions, opportunities, that are of profound value for individuals and all who love them. ... posted on Feb 14, 8628 reads

The Marriage of Love & Power
Jacqueline Novogratz is the founder and CEO of Acumen Fund, a non-profit that raises charitable donations to invest in companies, leaders, and ideas that are changing the way the world tackles poverty. In this interview, she talks about her revolutionary approach to philanthropy that has impacted the lives of over 100 million people, what moved her to leave her safe world of banking to work with t... posted on Feb 6, 22767 reads

The Nature of the Self: How We Know Who We Are
Our emotions, beliefs, and ideals are constantly changing, and most cells in our bodies are completely renewed every seven years. How, then, do we know who "we" are? Over the past ten years, the emerging field of experimental philosophy has examined this paradox, along with its many related questions about morality, happiness, love, and how to live. In this fascinating video, Yale University profe... posted on Mar 13, 28980 reads

A Radical Homemaker Celebrates 40
Shannon Hayes, mother and homemaker on a family farm, used to spend birthdays mourning the passing of another year. But on her 40th she decides instead to spend the day in celebration and joy by giving herself an important gift. In this touching piece, Shannon shares how she learned that turning 40 meant being "grown-up enough, confident enough, fearless enough to face my deepest, most secret drea... posted on Mar 30, 18107 reads

I'm Just Like You
Videographer Ellie Walton flew to Liberia to film a documentary highlighting the beauty and strengths of the children of the Hope for the Deaf School -- children who face immense discrimination and are often abandoned by their families. Coincidentally, she arrived in Monrovia on the same day as Hip Hop artist Chad Harper (aka Famus), whom she had met the month before in India. Chad had come to exp... posted on Mar 16, 3656 reads

The Love of Stuff
Nick Thorpe asks, "If Western consumer culture sometimes resembles a bulimic binge in which we taste and then spew back things that never quite nourish us, the ascetic, anorexic alternative of rejecting materialism altogether will leave us equally starved. Who, then, can teach me how to celebrate my possessions with the mindful, celebratory spirit of a gourmet?"... posted on May 10, 7392 reads

Lessons From My 93-Year-Old Kindergarten Teacher
Mary Beth Washington is the stuff that kindergarten dreams are made of. "She did almost everything contrary to the rules: she took the kids out walking in the rain, she napped with them during naptime, she came to school dressed like a circus performer. She was in love with birds, dancing, poetry and people." Now in her 93rd year, she is as spirited as ever and still going strong with her walking ... posted on May 5, 25991 reads

Owen & Haatchi: A Boy And His Dog
"The day that Haachi met Owen was utterly incredible. It was electric. It was spiritual...they immediately understood they were going to work together as a team," Colleen Drummond, Owen's stepmother. Owen is a 7-year old boy with a rare syndrome that leaves his muscles in a constant state of tension. Haatchi is an Anatolian Shepherd that was left to die on the railroad tracks, but managed to escap... posted on Apr 12, 4708 reads

The Woman Who Saved 200 Sloths
"Monique Pool first fell in love with sloths when she took in an orphan from a rescue centre. Since then many sloths have spent time in her home on their way back to the forest -- but even she found it hard to cope when she had to rescue 200 at once. It all began in 2005 when Pool lost her dog, and called the Suriname Animal Protection Society to see if they'd found it. They hadn't, but they told ... posted on Apr 6, 10653 reads

The Laundromat with a Big Heart
The Indian Express laundry shop resembles an average laundromat in the bustling metropolis of Mumbai, India. The piles of neatly folded clothes and smiling faces of the shop's workers reflect their expert and efficient service in cleaning people's garments since 1940. A closer look, though, reveals a softer, warmer side to the shop: cats. Big and small, these furry creatures are often rescued from... posted on Jun 9, 15666 reads