Peace Pilgrim: The Four Relinquishments
On New Year's Day a woman named Mildred Norman Ryder left behind her home, her family and her name, to begin what would turn into a 28-year walk for 'a meaningful way of life'. Peace Pilgrim's fearlessness, love and simplicity have inspired generations of people worldwide. Here she shares the four relinquishments that powered her way of life. "Once you've made the first relinquishment, you have fo... posted on May 4, 20392 reads

The Dream We Haven't Dared to Dream
What are your dreams? Better yet, what are your broken dreams? Dan Pallotta dreams of a time when we are as excited, curious and scientific about the development of our humanity as we are about the development of our technology. Pallotta asks us to "Imagine living in a world where we simply recognize that deep, existential fear in one another -- and love one another boldly because we know that to ... posted on Sep 7, 15830 reads

7 Lessons About Finding the Work You Were Meant to Do
"Finding your calling -- it's not passive," [StoryCorps founder Dave Isay] says. "When people have found their calling, they've made tough decisions and sacrifices in order to do the work they were meant to do."In other words, you don't just "find" your calling -- you have to fight for it. And it's worth the fight. "People who've found their calling have a fire about them," says Isay, the winner o... posted on May 13, 17498 reads

The Woman Who Rescued Over 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, a mongrel called Sciolo, and called the Suriname Animal Protection Society to see if they'd found it. Th... posted on May 12, 6744 reads

Buried Treasure: The Story of a Marriage
"Like most marriages, I guess, we were a mixed bag of personality differences, varied preferences, unexamined childhood traumas, weaknesses and strengths, hopes and passions. I think he and I partnered each other with as much love and courage as we could, making every mistake in the book on a daily basis but trying to learn from them and carry on." After her husband's passing away, writer Carolyn... posted on Sep 14, 19727 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, 4372 reads

Wendell Berry: What Are People For?
In these poems Wendell Berry — poet, novelist and environmental activist — writes about what it means to be human, the human experience of solitude, of community, of love and work, of desire and despair.... posted on Jul 18, 34416 reads

Elizabeth Gilbert: Choosing Curiosity Over Fear
Her name is synonymous with her fantastically best-selling memoir Eat Pray Love. But through the disorienting process of becoming a global celebrity, Elizabeth Gilbert has also reflected deeply on the gift and challenge of inhabiting a creative life. Creativity, as she defines it, is about choosing curiosity over fear not to be confused with the more familiar trope to "follow your passion, but ra... posted on Sep 5, 17128 reads

Street Books: Library on Wheels For People Outside
Recognizing that "those living outside or in temporary shelters are usually barred from borrowing books from regular libraries because they lack the required documentation," Professor Laura Moulton began lending books to people living on the fringes of society in Portland, Oregon. In 2011, Moulton founded a bike-powered mobile library, Street Books, to make sure those in isolated communities have ... posted on Aug 10, 11813 reads

Letting Love Come In: Lessons from a Nursing Home
"Two and a half years ago my grandmother was placed in a nursing home where she will live out the rest of her life. She has dementia and so her memory capacity has been marred. Somehow though she remembers kindness. She is my constant teacher. One of things we like to do is walk down the halls in the nursing facility saying hello to the other residents...When I go to the nursing facility, it i... posted on Jul 22, 15934 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, 15325 reads

From Royalty to Relics: India's Dinosaur Princess
Known as India's very own "Jurassic Park," the Balasinor Fossil Park lies nestled in the tiny Raiyoli village of Gujarat's Khera district. And guarding the Park's 65-million-year-old eggs is a fiercely passionate, dinosaur-loving former princess, Aaliya Sultana Babi. Aaliya fell in love with the fossil beds when she was a teenager and is now an enthusiastic promoter and protector of the precious a... posted on Sep 27, 12009 reads

Forgiving My Brother's Killer
This year, as he has done every year since September 15, 2002, Rana Sodhi hosted a memorial for his brother, Balbir Singh Sodhi who was shot while planting flowers in front of his store just four days after the 9/11 attacks. His murder turned a generation of young people, like family friend Valarie Kaur into activists, who began helping communities organize against racism and violence. But after t... posted on Oct 4, 10947 reads

Community, Conflict and Ways of Knowing
"I argue that the relation established between the knower and the known, between the student and the subject, tends to become the relation of the living person to world itself." In this beautifully articulated piece Parker Palmer reflects on how we should be thinking about the nature of community in modern higher education, what role conflict plays in community, and the two types of love that are ... posted on Nov 13, 13386 reads

What We Should Know About Animals
It's easy to assume that animals experience happiness (just think of a dog wagging its tail), but what about higher-level emotions and qualities like selflessness, empathy, or even love? In "Beyond Words: How Animals Think and Feel," conservationist Carl Safina shares stories from decades of observing animals and combines it with new brain research to paint a picture of animals' emotional landscap... posted on Jun 28, 2986 reads

Welcome to My House
Welcome to My House, a collaboration between non-profit Voices of the Children and band Luc and the Lovingtons, features American teens and Syrian refugee youth singing a cross-cultural message of joy, love and peace. The video was filmed on site at the Zaatari Refugee Camp and Wadi Rum in Jordan as well as in the Skagit Valley of Washington State, USA. Most of the youth, participants and location... posted on Oct 31, 2285 reads

11 Tips to Leading a Creative Life
In this TED article, Elizabeth Gilbert, author of "Eat, Pray, Love" and the new book "Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear," offers wit and wisdom for people living with creativity -- which, according to her, is everyone! Creativity is not always easy to tap into, but thankfully there are lots of things we can do to help. To start, we can reframe "creativity" as "curiosity," consider fear boring... posted on Jan 11, 29068 reads

I Am Not I: Jacob Needleman on How We Become Who We Are
In 'I Am Not I' Jacob Needleman delves into the timeless, searching questions of humanity. "Out of the inquiry itself arises an immensely hope-giving offering -- a sort of secular sacrament illuminating what lies at the heart of the most profound experiences we're capable of having: joy, love, hope, wonder, astonishment, transcendence." Maria Popova shares more.... posted on Dec 24, 10832 reads

Why We Love Our Own Creations
In this article, behavioral economist Dan Ariely explains why we feel joy and engagement when we make things ourselves. He discusses "The Ikea Effect" and how even small contributions to an item's creation can lead to more affection and attachment to that item. He shares: "The lesson here is that a little sweat equity pays us back in meaning -- and that is a high return."... posted on Dec 26, 15914 reads

12 Questions Around Volunteerism
In this thoughtful piece ServiceSpace founder Nipun Mehta fields twelve probing questions on how to nurture and sustain a volunteer culture."Since 1999, ServiceSpace has been volunteer-run. It's a constraint and an asset. It opens us up to sensing multiple forms of capital...Leadership turns into laddership. Compassion is contagious; instead of pushing, we count on the pull. The metaphor shifts fr... posted on Jan 12, 19887 reads

Remote Wonders: A Conversation with Elaine Ling
"Ling was petite. That didn't stop her from lugging her 4x5 view camera to the most remote places in the world. And she was a doctor. "I love photography and medicine. Doing my Mongolian book, my guide was a Mongolian doctor. He took me around and everywhere we went we connected with doctors in the field. Often they would come with me, so we bombed along the steppes in a jeep full of singing docto... posted on Dec 14, 3074 reads

Heal the World: Child Prodigy Cover
Nirali Kartik and Kartik Shah of Maati Baani, bring together 45 child prodigies from across the globe to "Heal The World." Working online with musicians ranging from 5 to 13 years of age, MaatiBaani released this video as a tribute to Michael Jackson on what would have been Jackson's 58th birthday. Let this message of love and peace carry us forward throughout the year.... posted on Jan 20, 3889 reads

When Cancer Calls Everything Into Question
"Most of us walk through our lives feeling so certain of what we hold to be true; then along comes a crisis -- like cancer -- and sud?denly all bets are off. As humans, we crave certainty. Se?curity. We want to know, Why did this happen? Will I be OK? What if there are no answers and no certainty to be found? What if we can't know? Does that mean peace of mind and heart are no longer possible?" In... posted on Feb 15, 13906 reads

Protecterra's Farm
Protecterra Ecological Foundation was founded in 2011 with a vision and dream of a sustainable planet, a more sensitive people, and a global society that respects nature, and comes together in solidarity to heal and protect earth. Protecterra facilitates numerous initiatives principled on values of education, awareness, and outreach. This video documents one such initiative -- Protecterra's Farm... posted on Apr 5, 2900 reads

Should You Live for Your Eulogy or Your Resume?
Within each of us are two selves, suggests David Brooks in this meditative short talk: the self who craves success, who builds a resume; and the self who seeks connection, community, and love -- the values that make for a great eulogy. In this short talk, Brooks asks: Can we balance these two selves? ... posted on Mar 12, 51836 reads

Designing Companies that Are Loved
"When Scott Elias lost 80% of his hearing in kindergarten, his emotional and intuitive connection to the world went into overdrive like a sixth sense. When his hearing was surgically restored two years later, the medical miracle ignited his passion for music and science which he channeled into his wildly successful 30+ year career as the CEO of the worlds largest and most-awarded audio communicati... posted on Mar 16, 8102 reads

Healing Children & Communities One Breath at a Time
When he was just 6 years old, J.G. Larochette felt a deep calling to bring love and awareness to communities overwrought by racism, oppression, and inequality. While teaching in Richmond, CA, he recognized a significant gap between providing academic instruction and maintaining a sense of nurturance and compassion. "Reading is fundamental, but if we create a stressful environment, we counteract ed... posted on Sep 26, 11090 reads

Born Baffled:Musings on a Writing Life
In the fall of 1978, Parker Palmer gave a lecture to a small literature class. Word-of-mouth landed him a book deal and 26 years later, he has published multiple books on a range of topics that he describes as 'curious musings' on his many interests. Since his first publication 'The Promise of Paradox', he continues to write, fueled by his love of words. For budding authors and word enthusiasts, h... posted on May 9, 13829 reads

Jeannie Kahwajy: Catching Everything As Help
"I want to catch what people are offering, catch everything as help; like Aikido. Aikido is a martial art where it doesn't matter what intention somebody is moving towards you with. I can always catch it as helpful energy -- I get to develop this redirecting skill." Jeannie Kahwajy is an executive coach and the CEO of Effective Interactions. She believes an attitude of love is the most effective w... posted on Apr 11, 15779 reads

War Childhood: Finding Light in the Darkness
Jasminko Halilovic grew up as a 'war child' in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. Even though the war ended years ago, its effects linger in the atmosphere, the buildings, and the people. Between 2010 and 2013, Halilovic interviewed people online and in person about their experiences being children of war, and in 2013 published his book War Childhood: Sarajevo 1992-1995. From this book, Halilovi... posted on Aug 1, 7195 reads

Robert Bengston: Inspiration Campaign
In 2012 artist Robert Bengston started a new participatory, people-powered project, Inspiration Campaign, that involves beautiful, empowering, nothing-for-sale advertising. The aim was to inspire the human spirit, and to transform mainstream media into a source of inspiration. The campaign uses crowd-funding to run uplifting, crowd-sourced messages on traditional physical advertising spaces. Mess... posted on May 3, 11271 reads

Why Are We Here?: Lessons Gleaned on Life's Meaning
Perhaps one of the most asked and elusive questions since the dawn of human curiosity is 'what is the meaning of life?' What would you answer? Is there even an answer? In this inspired social project, Aljoscha Dreisorner asked people from all walks of life, from friends to strangers to children and the elderly, what they believe their meaning to be. The answers are as enlightening as they are vari... posted on Jul 6, 15509 reads

Graduation: A Song & Speech for the Ages
Just in time for the millions of students around the world preparing for the milestone of graduation, comes this powerful music video! Written by be-the-change rapper Nimo Patel in India and animated by the French animators 'Superfruit Collective', it features a chorus of students from the Philippines, and excerpts from a graduation speech in America by ServiceSpace founder Nipun Mehta -- a true g... posted on May 4, 27725 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, 12779 reads

How Do I Love Trees? Let Me Count the Ways...
Trees are interwoven into our existence in so many ways. They give us air to breathe, shade from sun, beautiful colors in the autumn, timber to build our homes, food to eat, paper to write on, and so much more. In this ode to our wooded friends,the team at Gratefulness.org have compiled a series of quotes, stories, poems, and photographs that delve deeper into our connection to trees. Going beyond... posted on Aug 23, 28499 reads

David Whyte on Courage
We all have an idea of what courage looks like from the outside, but what about the inside? Is it angry? Energetic? Excited? Or something else? In this essay, poet David Whyte looks deep within to find the source of courage. Perhaps surprisingly, it's a place that's not hard but soft. And it can be both confusing and vulnerable. "We become courageous whenever we live closely to the point of tears ... posted on Jun 15, 17785 reads

Finding Joy: The Science of Happiness
We long to find more joy in our daily pursuits even though life has taught us it's not so easy. New discoveries in neuroscience offer insight into how we can develop a brighter state of heart and mind. Our choices are more than a temporary glitch in the brain, it turns out. Learn why it's better to sometimes allow love for the fractured and suffering humanity around and inside us to enter our busy... posted on Aug 29, 20359 reads

Seeing Through the Lens of Good
Jeanine Lim has been working with villagers in Vietnam for more than 20 years. Starting as a personal endeavor with her mother, Project Give Pray Love has grown to become a community effort that helps children in the Mekong Delta region stay in school through tuition grants, books, stationery and bicycles to get to school. Now the filmmaker and lecturer is helping introduce students to overseas co... posted on Sep 30, 2416 reads

Nipun Mehta on What It Means to Serve
In this interview at the Sun Valley Wellness Festival, Nipun Mehta, the founder of ServiceSpace, explores the nuances of what it means to serve. His talk affords a glimpse of various ServiceSpace projects like KarmaTube, DailyGood, Karma Kitchen, and more. Karma Kitchen works on an intriguing pay-it-forward basis. When patrons are done eating, the bill arrives with a total of $0.00, and a brief ex... posted on Nov 28, 2905 reads

I, Who Did Not Die
In this interview, Richard Whittaker sits down with Meredith May, author of "I, Who Did Not Die," a true story of hope and humanity, beginning with an event on a battlefield during the Iran-Iraq war. There, an Iranian boy soldier named Zahed takes mercy on an Iraqi soldier, Najah, after seeing a picture of his loved ones that dropped out of his Quran. Realizing their commonalities, he decides to s... posted on Oct 10, 7392 reads

Living In Deep Time
"To be a contemplative is to learn to trust deep time,...to learn how to rest there and not be wrapped up in chronological time." Richard Rohr discusses the contemplative life, how to transition into deep meaning as we age, the challenge of generations engaging in spiritual transformation and applying this work in his retreats for men. He likens the contemplative life to the mythic hero's journey:... posted on Sep 11, 15152 reads

The Age of We Need Each Other
A paradigm shift is what might move us and the world beyond the Age of Separation and into the Age of We Need Each Other. After Charles Eisenstein suffered a big failure, something told him he needed to drop the thought that he would get any recognition or credit for his work. Then he really questioned what lies at the heart of what we do and why. "Our culture validates and celebrates those who ar... posted on Nov 9, 16420 reads

The Remarkable Story of An Artist Who Never Spoke a Word
Judith Scott was born deaf and with Down Syndrome. She never spoke a word. Beginning at 7 years old, she spent much of her life in state institutions, up until 1986 when her sister Joyce was awarded legal guardianship. While living with Joyce, Judith discovered Creative Growth, and her love of creating art. She spent the rest of her life, up until her death in 2005, creating remarkable art that of... posted on Sep 21, 12012 reads

Anne Lamott Writes Down Every Single Thing She Knows
If you know Anne Lamott's writing, nothing more in the way of introduction is necessary. If you do not, this list of life lessons will become the magical touchstone you finger like rosary beads every time the world breaks you open in love or loss.... posted on Nov 3, 234269 reads

The Life of Death
Marsha Onderstijn is a Dutch animator who studied at St. Joost Kunstacademie, a fine arts university in the Netherlands, specializing in 2D animation. In her hand-drawn piece, "Life of Death," Marsha follows a day with Death, who paradoxically learns to fall in love with life. This moving short animation paints Death as a warm character, interested in the goings on of the living, and even feeling ... posted on Jan 14, 8141 reads

Inside the Mind of Temple Grandin
Temple Grandin, renowned American author, animal behavior expert, and advocate for autistic people, has written many books -- including Animals in Translation, The Autistic Brain, and Thinking in Pictures -- and is currently a professor of animal science at Colorado State University. In this 60 minute interview on Insights at the Edge you'll learn the differences between verbal and visual thinkers... posted on Dec 28, 7239 reads

Hats Warm Heads and Hearts of Kids with Cancer
What started as an entrepreneurship project of two college students, Zachary Quinn and Brian Keller, grew into something much greater. Love Your Melon, founded in 2012, has taken the nation by storm and is supporting thousands of children with cancer each year. For every hat sold, one hat is donated to a child with cancer, helping to alleviate the shame and embarrassment that often accompanies the... posted on Dec 9, 1611 reads

Luc Reynaud: Welcome to My House
Luc Reynaud is a musician from Washington, focused on combining music and service to others. When Hurricane Katrina hit the southeast coast, Luc felt compelled to go down and help, using some construction skills (and a guitar) he had picked up during a soul-searching trip. Luc began playing his guitar around the shelter he was volunteering at, eventually writing a song with one of the children, ca... posted on Jun 3, 5238 reads

As Worthy as You Are
"When I look at babies, I see how worthy we all are. I see that each individual is an artist, ready to paint something soul-fulfilling on the palette of existence. I see how we start out completely innocent and deserving of love.Then we begin to grow, finding our way in a sometimes challenging world. Navigating lifes difficulties sometimes alters our perception of self-worth." In this short, eloqu... posted on Sep 14, 15981 reads

Two Words That Change Lives
Cheryl Lee Rice will never forget the warm feelings she had when she was handed a business-sized card two years ago that had two simple words printed on them. Its message made her feel seen, deeply seen. "We're living in a world filled with selfies, professional branding, Facebook likes. We believe that by seeking validation we receive it.Actually the opposite is true: We receive validation when w... posted on Sep 12, 0 reads