is challenging to define, despite the huge role it plays in our everyday lives. Steve Jobs called it, for instance, "more powerful than intellect." But however we put it into words, we all, well, intuitively know just what it is. Pretty much everyone has experienced a gut feeling -- that unconscious reasoning that propels us to do something without telling us why or how. But the nature of intuition has long eluded us, and has inspired centuries' worth of research and inquiry in the fields of philosophy and psychology. "I define intuition as the subtle knowing without ever having any idea why you know it," Sophy Burnham, bestselling author of The Ar... posted on Apr 30 2014 (137,928 reads)

will give you honest and constructive feedback. It’s not always what you want to hear, but that is often exactly what is needed. It can be very confronting, but very useful. This brings us to the most poignant question: How to unbridle one’s work, whether lauded or criticized, from one’s sense of self-worth. Collage and mixed-media artist Hollie Chastain reflects: I think as an artist it’s very easy to [equate self-worth with artistic success] because of the nature of the work. If you think of art as a job, then your product is so much more than hours invested. The product is a piece of yourself, so of course if the reception is not the greatest, then it ... posted on Apr 22 2014 (26,845 reads)

You could just walk in and talk to him. He was also pretty fearless about saying what he thought. There were two things about Desmond Tutu—his great sense of humor, which is always appreciated with people in high and important positions. People said that about Mandela, too, that he had a very impish sense of humor. But Tutu did, as well. He was having a laugh about everything, and he had great humility. When I would interview him, he would say, “I’m a leader only because nature abhors a vacuum.” Meaning the real leaders were all in jail. So South Africa for me was like, “Wow! This is the real deal! These are people!” When I came back to the Sta... posted on Apr 18 2014 (9,248 reads)

story at Rochester. I left in 1956. Then afterwards I would help Minor with workshops on occasion. We wrote. We kept in touch. So when did he start? I’m guessing it would have been about the early sixties. RW: Well, going back to when you were first a student of his, one assignment was to go out to photograph the essence of a place. What were some of the other assignments? JU: Some of them were more conventional. In portraiture it was about, again, understanding the essence or true nature of the person you were photographing. And when we went to Point Lobos, essence was part of it. It wasn’t until Minor began doing workshops—and this was after I’d gone to Roche... posted on May 12 2014 (22,879 reads)

movement has enormous potential to grow.... The Choice for Simplicity The circle has closed. The Earth is a single system and we humans have reached beyond its regenerative capacity. It is of the highest urgency that we invent new ways of living that are sus­tainable. The starting gun of history has already gone off and the time for creative action has arrived. With lifestyles of conscious simplicity, we can seek our riches in caring families and friend­ships, reverence for nature, meaningful work, exuberant play, social contribution, collaboration across generations, local com­munity, and creative arts. With conscious simplicity, we can seek lives that are rich with... posted on Apr 29 2014 (19,796 reads)

creative activities like knitting and cooking can boost your levels of serotonin and decrease anxiety. Photo by Asife/ Shutterstock. Do you consider yourself creative? If the answer is "no," you are not alone. We have been working as creativity facilitators for close to two decades, and whenever we ask people this question, shockingly few hands go up. It turns out that you don't have to be a great artist to be creative. Creativity is simply our ability to dream things up and make them happen. Cooking breakfast, planting a garden, even developing a business plan are all creative acts. But here is where the arts do come in. Participating in the ar... posted on Jun 5 2014 (1,917 reads)

attracting attention. Like being in the middle of it without being the center of anyone’s attention. Perhaps like a fly on the wall. Later I engage and I find that my engagement is more informed, more connected. If I feel over-stimulated by a place (e.g., the streets of Dhaka, Bangladesh or Mumbai, India) I find that this approach helps me to to better take in the big picture so I’m not as overwhelmed by the action, the sensory overload that comes with immersion. In nature, this means finding a spot to sit. Give this one at least 15 mintues, longer if you like. All day even. You may be overwhelmed not only by the greater range of sights, smells, and sounds availa... posted on May 7 2014 (16,469 reads)

invaluable insights from contemporary psychology. Schwartz and Sharpe write: [Aristotle] thought that our fundamental social practices constantly demanded choices — like when to be loyal to a friend, or how to be fair, or how to confront risk, or when and how to be angry—and that making the right choices demanded wisdom. To take the example of anger, the central question for Aristotle was not whether anger was good or bad, or the abstract question about what the nature of the “good” in fact was. It was the particular and concrete issue of what to do in a particular circumstance: who to be angry at, for how long, in what way, and for what purpose. ... posted on Jun 13 2014 (18,133 reads)

Bruner writes: The servant can pattern himself on the master — and so he did when God was master and Man His servant creating works in His glory — but the machine is the servant of man, and to pattern one’s function on the machine provides no measure of dignity. The machine is useful, the system in terms of which the machines gain their use is efficient, but what is man? The artist, the writer, and to a new degree the scientist seek an answer in the nature of their acts. They create or they seek to create, and this in itself endows the process with dignity. there is “creative” writing and “pure” science, each justifying th... posted on Jul 31 2014 (21,571 reads)

can’t use these. They look like heirlooms!” Gina, a guest at my holiday gathering, holds up one of the elaborately embroidered napkins from the buffet table. “Where’d you get them?” “Out of a dumpster. The tablecloth and those candleholders were in there, too.” “You can’t be serious! Why would they be in a dumpster?” The shock in her voice carried across the room, and others looked up. It’s common that women ask where something came from, especially if it’s an attractive article of clothing or new addition to the house. But to name a dumpster as the source of anything, especially an obj... posted on May 27 2023 (25,386 reads)

and other North American birds were claimed within three weeks, and donors eventually contributed $200,000 to restoration efforts. In the media coverage that followed, Bouler spoke about the importance of small actions in response to big environmental issues like habitat loss and pollution. She sees kids' ability to focus on one piece at a time as a lesson to adults for whom the overwhelming magnitude of a problem may be an obstacle to taking action. To spark kids' interest in nature, Bouler, now in high school, regularly shares her knowledge and enthusiasm for birds and drawing in classrooms, sometimes with the help of her younger brother Jackson, a puppeteer. A traveling ... posted on Jul 4 2014 (14,121 reads)

orchestra or sing background vocals with a really great band? Everyone has had that fantasy, you know, so they want to do it. They're ready to go, you know. Ms. Tippett: Mm-hmm. It's the karaoke — the impulse behind karaoke. [Music: “Ave Maria” by Bobby McFerrin] Ms. Tippett: If I ask you, you know, if you think about — what does — what does that teach you? What do you take from that about — like what — what makes us human or the nature of God? Because there is something — if for — it's rare but it's also completely essential, this singing together. Mr. McFerrin: Singing together, it's essential for ... posted on Aug 15 2014 (14,853 reads)

creative activities like knitting and cooking can boost your levels of serotonin and decrease anxiety. Photo by Asife/ Shutterstock. Do you consider yourself creative? If the answer is "no," you are not alone. We have been working as creativity facilitators for close to two decades, and whenever we ask people this question, shockingly few hands go up. It turns out that you don't have to be a great artist to be creative. Creativity is simply our ability to dream things up and make them happen. Cooking breakfast, planting a garden, even developing a business plan are all creative acts. But here is where the arts do come in. Partici... posted on Jun 5 2014 (37,945 reads)

program, started by now-retired woodshop teacher Steve Simmons, has produced upwards of 8,000 birdhouses purchased by farmers, generating over $150,000 in scholarship money for students. Keep the Faith. All packages have impacts, regardless of whether they’re refillable, contain recycled materials, or not. They’re also indicators of our attitudes toward issues with broader implications — for instance, food quality, public health, and our connection or disconnection with nature. What we do about packaging serves as one measure of how closely our consumption patterns match our values and aspirations for ourselves, our children, and the planet. When paying attention to ... posted on Aug 14 2014 (15,941 reads)

me to participate in the book’s 2013 edition by answering one randomly assigned question from a curious child. Naturally, I was thrilled to do it, and honored to be a part of something as heartening as Does My Goldfish Know Who I Am? (public library) — a compendium of primary school children’s funny, poignant, innocent yet insightful questions about science and how life works, answered by such celebrated minds as rockstar physicist Brian Cox, beloved broadcaster and voice-of-nature Sir David Attenborough, legendary linguist Noam Chomsky, science writer extraordinaire Mary Roach, stat-showman Hans Rosling, Beatle Paul McCartney, biologist and Beagle Project direc... posted on Sep 1 2014 (15,603 reads)

negotiating between our two characters. I was not so clear on who my two characters were prior to the stroke. I think that the greatest gift that I received in experiencing the hemorrhage in my left hemisphere [was] that she went offline and she got quiet—because she's language, she's busy, she's accelerated, she's very smart, she goes a million miles an hour, and da-da-da-dadada. She dominated who I was moment-by-moment, pretty much. Then I would steal time away in nature, in my art, or in my music in order to find some right-brain pieces of me that could relax, could regenerate, could come to the present moment, and could really experience people, love, and all... posted on Aug 24 2014 (36,031 reads)

become the tools of our tools; And the fault – and the solution – lies not in our tools, but in ourselves. The digital revolution promised so much at the outset: computers would make air travel safer, health care more affordable, and education more widely available. But for all the evident benefits – and there are many – the tools have taken over the toolmakers. - Complex algorithms, beyond human understanding, replace even the most high-valued jobs, including the jobs of algorithm writers; - Yet even as jobs and income disappear, mobile devices bombarded with messages urging endless consumption of finite resources. The resulting ... posted on Aug 4 2014 (25,196 reads)

mind—and creating the life you want—can be a real challenge. There are, however, simple daily practices you can implement to bring about the change you seek: 1. Create an afformation – If you’ve ever tried to use affirmations, you know they can be tough to believe initially. In The Book of Afformations: Discovering the Missing Piece to Abundant Health, Wealth, Love, and Happiness (Hay House), Noah St. John suggests working with the brain’s natural inquisitive nature: Pose a question and your brain immediately starts seeking the answer. For example, in my own evolution the question looks like, “Why am I able to so easily, comfortably and accurately ca... posted on Sep 26 2014 (111,604 reads)

discard everything we can’t measure and often kill whatever we try to disconnect in the attempt to understand its constituent parts. Like that poor frog in 8th grade biology that had to die so we could see how its liver connected to its spleen, we’re the ones slowly making our way to the proverbial chopping table at the behest of our reductionist view of progress. Wouldn’t it have been better to study the frog while it was alive, perhaps in its native environment, doing what nature intended it to do, so we could understand its place in the world and connection to life’s wholeness? The stakes couldn’t be higher. This is bigger than changing the world. Its ab... posted on Aug 27 2014 (30,228 reads)

down on the desk. Taking responsibility, Tommy’s mother apologized to her son and all present. She rededicated herself to treatment and was referred to the campus drug rehabilitation counselor. After the circle and with follow-up, Tommy’s family life, grades, and behavior improved. The teacher remained at the school. Restoration, not punishment Nelson Mandela’s adage, “I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends,” captures the profoundly inclusive nature of restorative justice (RJ). The hallmark of RJ is intentionally bringing together people with seemingly diametrically opposed viewpoints—particularly people who have harmed with people w... posted on Sep 14 2014 (28,760 reads)