It will take hope, inspiration and action to save the earth, by Jane Goodall
Economic Forum / Mattias N I travel around the world 300 days a year, and everywhere, I meet young people who have lost hope. And we know that suicide rates are going up. If all our young people lose hope, then we are doomed. Because if you lose hope, you become apathetic. You give up and you do nothing. The future depends on all of us getting together now and doing something to try and heal the harm we have inflicted on this planet. How long can the earth survive if we continue as we are now? I’ve spent many years in the rainforest, understanding the interconnection of all living things. I learned about chimpanzee behaviour and about this amazing ecosystem of the forest, w... posted on May 10 2024 (3,945 reads)

A Grateful Heart, by John Kralik
seen in Parade - January 1, 2012) I’ve received quite a few nice notes and letters from people who saw my piece in Parade. That piece was necessarily much shortened, because of space limitations, so I thought I’d share an earlier draft with those who have taken the time to come to this page. Here goes. “Knowing that you had to work on Thanksgiving, of all days, I thought I’d express my gratitude that you have taken the time and made the effort to learn my name and greet me each day in a way that makes me feel like a person instead of a number.  It’s a small thing, but on any given day, it can make all the difference.  Thank you!” I sent th... posted on Aug 18 2013 (100,588 reads)

Infinity Of An Empty Heart, by Cynthia Li
like how the introduction makes it sound like healing is something that ends. :) So I'm continuing on my healing journey as I'm learning. It's like living and it's like these new stories. Nipun and Marilyn invited me to share a story with you, and I thought I would share one with you from last autumn. As I recount this, I invite you to join me on this little adventure and to go deeper -- maybe try closing your eyes to see more.Last September, I have just arrived in Tomales Bay. It's in West Marin, an hour north of San Francisco. This bay is very unusual in that on one side it's developed, meaning that there's a country road, a cozy restaurant, and a historic inn. On the other sid... posted on Jul 1 2024 (2,908 reads)

Hands On Research: The Science of Touch, by Dacher Keltner
Good‘s latest video features our executive editor, Dacher Keltner, on the science of touch. Here, he elaborates on cutting-edge research into the ways everyday forms of touch can bring us emotional balance and better health. A pat on the back, a caress of the arm—these are everyday, incidental gestures that we usually take for granted, thanks to our amazingly dexterous hands. Brian Jackson But after years spent immersed in the science of touch, I can tell you that they are far more profound than we usually realize: They are our primary language of compassion, and a primary means for spreading compassion. In recent years, a wave of studies has documented some... posted on Feb 24 2011 (43,850 reads)

7 Must-Read Books On Education, by Maria Popova
the free speech movement of the 1960s has to do with digital learning and The Beatles. Education is something we’re deeply passionate about, but the fact remains that today’s dominant formal education model is a broken system based on antiquated paradigms. While much has been said and written about education reform over the past couple of years, the issue and the public discourse around it are hardly new phenomena. Today, we round up the most compelling and visionary reading on reinventing education from the past century.   ISAAC ASIMOV: THE ROVING MIND Earlier this year, we featured a fantastic Bill Moyers archival interview with Isaac Asimov, in which the iconic ... posted on Jul 6 2011 (41,718 reads)

The Ripple Effect of Kindness, by Birju Pandya
the last few years, I've become a big proponent of Smile Cards. The premise behind these small cards is simple: do an anonymous act of kindness and leave a card behind, inviting the recipient to pay-it-forward. If he/she does, the chain keeps going, resulting in "ripples" of kindness radiating out. Smile Cards are wonderful in ways I cannot count. Small, simple, humble -- yet powerful, because one act of kindness can be the start of a long chain. But for all these reasons, the main reason why I use them is the subtle change that has begun to occur in the way I think. Recently, I was on a plane reading an intriguing financial book my friend had given me. As o... posted on Sep 11 2011 (23,362 reads)

The Library Rethought, by Maria Popova
to one-up the Greeks and what Shepard Fairey has to do with Copenhagen circa 1891. Libraries have a special place in history as a hearth of culture that kindled the greatest feats of science and the grandest works of art. Yet today, they’re in danger of being left precisely there — in history. As our collective use of libraries dwindles in the digital age, five brave efforts are innovating the concept of “the library” in ways that make it as culturally relevant today as it ever was. PENTAGRAM FOR L!BRARY Almost nine years ago, NYC design studio Pentagram got involved with the Robin Hood Foundation in an inspired effort to build new ele... posted on Dec 11 2011 (8,745 reads)

Anonymity in Giving: A Case Study, by Rev. Charles Howard
known them for a long time. We've been friends for years. Shared laughs, went to each other's weddings, had play dates for our kids. We're close and I share that not simply for full disclosure, but because it colors my perspective on this most inspiring story. I'm not sure it really hit me until I found myself on the phone speaking with one of these old friends of mine about the yearlong charitable project that she and her husband began this past January. The person on the other end of the phone line is a writer who has chosen to only be known as "Giver Girl." She and husband "Giver Boy" are the mysterious yet inspiring duo behind the website and project 52time... posted on Oct 25 2011 (15,768 reads)

9 Ways to Serve through Communication, by Birju Pandya
I continue along the path of giving, I’m learning of the constant opportunity to act from a space of service.  A recent personal insight in this space is how communicating with an intention to serve leads to markedly different behaviors.  Some examples below:   Talking   + Share only to the extent that its genuinely other-centric (not to bolster one's own ego).   + Sharing from a perspective of ‘bridge building’ to ensure that person-to-person connection, along with authentic adherence to one’s values, is of utmost importance (e.g., ‘proving’ that one is right is useless if you lose the connection along the way)   +... posted on Nov 28 2011 (23,863 reads)

If You Want To Be a Rebel, Be Kind, by Nipun Mehta
police had declared Monday, November 14th of 2011 as the day of the raid on the Occupy Oakland encampment.  It was the first Occupy site to call for a general strike that shut down the fifth largest port in the country; it was also the first Occupy gathering to report a shooting and a murder, as police violence also reached new heights.  With tensions mounting amidst political chaos, police escalated their violent crackdowns and the narrative of fear.  Hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent in preparation for the raid, police from around the state were called in, and uncertainty filled the air. The night before, Pancho Ramos Stierle heard about growing tensions in ... posted on Nov 29 2011 (166,493 reads)

10 Benefits of Rising Early, and How to Do It, by Leo Babauta
to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise” – Ben Franklin, famously “Put no trust in the benefits to accrue from early rising, as set forth by the infatuated Franklin …” – Mark Twain Recently, reader Rob asked me about my habit of waking at 4:30 a.m. each day, and asked me to write about the health benefits of rising early, which I thought was an excellent question. Unfortunately, there are none, that I know of. However, there are a ton of other great benefits. Now, let me first say that if you are a night owl, and that works for you, I think that’s g... posted on Jan 8 2012 (168,963 reads)

The Short but Powerful Guide to Finding Your Passion, by Leo Babauta
supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.” - Arnold Toynbee   Following your passion can be a tough thing. But figuring out what that passion is can be even more elusive.   I’m lucky — I’ve found my passion, and I’m living it. I can testify that it’s the most wonderful thing, to be able to make a living doing what you love.   And so, in this little guide, I’d like to help you get started figuring out what you’d love doing. This turns out to be one of the most common problems of many Zen Habits readers — including many who recently responded to me on Twitter.... posted on Feb 5 2012 (86,993 reads)

Redefining What It Means To Grow, by Birju Pandya
recently had the chance to sit down with filmmaker Katie Teague, who is making a movie on money and growth. It is the fuel of finance, thus the economy, and thus the 'developed' world. A world of constant, infinite, compounded growth; without which the majority of our citizens would literally die, as jobs dried up and people couldn't afford basic necessities... but is this really true? Ecologize Growth from Katie Teague on KarmaTube. What's true in the macro is also true in the micro. As we all grow in our lives and careers, it's normal to expect a raise every year. Why? Because it's a signal of growth. Growing is go... posted on Feb 10 2012 (15,771 reads)

From Selling to Serving, by BJ Gallagher
week I meet with a group of Los Angeles business owners and entrepreneurs - men and women from very different fields who share a common vision of being self-supporting through self-employment. Among the group are doctors, accountants, attorneys, real estate agents, writers, architects, artists, actors, PR agents, personal trainers, professional speakers, headhunters, musicians, construction contractors, literary agents, photographers, landscapers, and more. The topic for this week's meeting was: "What are you doing to keep your business going in these crazy-making economic times?" Several people said they have upped the number of cold calls they're making; other... posted on Mar 19 2012 (41,430 reads)

Shelagh was here -- an ordinary, magical life, by Catherine Porter
Star dedicated unprecedented coverage to the funeral of 55-year-old Shelagh Gordon – interviewing more than 100 of her friends and family – to show how a modest life can have a huge impact. I met Shelagh Gordon at her funeral. She was soap-and-water beautiful, vital, unassuming and funny without trying to be. I could feel her spirit tripping over a purse in the funeral hall and then laughing from the floor. She was both alone and crowded by love. In another era, she’d have been considered a spinster — no husband, no kids. But her home teemed with dogs, sisters, nieces, nephews and her “life partner” —a gay man — who would pas... posted on Jan 18 2016 (110,835 reads)

Helping, Fixing or Serving?, by Rachel Naomi Remen, MD
fixing and serving represent three different ways of seeing life. When you help, you see life as weak. When you fix, you see life as broken. When you serve, you see life as whole. Fixing and helping may be the work of the ego, and service the work of the soul. Service rests on the premise that the nature of life is sacred, that life is a holy mystery which has an unknown purpose. When we serve, we know that we belong to life and to that purpose. From the perspective of service, we are all connected: All suffering is like my suffering and all joy is like my joy. The impulse to serve emerges naturally and inevitably from this way of seeing. Serving is different from helpin... posted on Apr 16 2012 (101,534 reads)

Lessons from Those Who Lost ... and Found, by Pavithra Mehta
Bolte Taylor, Dr. Govindappa Venkataswamy and Chef Grant Achatz are an unlikely trio. What do this brain scientist, late eye surgeon, and a leader of the molecular gastronomy movement [yes there is such a thing] have in common? At a takeoff point in their careers they were each dealt a sucker punch -- one that robbed them of what was arguably their greatest gift. Yet none of them threw in the towel. And each would rise to greatness after mining their unthinkable experience of loss for deeper insight into the human experience. Loss. Consider the paradox of how that one word, brief as a seed, can swallow our world whole. We’ve all experienced it, in ways that range from the m... posted on Apr 25 2012 (32,834 reads)

Meditating With Dinosaurs...Really?, by Karen Horneffer Ginter
I first encountered Pascal's words, I felt like they were telling me, in a poetic way, to sit down and shut up, and that just felt, well... sort of rude. It also felt a bit insulting, in suggesting that for myself or for others, we bring a chunk of our suffering onto ourselves because we're too cowardly to sit quietly and face our thoughts and our feelings. Over time, however, the quote grew on me. I began to see its truth based on my own experience and from many years of listening to clients describe the pain that comes from not feeling connected to themselves. Finding time to sit quietly in a room is no easy task for any of us. I know for myself, even before having kids... posted on May 31 2012 (19,178 reads)

Stranger Dinners -- I Made This For You :), by Arianna Davalos
Stranger,   I think we need to talk.   My mom always told me never to talk to you, even if you offered me candy. The news tells me not to trust you–that you will kidnap, rape, rob, or kill me given half the chance.   But I never believed those lies. I know you’re just like me, trying to make your world turn as best as you can. I know you have dreams, ideas, and favorite recipes just like me. You might even have some insight to share that will make my life better. Maybe you know my future partner. Maybe you know the solution to something I’ve been trying to figure out for a long while.   Sometimes... posted on Jun 22 2012 (13,277 reads)

The Measure of Meaning: A Pilgrimage to Port Royal, Kentucky, by Sandra McCracken
Berry may not quite be a household name. But I, for one, mention his name on a regular basis in my house, while traveling around the country, and when talking with neighborhood friends about produce, local happenings, or politics.   Wendell Berry is a farmer, writer, and preservationist from Kentucky. He splits his time between three quiet activities: 1) writing fiction, poetry, and essays, putting pen to paper (quite literally) in a tiny hut on the Kentucky river; 2) working his farm; and 3) engaging in non-violent civil disobedience supporting various humanitarian or agrarian causes. He has spoken out in his 76 years against wars, corporate corruption, nuclear p... posted on Aug 15 2012 (14,571 reads)