In a Bomb Shelter Under Kyiv, a Professor Taught Peace
When the war in Ukraine started, like many people, Professor David Dowling felt helpless. "I couldn't shake off the idea that I wanted to do something more," Dowling told ABC News. Last fall, he travelled from Pepperdine University in California to war-torn Kyiv to teach a course in conflict and dispute resolution at Taras Shevchenko National University. "Being with these students, with these amaz... posted on Mar 20 2024, 1,116 reads

93-Year-Old Grandmother's Secret to a Meaningful Life
When Ioanna Matsouka, 93, took up knitting in the 1990s, she had no idea she'd end up knitting over an estimated 3,000 scarves over the next three decades. At first, she gifted them to friends. As her creations grew in quantity, she began donating them to children's shelters across Greece. Through acquaintances, her warm creations have found their way to children in Bosnia and Ukraine. U.N. refuge... posted on Mar 19 2024, 1,979 reads

Why this Retired Professor Gives Driving Lessons for Free
Retired professor Gil Howard, 82, stumbled into a second career as a driving instructor. But he's no ordinary instructor. "He is the go-to teacher for women from Afghanistan, where driving is off limits for virtually all of them. In recent years, Mr. Howard has taught some 400 women in the 5,000-strong Afghan community based in Modesto, Calif., part of the Central Valley. ... For many Americans, l... posted on Mar 18 2024, 1,277 reads

Daily Phrases from the World's Happiest Nation
Finland has been consistently ranked the globe's happiest nation for six consecutive years. In Finnish culture, happiness isn't flaunted; instead, the norm is to keep a low profile without ostentatious displays of wealth. Success isn't about surpassing others but about achieving personal contentment. Their secret? Embrace life's setbacks... posted on Mar 17 2024, 2,821 reads

'Doctor, Doctor, I Declare': Dennis Ludlow in Conversation
In this charming interview, actor Dennis Ludlow reflects on his first role, having had no stage experience, in the premiere of Sam Shepard's Pulitzer Prize winning Buried Child at San Francisco's Magic Theater. As he says, "It all began when our back porch caved in. My childhood friends and I made a fort out of it, 'The Daddy-O Club,' and put on little plays in my backyard."... posted on Mar 13 2024, 981 reads

Significance of the Seemingly Ordinary
In the 1995 film, Smoke, Auggie Wren takes a picture of the store across the street every morning at exactly eight o'clock. "He has four thousand consecutive daily photographs of his corner all labeled by date and mounted in albums. He calls this project his "life's work." One day Auggie shows the photos to Paul, a blocked writer who is mourning the death of his wife ... Flipping page aft... posted on Mar 12 2024, 3,049 reads

Dishes in the Sink
When Bethany Renfree was 20 years-old, she lived with her three young daughters in a low-income apartment in California. Like most of the tenants, Renfree was a single mom. Life was full and overwhelming. One cold morning, as Renfree shuffled into the kitchen, she looked at the sink piled high with pots and pans and dishes. "These pots were caked in grease and burnt because I actually didn't reall... posted on Mar 10 2024, 4,479 reads

Why Boston's Wealthy Back Bay Said Yes, In Our Backyard
In a compelling tale of unity, Boston's Back Bay neighborhood turns the tables on the NIMBY ("Not In My Back Yard") phenomenon, welcoming a unique housing solution that offers much more than a roof over heads. The 140 Clarendon project, a retrofitted structure in one of Boston's priciest areas, welcomes the homeless and disadvantaged, fostering not just a sense of community, but a promising new st... posted on Mar 08 2024, 1,764 reads

Seeds of Reciprocity
How might we rekindle awe and reciprocity by remembering ourselves as extensions of the changing earth? In an era enveloped by rapid change and compounding emergencies, four vibrant individuals -- a filmmaker, author-singer, environmental justice activist, and Sufi teacher unfold a compelling conversation centering narratives of kinship amid the uncertainty of our systems today. Each discusses the... posted on Mar 05 2024, 1,671 reads

4 Habits of Effective Communicators
"Have you ever met someone who is exceptionally easy to talk to? Someone who simply through good conversation gets you to open up? Makes you feel smarter, more interesting or just understood? These are all common traits of "supercommunicators" people who are consistently able to create authentic connections with others just by listening and talking." Journalist and author Charles Duhigg outline... posted on Mar 03 2024, 3,389 reads