Lily Yeh: Healing Our Broken Places Through Art
Art teacher Lily Yeh started an initiative that transformed an abandoned lot in inner-city north Philadelphia into an art park. It blossomed into the Village of Arts and Humanities, which has built more art parks and gardens, renovated abandoned homes, and created educational programs, art workshops, after-school programs, a youth theater, and joyful community celebrations. Now Lily's new organiza... posted on Feb 22 2015, 25,060 reads

The Power of Story
For thousands of years stories we've heard have altered our thinking and how we engage with the world. Recently research has shed light on how this transformation takes place from inside. Using modern technology like functional MRI (fMRI) scanning, scientists are examining what effect powerful narratives have on our brains and how a story-inspired perspective might result in behavioural change...<... posted on Feb 21 2015, 22,841 reads

The Beauty Of Craft
The world is filled with a vast array of wonderful art forms - from basket weaving, pottery and dance, to calligraphy, decorative ironwork and artisan bread-making, there are innumerable ways in which people across the ages have brought head, heart and hands together in service of creativity. Enjoy this glimpse into the studios of artists and craftspeople in and around the San Francisco Bay area i... posted on Feb 20 2015, 15,445 reads

SpiritHorse: Helping Children With Disabilities Soar
Ex-telecom executive Charles Fletcher created a global network of therapeutic riding centers serving children with disabilities--free of charge. Noting that the special connection between children and horses was restorative, he wanted do more than offer feel-good pony rides. So he studied up on how to help heal and plowed his Social Security checks into launching SpiritHorse, an organization whi... posted on Feb 19 2015, 24,904 reads

Three Ways to Be a More Mindful Leader
Oftentimes people are drawn to leadership roles fueled by a deep desire to make a difference in the lives of others. But the role of being a leader comes with a price: being responsible for not only getting the best out of others, but also making sure you bring out the very best in yourself. With this in mind, Janice L. Marturano, the Executive Director at the Institute for Mindful Leadership, off... posted on Feb 18 2015, 28,204 reads

The Gift Of Invisible Kindness
With a deep recognition of the legacy of kindness her parents passed on to her, Audrey Lin has made a life out of creating and sharing her own random acts of love and generosity. It is an approach that she says creates, "some giddiness in my heart." Read more on Audrey and her ongoing journey, including stories about a meaningful conversation with a homeless man, a three-day walking pilgrimage, an... posted on Feb 17 2015, 20,851 reads

The Endangered Sounds of Silence
"Silence is a sound, many, many sounds. I've heard more than I can count. Silence is the moonlit song of the coyote signing the air, and the answer of its mate. It is the falling whisper of snow that will later melt with an astonishing reggae rhythm so crisp that you will want to dance to it. It is the sound of pollinating winged insects vibrating soft tunes as they defensively dart in and out of ... posted on Feb 16 2015, 21,370 reads

Remembering An Outsider Artist
"The old man, Smith, was another story. For one thing, he possessed style. His hair, combed straight back, fell toward his shoulders. His straw hat was rakish. Smith was lean, and cut a figure. His walking, as was plain to see, was a pure pleasure; he took things in, savored them. I'd see him, with his blaze of white hair, walking up the hill, wooden staff in hand, stopping to gaze into the trees ... posted on Feb 15 2015, 12,335 reads

It Is Now That My Life Is Mine
Imagine beginning a practice of gratitude that would someday help transform another's world. In 2008, and in the midst of her own personal challenge, Hailey Bartholomew did just that -- snapping one photo each day of something she was grateful for. This simple act led to the creation of 365.com -- a site which would soon inspire thousands. Among them, a young mother named Amy Gill - who, in the mi... posted on Feb 14 2015, 5,678 reads

60 Kind Acts For My 60th Birthday
There is little in this world that provides a greater sense of inner peace than taking the time to do something kind for others. And, we shouldn't have to wait for "World Kindness Day" to take advantage of this. Rather, kindness can be something which is gently infused into each day. Read one woman's heart-opening experience as she challenged herself to a 60-day kindness challenge in celebration o... posted on Feb 13 2015, 35,857 reads