The Art of Noticing ... and Creating
In this interview author, entrepreneur and internet thought leader Seth Godin discusses what he believes has become the "Connection Economy". Godin's belief is that there is a way to go about getting good at noticing things, and then being able to turn around and help others make that connection. And no matter on how small a scale, it is then that he thinks 'art' happens.... posted on Jan 26 2015, 8,300 reads

Stunning Images of the Power of Education
World-renowned photojournalist Steve McCurry has been one of the most influential voices in contemporary photography for more than thirty years. In this photo essay, McCurry takes you around the globe and offers up striking images of children and their learning environments, from Tanzania to Sri Lanka and from Mali to Peru. Enjoy these beautiful photos and the accompanying quotes on the power of e... posted on Jan 25 2015, 21,794 reads

What The People Of The Amazon Know That You Don't
"Many human afflictions are diseases of the heart, the mind and the spirit. Western medicine can't touch those. I cure them." Deep in the Amazon rainforest, there are a small number of indigenous tribes who maintain a healing tradition that far pre-dates the development of modern medicine. In this powerful TED talk, ethnobiologist Mark Plotkin outlines the many challenges and perils that are endan... posted on Jan 24 2015, 33,264 reads

Knitting Behind Bars
You wouldn't expect to find a knitting class 'behind bars', so to speak. But, for roughly two hours out of every week that's exactly where you'll find some of the male inmates incarcerated at the minimum security prison in Jessup, Maryland. The program is called, Knitting Behind Bars and it is the brainchild of co-founder, Lynn Zwerling. "It teaches you how to focus.It teaches you how to make a ta... posted on Jan 23 2015, 6,389 reads

From Sharing Economy To Gift Ecology
Technology advances and a consumer-based world have created a 'sharing economy', where it becomes easy to commoditize things that were typically offered as gifts. Consider the difference between offering your neighbor a lift to the airport, and using Uber to find a stranger who will pay you for a ride. When society focuses all its energy on monetary pursuits, what happens to the spirit of voluntee... posted on Jan 22 2015, 21,149 reads

What Do I Do With IT?
What to do with "It"? There are many "its" in our lives, but no matter what "it" is that we have to face, we always have a choice about how we respond. Through her whimsical art, Deb Koffman reminds us that there's never just one way to deal with the blessings and challenges that greet us along the way.... posted on Jan 21 2015, 29,317 reads

Firsts Are The Antidote To Stuck
Sometimes in life we find ourselves stuck. We live our lives by to-do lists or get caught up in making the 'right' decision and neglect our other interests and passions that help to define who we are. To rediscover happiness and our sense of self, we must be open and willing to change and to take the first step towards getting 'unstuck.' Read further for an inspirational story of one woman's journ... posted on Jan 20 2015, 26,538 reads

Low On Time? Here's A Surprising Solution
If we want to be high-functioning and happy, we need to re-learn how to be still. When we feel like there isn't enough time in the day for us to get everything done, when we wish for more time... we don't actually need more time. We need more stillness. Stillness to recharge. Stillness so that we can feel whatever it is that we feel. Stillness so that we can actually enjoy this life that we are li... posted on Jan 19 2015, 35,921 reads

Music Is Something You DO
Let me tell about an experience with Gregorian chant. It's just a few notes and we were doing it in English so we would understand the words. The group as a whole would try to find that moment when the silence ended and then come in together. After doing that for several days, at one point, the words really came in. I heard the words of this psalm in a way I've never heard before. If you read the ... posted on Jan 18 2015, 28,264 reads

If We Left They Wouldn't Have Nobody
When Valley Springs Manor home for the elderly closed, the staff left, except for cook Maurice Rowland and Miguel Alvarez, the janitor."There was about 16 residents left behind," says Rowland."If we left, they wouldn't have nobody," adds Alvarez. "I would only go home for one hour, take a shower, get dressed, then be there for 24-hour days." Rowland adds "I just couldn't see myself going home ââ‚... posted on Jan 17 2015, 7,236 reads