A Simple Act of Kindness
As children, we're taught to be wary of strangers. To walk away, even when we know someone might need our help. Sadly, the world today seems to elicit this type of fear. And, as parents, we continuously struggle to help our children find the balance between staying safe and helping others. Read this inspiring story to learn how one mother's day of errands quickly became a teaching moment for her a... posted on Dec 17 2014, 33,127 reads

Poems To Color In: Beloved Poems Turned Interactive Art
Gifted artist and filmmaker Ellie Cross shares her story of an unusual "Stone Soup" gathering in Mumbai that she attended, and of the inspiration that led her to create charming, illustrated versions of poems by Rilke, Rumi, Mary Oliver and others. Titled "Poems To Color In", Ellie's series invites readers to print out and shade in the depicted verses. Her work gives people an opportunity to add ... posted on Dec 16 2014, 103,267 reads

What It Really Means To Live Our Mission
"How are we so optimistic, so careful not to trip and yet do trip, and then get up and say OK?" Maira Kalman asked in pondering happiness and existence. What is it that propels us to get up after loss, after heartbreak, after failure? That's precisely what the Reverend Victoria Safford explores in her essay "The Small Work in the Great Work."... posted on Dec 15 2014, 22,987 reads

An Open Letter To The Children Of The World
If you wrote an open letter to the children of the world, would you apologize to them? Following the tragic Newtown shooting that took the lives of 20 children exactly two years ago today, Randall Amster wrote such a letter. In it he addresses not just children but adults, as well: "This is not an excuse for our actions. We've let ourselves get caught up in the pace of our lives, and we've become ... posted on Dec 14 2014, 23,748 reads

Micro Moments Of Love
"Love is an emotion, a momentary state that arises to infuse your mind and body alike," writes Barbara Frederickson. Yet this transient state holds much promise beyond feeling good; love can be poignant in shaping perceptions of who we are, how we relate to the world, and even our health. Far from being a private event, love is an experience shared between people when they connect in the spirit of... posted on Dec 13 2014, 32,992 reads

How One Woman's Love Is Transforming Delhi's Brothels
G.B. Road houses a total of 77 brothels. Home to 4,000 women, and 1,500 children, it is the largest red light district in Delhi, India. An area no woman would go voluntarily. Or so you'd think. But a few years ago, Gitanjali Babbar walked right in. She quite literally knocked on the brothel doors, walked up the narrow staircases, and talked to the people there -- sipped tea with the brothel owners... posted on Dec 12 2014, 41,584 reads

Priorities & The Art of Pruning:
As life gets busier and busier, many find that it is almost impossible to juggle new ideas, new challenges or perhaps even new relationships. According to James Clear, this is where the analogy of pruning a rose bush comes into play: before we exhaust ourselves with trying to perfect the big picture perfect, we need to make careful and difficult decisions about what to cut out or trim back on. Doi... posted on Dec 11 2014, 28,948 reads

One Man's Organized Response To Disaster
When tech executive David Campbell learned about the devastation in Thailand caused by the 2004 tsunami, he was moved to action. Armed with a wireless router and duct tape he flew to Thailand where, against the odds he organized a chaotic assortment of people from around the world into a team of effective volunteers. When Campbell returned home to the U.S., Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. Us... posted on Dec 10 2014, 20,317 reads

34 Images of Heart-Warming Humanity
Popular news and media outlets often report negative stories and rarely shed light on all the good that happens on a daily basis. Here are 34 stories of random acts of kindness that will warm your heart and bring a smile to your face.... posted on Dec 09 2014, 210,447 reads

Let A Smile Be Your Umbrella
It was a cold rain, as author Kristi Jo Jedlicki made her way to the homeless shelter where she worked. While struggling to keep her umbrella from blowing away, she noticed an old friend standing by the doorway - his eyes gleaming with a soul filling joy, and in spite of the dreadful rain. When asked, he said simply "Waiting for you, of course. I had to see how my friend was doing and to make sure... posted on Dec 08 2014, 22,875 reads