How One Doctor And His Menagerie Transformed A Nursing Home
When Bill Thomas became medical director of a nursing home he decided to attack what he termed the Three Plagues of nursing home existence -- boredom, loneliness and helplessness -- by bringing in some life. Cats, dogs, birds and green plants in every room, and visiting children after school, triggered unexpected transformations. Some medication doses were lowered, residents were invigorated in bo... posted on Dec 21 2014, 11,095 reads

A 19-Year-Old Artist's Book Of Untranslatable Words
When you start with a heartfelt offering, you never know where life may take you next. Read on for the tale of Ella Sanders, whose creative illustrations about untranslatable words grew from a blog post into a published book now out from Random House. You'll also get a sampling of some marvelous, untranslatable words from around the world. Like Mangata -- Swedish for "the road-like reflection of ... posted on Dec 20 2014, 0 reads

The 21-Day Challenge: A New Way To Practice Our Values
Many of us seem to recognize the importance of making personal changes in our lives, and yet we struggle to put them into practice. Forbes Magazine points out that less than 10 percent of us actually stick to our New Years resolutions. Habits are hard to break and it turns out that as much as 40 percent of all our actions are habitual. We don't consciously do them. It's hard to change what we aren... posted on Dec 19 2014, 26,869 reads

An Incredible Story of a Young Woman's Courage
Malvika Iyer is the essence of courage and optimism. At 13, a freak accident caused her to lose both her hands and severely damaged her legs, raising serious doubts about whether she would ever walk again. But young Malvika braved the odds and emerged victorious. Today she is a dedicated social worker, a motivational speaker, a model for accessible clothing in India, and part of the "Global Shaker... posted on Dec 18 2014, 25,709 reads

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, 33,180 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, 103,378 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, 23,035 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, 23,813 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, 33,090 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, 41,724 reads