How Social Connections Keep Seniors Healthy
Some of the greatest transitions in life occur in older age, including retiring, downsizing, or losing social ties. All of these changes have profound effects on physical and mental health. While physical activity and healthy eating are well known to help us go through these transitions with grace and in good health, social connections are also vital for maximizing sharing, friendship, health, and... posted on May 08 2014, 18,707 reads

4 Ways To Be More Present In Travel
"Being present is about slowing things down enough to truly feel, experience, and sense them -- to grasp them in full." During moments of movement it is all too easy for our attention to shift from the past to the future. But in the present moment, we can foster meaningful connections to people and places. How, then, can we be more present in our travel and share our travel stories with greater r... posted on May 07 2014, 16,004 reads

Desmond Tutu On Why We Forgive
Desmond Tutu is what Gandhi would call a "practical idealist." He believes in the practical, healing power of forgiveness because he sees it as more than a virtue; to him, it is a supreme gift, which we can give either partially or unconditionally. He opts for the latter because with it, he sees a greater freedom for the individual who has been harmed. Forgiveness is not forgetting, he points out,... posted on May 06 2014, 50,022 reads

Lessons From My 93-Year-Old Kindergarten Teacher
Mary Beth Washington is the stuff that kindergarten dreams are made of. "She did almost everything contrary to the rules: she took the kids out walking in the rain, she napped with them during naptime, she came to school dressed like a circus performer. She was in love with birds, dancing, poetry and people." Now in her 93rd year, she is as spirited as ever and still going strong with her walking ... posted on May 05 2014, 25,459 reads

The Calling of Delight: On Gangs, Service, Kinship
Father Gregory Boyle is no ordinary priest --he exuberantly pushes boundaries; not only does he reframe the meaning of the Sermon on the Mount and draw from the wisdom of the Dalai Lama, Cesar Chavez and Dorothy Day in his work, he's also utterly dedicated his life to something higher than himself: the unreserved service of humanity. There is perhaps no better place for a priest like Boyle to work... posted on May 04 2014, 20,146 reads

The Realness of Who We Are: Thoughts On Life & Crafting
"For a long time I hesitated to call myself an artist. I mean artist in the most playful, experimental, fearless way. I believe we are all born creative. If we weren't meant to have some creative capacities, the human race would have failed by now. Creating is innate. Handcrafts were a natural extension of the artistic interests I've cultivated and as a way of expressing two things: what it means ... posted on May 03 2014, 14,850 reads

She Lost Her Legs But Not Her Dream
Sri Lestari is a paraplegic who lives in Jakarta, Indonesia. She lost the use of her legs while riding as a passenger on a motorcylce and, for ten years, never left her home. Indoensia, like many places in the developing world is a hostile environment of people with disabilities. Not only are the streets, footpaths, and buildings inaccessible, but their physical limitations carry broad stygmas. Bu... posted on May 02 2014, 2,718 reads

How Emotionally Intelligent Are You?
"What makes some people more successful in work and life than others? IQ and work ethic are important, but they don't tell the whole story. Our emotional intelligence -- the way we manage emotions, both our own and those of others -- can play a critical role in determining our happiness and success...The five components of emotional intelligence, as defined by Daniel Goleman, are self-awareness, s... posted on May 01 2014, 114,344 reads

10 Things Highly Intuitive People Do Differently
"Even when we're not at a fork in the road, wondering what to do and trying to hear that inner voice, our intuition is always there, always reading the situation, always trying to steer us the right way. But can we hear it? Are we paying attention? Are we living a life that keeps the pathway to our intuition unblocked? Feeding and nurturing our intuition, and living a life in which we can make use... posted on Apr 30 2014, 135,968 reads

Sophisticated Simplicity
"When we consider the powerful forces transforming our world -- climate change, peak oil, water and food shortages, species extinction, and more -- we require far more than either crude or cosmetic changes in our manner of living. If we are to maintain the integrity of the Earth as a living system, we require deep and creative changes in our overall levels and patterns of living and consuming. If ... posted on Apr 29 2014, 19,295 reads