Vancouver's Duck Lady
Take a walk in downtown Vancouver on a sunny day and you might just run into Laura-Kay Prophet and Bobbi the Duck. Or, more precisely, Bobbi V. Laura-Kay got her first duck, Harvey, in 1980, but it was the first Bobbi, that spurred her to start Duck $oup, a private charity that Laura-Kay funds from her pension and occasional part-time work. Bobbi I started laying one or two eggs a day, so Laura-Ka... posted on Apr 02 2014, 4,043 reads

Pop-Up Clothing Swap For the Homeless
When Kayli Levitan and Max Pazak found themselves confronted with the growing homeless population in their native Cape Town, South Africa -- they immediately set out to develop a solution. The challenge? Connecting the haves with the have-nots in a manner unlike any before. "We wanted to bridge the gap...making it easy and safe to donate and more dignified to receive. The middle ground we needed w... posted on Apr 01 2014, 20,320 reads

What Does A Grateful Organization Look Like?
When was the last time you expressed gratitude to a co-worker, or received expressions of gratitude from one? Or when was the last time you thanked or were thanked by your supervisor? According to the latest research, gratitude in organizations is extremely significant -- for starters, it can boost morale and increase productivity. A recent quiz developed by the Greater Good Science Center, reve... posted on Mar 31 2014, 17,365 reads

A Radical Homemaker Celebrates 40
Shannon Hayes, mother and homemaker on a family farm, used to spend birthdays mourning the passing of another year. But on her 40th she decides instead to spend the day in celebration and joy by giving herself an important gift. In this touching piece, Shannon shares how she learned that turning 40 meant being "grown-up enough, confident enough, fearless enough to face my deepest, most secret drea... posted on Mar 30 2014, 17,864 reads

Timeless Wisdom From Marcus Aurelius
Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius' most enduring legacy is not his external power, but his deeply held conviction that each one of us is endowed with the inner power to control our minds and responses to external events. In his extensive compilation of writings, collectively titled 'Meditations', Aurelius describes how to develop a mindset that can deal well with any experiences or emotions that arise... posted on Mar 29 2014, 105,516 reads

The Difference Between Meaning & Happiness
Philosophers, researchers, spiritual leaders -- they've all debated what makes life worth living. Is it a life filled with happiness or a life filled with purpose and meaning? Is there even a difference between the two? Recently some researchers have explored these questions in depth, trying to tease apart the differences between a meaningful life and a happy one. Their research suggests there's m... posted on Mar 28 2014, 34,607 reads

How Wolves Change Rivers
When wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park in the United States after being absent for nearly 70 years, the most remarkable "trophic cascade" occurred. What is a trophic cascade and how exactly do wolves change rivers? British environmental journalist George Monbiot explains in this video remix by Sustainable Man. ... posted on Mar 27 2014, 12,838 reads

Three Short Pieces To Reframe Your Day
"Footsteps in the hall and the familiar sound of a key turning in its lock. My husband is home. He drops his lunch bag by the door like a schoolboy. Hurry, he says, there's something time-sensitive you need to see. I am pulled to my feet by curiosity and the urgency in his voice. We hustle into the cool, dark arms of a January night.." In these three short pieces a writer opens a window onto every... posted on Mar 26 2014, 26,700 reads

Q&A With Daniel Goleman
"I think attentional skills are fundamentally under siege today. Never before in human history have there been so many seductive distractors in a person's day, in a given hour, or in 10 minutes...I think this is another reason to develop a meta-awareness about where our attention has gone. I think we need to make more effort and cultivate more strength to detach [our attention] from that thing tha... posted on Mar 25 2014, 22,967 reads

18 Things Highly Creative People Do Differently
"Creativity works in mysterious and often paradoxical ways. Creative thinking is a stable, defining characteristic in some personalities, but it may also change based on situation and context. Inspiration and ideas often arise seemingly out of nowhere and then fail to show up when we most need them, and creative thinking requires complex cognition yet is completely distinct from the thinking proce... posted on Mar 24 2014, 178,803 reads