College Happiness Clubs
"College students often get stereotyped as stressed out and sleep-deprived. But at universities across the country, students are aiming to change that as they join clubs dedicated to a common, joyful purpose: spreading happiness. Northwestern University is home to one of the country's oldest college happiness clubs, which began unofficially in 2008 when a group of students handed out hot chocolate... posted on Feb 24 2016, 12,001 reads

Stop Trying to Be Creative
Writer Christie Schawnden investigates how the creative process works using the example of the story behind one of her own articles. Interwoven with her journey are glimpses of her conversations with computer scientist and AI researcher Kenneth Stanley on the topic of creativity. Schwanden shares personal insights and explores research-backed ideas on some of the surprising secrets that are at the... posted on Feb 23 2016, 7,658 reads

Acting from the Heart: An Exploration of Generosity
"For me generosity comes when you're in a state of equanimity. So it has nothing to do with the state or the context that you're in. It's about a radical acceptance of life -- as it is. And when you do that, then you realize that, "Oh, I don't want anything from it so what can I do for it?" It's almost like this natural state of service happens... If you're able to accept life as it is, no matter ... posted on Feb 22 2016, 12,027 reads

Gotta Have Sole
When Nicholas Lowinger was 5 years old, he was excited to show off his new light-up sneakers. But he soon realized that the kids in the homeless shelter he was visiting with his mom were living in circumstances very different from his own. Most were wearing tattered old shoes; some didn't even have a pair of shoes to call their own. By the time Nicholas was 12, he started a project to give brand n... posted on Feb 21 2016, 3,517 reads

The World's Happiest Man on Altruism
""Matthieu Ricard, also known as 'the world's happiest man', spent the best part of 25 years in the Himalayas with barely any contact with the Western world he was born into. At 26-years-old he left behind his molecular biology studies and settled into a life of serenity and spiritual training. However, he is now very much back on the Western scene. When I ask Ricard why he returned, he sighs and ... posted on Feb 20 2016, 26,447 reads

The Principle of Sufficiency
Lynne Twist, author of "The Soul of Money," shares the distinction, as she sees it, between sufficiency and abundance and why understanding this distinction can help build a future that will serve us all. "We can move our money, or the money we are entrusted with, toward that which will serve us all from a sense of our own wholeness rather than a desperate longing to be complete. I call this livin... posted on Feb 19 2016, 5,013 reads

Dignity Village: Homes For Portland's Homeless
"On a frigid January morning in Portland, Ore., a tour through Dignity Village follows the same path its residents are required to travel. All were, or are, homeless. Newcomers to this homeless refuge huddle in the warming station, a small portable with photos of smiling former residents and where they are required to stay during a 60-day probationary period. They hope to graduate to a small makes... posted on Feb 18 2016, 8,596 reads

Our Shortened Attention Span & 3 Ways To Stay Focused
"In the digital age, where the news is limited to 140 characters and conversations take place in the form of emojis, our attention span has shortened. A recent study has found this digital lifestyle has made it difficult for us to stay focused, with the human attention span shortening from 12 seconds to eight seconds in more than a decade....Humans now have less of an attention span than a goldfis... posted on Feb 17 2016, 24,516 reads

Karen Armstrong on Leading from the Heart
"It is difficult not to feel helpless as we witness the widespread cruelty, poverty and injustice that human beings inflict upon one another. It is tempting to harden our hearts or to dwell only upon the suffering that we have endured. But this can no longer be an option. Compassion is not emotional feeling of goodwill; it does not mean pity; it is rather the principled determination to put oursel... posted on Feb 16 2016, 15,608 reads

Sitting By the Well: Stillness in Times of Chaos
"When all is in confusion, when I don't know what to do next or where to find inner quiet, I go and sit down by the well. Usually I'm at a point where nothing else works before I give up and just sit and listen to myself and the world, saying goodbye to all the permutations and combinations of efforts that seem to have brought me relief in similar past situations. There's nothing more to do. Just ... posted on Feb 15 2016, 0 reads