Lessons from the Longest Study on Happiness
If you were going to invest now in your future best self, where would you put your time and energy? While we're constantly told to lean in to work, to push harder and achieve more, The Harvard Study of Adult Development tracked the lives of 724 men for 75 years and found that the healthiest at age 80 were those who had had the most satisfactory relationships. This fascinating TED talk shares more.... posted on Jan 08 2016, 133,891 reads

The Top 10 Insights from the Science of a Meaningful Life 2015
From the link between kindness and awe, and the keys to bridging political divides, to the effect of mindfulness on making healthy choices, and news about the contagious smell of happiness (that's right, you read that correctly -- 'the smell of happiness'), there's a lot that was uncovered in 2015! Enjoy this intriguing list of insights compiled by the Greater Good Science Center from the past y... posted on Jan 07 2016, 18,384 reads

Have Wheels Will Shower: Bathroom Buses for the Homeless
If you woke up this morning and showered in the privacy of your own bathroom, consider yourself lucky: America's nearly 600,000 homeless people often don't have a clean place to clean up. But in San Francisco, where the number of homeless has risen seven percent in the last decade, a non-profit organization is putting bathrooms on wheels and driving them to those in need. The group Lava Mae, whose... posted on Jan 06 2016, 11,348 reads

The Top 10 Kindness Stories of 2015
What if we invited people from different parts of the world, to sit around a fireplace and share stories of their experiences with kindness? A kind act that they may have done, received, or been a witness to. That is what the online KindSpring.org community looks like. It's hard to select a few stories from thousands that were shared. Some are small acts that make someone's day, while others are l... posted on Jan 05 2016, 35,586 reads

A Simple Formula for Changing Our Behavior
"I had just walked into my daughter's room as she was working on a science project. Normally, I would have been pleased at such a sight. But this time, her project involved sand. A lot of it. And, while she had put some plastic underneath her work area, it wasn't nearly enough. The sand was spreading all over our newly renovated floors." When a fraught interaction with his daughter led Peter Bregm... posted on Jan 04 2016, 43,729 reads

A Love Letter to the Wilderness
This love letter to wilderness celebrates the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Wilderness Act with stunning images and excerpts of poetry and words on wilderness from Edward Abbey, Ralph Waldo Emerson, John Muir and Wallace Stegner. In 50 years, the designated wilderness areas in the United States has grown from nine to 109 million acres, including national forests, national parks, national wildlife r... posted on Jan 03 2016, 5,329 reads

What Does A Grateful Brain Look Like?
Evidence is mounting that gratitude makes a powerful impact on our bodies, including our immune and cardiovascular health. But how does gratitude show up in the brain? At the University of Southern California a new study sheds light on the neural nuts and bolts of gratitude, offering insights into the complexity of this social emotion and how it relates to other cognitive processes.... posted on Jan 02 2016, 15,910 reads

Beannacht: A Blessing for the New Year
Not long before his untimely passing in 2008, the beloved Irish poet John O'Donohue recorded a poem that he'd originally written for his mother. Titled 'Beannacht' (the Gaelic word for blessing), these exquisite verses set a beautiful tone for the New Year.... posted on Jan 01 2016, 234,553 reads

Ten Ways to Set A Positive Tone For the New Year
"For thousands of years, humans have marked the beginning of a new year with sacred festivals. January is named after the Roman god Janus, whose two faces looked to both the past and the future. As you consider the many days ahead in 2016, take some time to reflect on the past as well. Try these tips if you're searching for ways to make this year's New Year's celebration more meaningful."... posted on Dec 31 2015, 57,005 reads

Mandela: An Exemplar of Lifelong Learning
Nelson Mandela's remarkable spirit and life story are celebrated the world over. Author Karen MacGregor takes a deeper look into how Mandela used his time on earth as a lifelong learning experience. From formal higher education, to tribal and political education, and then of course, to prison education, the breadth and depth of Mandela's learning is truly remarkable. ... posted on Dec 30 2015, 6,039 reads