Goethe's Poems for the Skies
"Since the dawn of our species, the water cycle's most visible expression in the skies --[clouds]-- has bewitched artists, poets, and scientists [...] as a beautiful natural metaphor for the philosophy that there in an inherent balance to life, that what we give will soon be replenished." Here, we read about the "singular quality of prayerfulness to clouds -- a certain secular reverence undergird... posted on Nov 05 2015, 15,965 reads

The Couple Who Feeds Hundreds Each Day
After the heartbreaking loss of their only son, Pradeep and Damyanti Tanna, a couple from India, transformed their lives in a beautiful effort to honor their son Nimesh's giving spirit. Family friend Kintan Parekh sums up their ongoing endeavor as such, "There couldn't be a better tribute to Nimesh. He was a person with a golden heart." Read on to learn how this couples' generosity has touched hu... posted on Nov 04 2015, 15,490 reads

Six Pillars of the Wholehearted Life
In what has been named as one of the best commencement speeches of all time, Parker Palmer, author, educator, and founder of the Center for Courage and Renewal, shares six pillars of a wholehearted life. The first, be reckless in matters of the heart: "Fall madly in love with life. Be passionate about some part of the natural and/or human worlds and take risks on its behalf, no matter how vulnerab... posted on Nov 03 2015, 59,577 reads

Slowness is an Act of Resistance
"The four horsemen of my apocalypse are called Efficiency, Convenience, Profitability, and Security, and in their names, crimes against poetry, pleasure, sociability, and the very largeness of the world are daily, hourly, constantly carried out. These marauding horsemen are deployed by technophiles, advertisers, and profiteers to assault the nameless pleasures and meanings that knit together our l... posted on Nov 02 2015, 8,727 reads

The Power of Gift Culture
"I read a book called The Gift by Lewis Hyde. I think it struck me on several levels. The book has many layers; it's about creativity and art...having gifts that come to us from somewhere outside our own willpower, something we can't completely control; how creative work wants to be shared as a gift; how this "circulation of gifts" co-exists uncomfortably in a market economy, in transaction cultur... posted on Nov 01 2015, 12,541 reads

Two Little Pieces of Chocolate
Francine Christophe was born in 1933, the same year that Adolph Hitler took power in Germany. When she was eight years old, she and her mother were deported to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. In this interview for "Human," a film project directed by photographer, Yann Arthus-Bertrand, she recounts an extraordinary tale of generosity at a time of great privation. ... posted on Oct 31 2015, 6,348 reads

Peter Kalmus: The Question of Progress
"In every house, there were blue flickering lights going in synchrony because everyone was watching the same TV show. It was a quiet night and I was alone, just walking with the sound of the freeway and the blue flickering lights. And what had seemed normal to me my whole life suddenly seemed strange." Here's a moving interview with a young climate scientist at Caltech.... posted on Oct 30 2015, 0 reads

Jane Kenyon's Advice on Writing & Life
"Tell the whole truth. Don't be lazy, don't be afraid," counsels Jane Kenyon, offering advice to fellow poets with a wisdom that applies to every field of creative endeavor and can electrify any artist. ... posted on Oct 29 2015, 7,715 reads

Can We Create Social Change Without Money
Can we create social change without money? Just holding that question can raise some very interesting insights. In theory, our society is supposed to balance our three big sectors. The private sector, the voluntary sector and the public sector. Each has its purpose and, in theory, it works. But in practice, money has become such a driving force that we have started to put a price tag on everything... posted on Oct 28 2015, 32,530 reads

Kid Warrior for the Earth
Xiuhtezcatl Martinez is 14 years old, and committed to changing the world. This self-described "indigenous, environmental, eco hip hop artist and activist" is also the youth director of Earth Guardians, a nonprofit that empowers young people around the world to become involved in environmental activism. "The biggest challenge we face is shifting human consciousness, not saving the planet." Martine... posted on Oct 27 2015, 2,785 reads