The Ripple Effect of Kindness
Being kind is nice. But why do it on a daily basis? Why do something for a total stranger when there seems to be nothing in it for you? One regular practitioner of small acts of kindness shares: "I had experienced a moment where I wanted to give out of habit; almost as if that was the only way I knew how to respond to the situation. For that moment, there was no difference between a stranger and a... posted on Jul 21 2010, 3,489 reads

365 Days of Happiness
"Great wife, amazing kids, a full head of hair - like so many people I felt I had no real grounds for feeling unhappy. But all too often I did, and it was getting me down." At 44, Cathal Morrow found himself getting bogged down by the trials and tribulations of daily life and spending "a decent amount of time veering between mildly piqued and downright upset." But then it dawned on him: he was hap... posted on Jul 20 2010, 6,238 reads

Storytelling Unleashes its Power
"Everyone has a story to tell," says Stephanie Ursula Hodges, one half of PenTales, a New York City based storytelling initiative. In an age where SMS and the solitary nature of social networking are the standard, Hodges- together with childhood friend Saskia Miller- is hoping to integrate the art of storytelling back into people's lives, thereby fostering community and cultivating new storyteller... posted on Jul 19 2010, 3,237 reads

The Business of Giving
Billionaire Paul Allen has taken his friend Bill Gates up on his challenge to publicly pledge the majority of his wealth to philanthropy. In honor of the 20th anniversary of his Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, which has given 3,000 grants to various nonprofits, Allan plans to leave the majority of his $13 billion estate to philanthropy to continue the work of his foundation and fund scientific re... posted on Jul 18 2010, 1,398 reads

Woman Behind a Movement
She's the woman behind Americorps and Obama's Corporation for National and Community Service. Radiating service from White House conference rooms to grassroots nonprofits, Shirley Sagawa is making community service a staple in the United States. Her belief? That it will change the nation, for the better. Named by author Steve Waldman as the "founding mother of the modern service movement," Sagawa ... posted on Jul 17 2010, 2,193 reads

Remembering Peace Pilgrim
From 1953 to 1981, a silver-haired woman walked over 25,000 miles on a personal pilgrimage for peace. Crossing the United States seven times with nothing more than a toothbrush, some pamphlets, and a navy sweatshirt, she vowed to "remain a wanderer until mankind has learned the way of peace, walking until given shelter and fasting until given food." Leading a fairly ordinary life up through young ... posted on Jul 16 2010, 3,473 reads

66 Ways To Grow Without A Garden
Growing your own food is exciting, not only because you get to see things grow from nothing into ready-to-eat fruits and veggies, but you also don't have to worry about the pesticides they might contain, and you definitely cut down on the miles they (and you) have to travel. But starting a garden can be a daunting task: so many possibilities, water, and weeds. As it turns out, with pretty minimal ... posted on Jul 15 2010, 7,902 reads

What Does the Rainforest Sound Like?
So many things. Katydids telling each other where to look for food, frogs bellowing for a mate and piranhas leaping out of the muddy brown Amazon. And this is how it sounds to a deaf person. Hear the World organization has partnered with Global Explorers to bring 50 mixed hearing students to the Amazon Rainforest to experience sound and empower the deaf. For a group of young adults, the expedition... posted on Jul 14 2010, 2,556 reads

Leap of Faith
Susan Schaller's story, comparable to "the Miracle Worker, is still not widely known. Perhaps it's so amazing, it's hard to grasp. How can one understand what it means not to have a language at all? For a man already 27 years old, to be in such a situation was considered completely hopeless. Fortunately, Schaller didn't know the situation was considered hopeless. Instead, she followed her instinct... posted on Jul 13 2010, 6,754 reads

What They Don't Teach in Business School
When I started this journey, I just wanted to be a carpenter. But I surpassed my wildest dreams and became a builder, a distinction I didn't even know existed when I started. And this realization leads me to one overriding and inescapable truth, that a life well lived must be a creative endeavor. Whatever form that creativity takes whether it's carpentry, building, teaching, raising a family, or w... posted on Jul 12 2010, 5,764 reads