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, 35,660 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, 43,886 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, 5,332 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, 15,966 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, 235,010 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, 57,121 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, 6,047 reads

Unexpected Joy on the Copenhagen Metro
In the quiet of the Copenhagen Metro, the clear, sweet notes of a flute panned across the train. As commuters looked on with smiles, the members of the Copenhagen Phil joined into a rendition of Morning Mood from Edvard Grieg's Peer Gynt, Op. 23. As listeners drank in the beauty of the melody, perhaps they were aware that at least for this particular commute, they were bonded with the strangers on... posted on Dec 29 2015, 5,052 reads

Does Trying To Be Happy Make Us Unhappy?
"As we muddle through our days, the quest for happiness looms large. In the U.S., citizens are granted three inalienable rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In the kingdom of Bhutan, there's a national index to measure happiness. But what if searching for happiness actually prevents us from finding it?" Read on to learn more from Adam Grant about why we might need to change our fo... posted on Dec 28 2015, 20,527 reads

Sparking Curiosity by Embracing Uncertainty
Teachers often present subjects to children as settled and complete, as if no further questioning is needed because all the answers have been found. Students may think they've learned all the facts and lose their sense of curiosity. In "Nonsense: The Power of Not Knowing," Jamie Holmes invites them to spark their curiosity to better prepare them for the "real world," where answers are seldom clea... posted on Dec 27 2015, 5,993 reads