Why Uncertainty Can Lead to Childlike Wonder
Uncertainty is often viewed with uneasiness, yet our capacity to hold this quality can actually lead to remarkable strength and possibility. Neuroscience notes that when you "meet up with something new, you're flooded with neural changes in the brain related to neurotransmitters and stress hormones," explains journalist Maggie Jackson, who's authored an entire book on the topic. "These are stress-... posted on Feb 21 2024, 1,595 reads

Small Town Hotel Becomes Safe Haven in an Expensive World
In Little Current, Ontario, Canada, the owners of a local hotel have transformed their lodgings into affordable apartments for those struggling to make ends meet. Denise, "D" as she's lovingly called, was an employee of the Anchor Inn for over 15 years when she and her partner purchased the property in 2017. As housing and inflation spiked costs of living, Denise's hotel vision took a heartfelt tu... posted on Feb 20 2024, 1,823 reads

Zero Problem Philanthropy
Christian Seelos reframes our concept of philanthropy with the idea of Zero-Problem Philanthropy, a shift from focusing on finding solutions for problems to creating healthy social contexts that inherently reduce the creation of problems to begin with. Our current "solution-focused" philanthropic methods often result in a never-ending cycle of problems and solutions. "What would it take to shift f... posted on Feb 18 2024, 1,326 reads

Mycelial Landscapes
Mycologist Merlin Sheldrake, creative director Barney Steel and filmmaker Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee embark on a compelling conversation on the role of mycelial webs in holding our landscapes together, and how our human systems can learn from that. The nature of fungi may just force us to rethink our traditional conceptions of individuality, intelligence, and life itself. "One of the things we might lea... posted on Feb 16 2024, 2,018 reads

The New Old Age
Still wondering what you want to be when you grow up? Turns out, you're not alone. A fascinating phenomenon is burgeoning among retiring adults as they step out of their primary careers and into "the Encore Years". Programs at institutions like Stanford and Harvard have cropped up to support such transitions, particularly for established leaders. Such a process unearths raw questions on the nature... posted on Feb 15 2024, 3,738 reads

Why 1,200 Widows Will Be Surprised With Flowers Today
After the birth of her fourth child, Ashley Manning started a flower business as a respite from the whirlwind of family life. On Valentine's Day in 2020, she gifted a bouquet to her son's preschool teacher, who was widowed. Months later, at the end of the school year, that teacher told her, "I just want you to know how much that meant to me, that you thought of me on that day." Inspired, for the h... posted on Feb 14 2024, 1,250 reads

The Decision to Change
"He looked me in the eyes and said, 'I had that kind of clarity once. I chose to listen to others about what I should do and how I should live my life. I didn't want to go to law school, but I did because of my parents, my scholarship, and a lot of external pressure. It's been ten years, and I am just figuring that out now. Every day that goes by that you don't take a step in the direction of your... posted on Feb 13 2024, 3,670 reads

3 Reasons Why You Need Anger
Feeling hot under the collar? This fresh take might cool you down: It turns out anger, often written off as a destructive emotion, could be an unlikely source of motivation. "Anger leads you towards responses that help you overcome obstacles," points out Heather Lench of Texas A&M University. Three surprising ways anger can actually be beneficial: it can help us reach challenging goals, may boost ... posted on Feb 12 2024, 2,124 reads

Tsultrim Allione: Turning Towards What’s Difficult
After losing her infant daughter suddenly in 1980, the search for stories to help process grief led her to write what would go on to become a book that rippled into a burgeoning community of practice. Along the way, Lama Tsultrim found herself delving into research of the sacred feminine, deepening her own inner practices, and a whole lot more. In an intriguing podcast conversation, Tami Simon jou... posted on Feb 11 2024, 2,277 reads

Strangers 'Scarf-Bomb' City to Give Warmth in Winter
Scarf-bombing (verb) -- the act of bombarding a public space with scarves for those in need during the cold winter months. Suzanne Volpe, a crochet enthusiast who is warming up her city of Pittsburgh, Penn., U.S., one scarf at a time. Since first learning about this trend in 2014, Volpe is using her passion for crocheting to create scarves for those in need in the winter. Along with a team of volu... posted on Feb 09 2024, 1,177 reads