Valentine's Day Wisdom
"We've heard it said that this day -- which once belonged to a legendary saint in whose wake loving deeds flowed like a river -- was hijacked so many years ago by corporations looking to cash in on a beautiful state-of-the-heart technology. They who strode in preaching a catchy new religion: I love therefore I buy. And maybe we bought it. At any rate we've been blaming them ever since. Why give th... posted on Feb 14 2012, 6,224 reads

A Love Warrior's Incredible Generosity
Raghu Makwana lost his legs to polio as a child. But his heart was intact and growing bigger by the day. When a few students found him arranging people's footwear outside a local temple, they were struck by his sparkling intelligence and genuine warmth. They arranged to have him join a non-profit at the Gandhi Ashram in India. The move would bring Raghu's latent capacity for servant-leadership to ... posted on Feb 13 2012, 5,734 reads

4 iPhones and a Subway Serendipity
In October 2010, little-known New York City band, Atomic Tom, had their instruments stolen. But a little bit of bad luck wasn't going to stop these musicians from doing what they love. Riding over the Manhattan Bridge on the B train, the band gave an impromptu performance of "Take Me Out" ... using four iPhones to simulate the drums, guitars, and piano they had recently lost. And they caught it on... posted on Feb 12 2012, 5,564 reads

Waking Up to the Life We Have
"You know we really don't have any other choice but to be present to the life we have. We think we do, you know, we dream of everything from constructing pyramids, to conquering Mount Everest, to making millions -- to all kinds of things -- but the truth is that other than being fully present and caring and giving our best, we don't have a lot of control. So I found myself back in life, where I ha... posted on Feb 11 2012, 9,027 reads

Redefining What it Means to Grow
"As we all grow in our lives and careers, it's normal to expect a raise every year. Why? Because it's a signal of growth. Growing is good -- not growing is downright un-American. You didn't get a raise? You're not growing? Well then you must be no good. But why only 1 way to measure growth? If I get a 10 percent raise next year but eat less healthy food, spend less time with close and extended com... posted on Feb 10 2012, 15,370 reads

The Joy of Quiet
The future of travel, I'm reliably told, lies in "black-hole resorts", which charge high prices precisely because you can't get online in their rooms. Has it really come to this? We have more and more ways to communicate, as Thoreau noted, but less and less to say. Partly because we're so busy communicating. And -- as he might also have said -- we're rushing to meet so many deadlines that we hardl... posted on Feb 09 2012, 15,729 reads

A Dying Boy's Special Bond with a Rescue Dog
Every moment is extra precious for 4-yr-old Lucas Hembree. Suffering from Sanfilippo syndrome, he isn't expected to live past 15. As the disease started to take a toll on Lucas' joints, his father Chester looked into getting a service dog to keep Lucas steady when he walked. A combination of prayer and persistence led Chester to Juno. "I had the feeling in my gut that I had to go see this dog," sa... posted on Feb 08 2012, 48,004 reads

Money Can Buy Anything -- Except Meaning
"Money helps you do what you want to do. And what you want to do is something that will bring your life meaning. It helps to accomplish those things. On the other hand, the struggle wakes you up. That's what it's really all about: waking up. The money question: If it serves to wake me up to what I want, what I wish for, what I'm willing to sacrifice for, what I'm not going to compromise for, then ... posted on Feb 07 2012, 27,565 reads

A Survivor's Sunrise Ritual
No two sunrises are ever the same. Debbie Wagner knows this better than almost anyone else. With earnest devotion, she has risen in the darkness more than 2,200 times so she could observe and paint the sunrise. She's rarely missed a morning since December 2005; for Wagner, the daily ritual is sustaining. "As a brain-tumor survivor, I lost so many of the loves I had, like reading and writing and ma... posted on Feb 06 2012, 4,981 reads

A Guide to Finding Your Passion
"Following your passion can be a tough thing. But figuring out what that passion is can be even more elusive. I'm lucky -- I've found my passion, and I'm living it. I can testify that it's the most wonderful thing, to be able to make a living doing what you love. And so, in this little guide, I'd like to help you get started figuring out what you'd love doing. This will be the thing that will get ... posted on Feb 05 2012, 86,095 reads