Wearing The Be Love Sign
"I go to the library in Santa Monica to write quite often. The other day, I went there to get some work done, and I see this man standing and looking at some books. New nonfiction. He has a sign on his chest that says "Be Love." I ask him if I can take a picture, and he happily obliges. I turn around to get some money in my wallet. (He's homeless -- that much is evident.) I turn back around, and... posted on Sep 07 2013, 50,642 reads

Mindfulness in Politics
"Mindfulness meditation" is a growing movement, but can it unstick the modern political gridlock? Congressman Tim Ryan thinks so, and is calling for a "quiet revolution" in America. "Practicing mindfulness may not get everyone on the same page in detailed policy terms, he believes, but it could help to find more common ground between different views." This interview with Ryan shares more of his wo... posted on Sep 06 2013, 28,318 reads

We Are Gardeners of the Wilderness
"We've entered what some scientists are calling the Anthropocene -- a new geologic epoch in which human activity, more than any other force, steers change on the planet. Just as we're now causing the vast majority of extinctions, the vast majority of endangered species will only survive if we keep actively rigging the world around them in their favor ... We are gardening the wilderness. The line b... posted on Sep 05 2013, 14,435 reads

How the Internet Helped Us Learn How To Share
In 1996, poet and essayist John Perry Barlow created "A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace." It was intended to serve as a bold announcement -- that a new era of human empowerment was near. "We will create a civilization of the Mind in Cyberspace," he offered. "May it be more humane and fair than the world your governments have made before." And though, there were a few first rocky step... posted on Sep 04 2013, 17,944 reads

5 Reasons to be Kind
In a dominant paradigm weighted towards self-interest and self-orientation, we must make a special effort to question our mode of being. Can we afford to be narrowly self-focused? Can we grow to anywhere near our true potential if we look out only for ourselves? What role do kindness and compassion play in bridging a world that is growing increasingly fragmented? What follows are five powerful rea... posted on Sep 03 2013, 155,874 reads

Using Emergence to Scale Social Innovation
Do you want to change the world? If so, it may help to first understand how the world actually changes. This article co-authored by Margaret Wheatley describes how "emergence" - the linking together of local efforts and networks into global phenomena -- drives all substantial changes in nature and society. The networks we create, together with our mindfulness of other efforts regionally and global... posted on Sep 02 2013, 34,924 reads

The Most Overlooked Leadership Skill
"Even before I released the disc, I knew it was a long shot. And, unfortunately, it was a clumsy one too. We were playing Ultimate Frisbee and we were tied 14-14 with a time cap. The next point would win the game. I watched the disc fly over the heads of both teams. Everyone but me ran down the field. I cringed, helplessly, as the disc wobbled and listed left. Still, I had hope it could go our way... posted on Sep 01 2013, 43,190 reads

11 Untranslatable Words From Other Cultures
Words are flimsy packages that we wrap around abstract concepts and offer to others in the hopes of being understood. Friedrich Nietzsche said, "Words are but symbols for the relations of things to one another and to us; nowhere do they touch upon the absolute truth." There are so many parts of the human experience that have no satisfying word to describe it. Luckily, we can borrow words from othe... posted on Aug 31 2013, 167,768 reads

Zen & The Art of Watching Television
"I want you to watch TV with acute awareness, mindfulness, and precision. 1) Watch any TV show for 15 minutes without turning on the sound. 2) Watch any news program for 15 minutes without turning on the sound. 3) Watch the television set for one half-hour with out turning it on." This unconventional series of assignments was handed out to his students by a sociology professor who used it to jump... posted on Aug 30 2013, 29,748 reads

The Woolen Socks Miracle
"Our last regular paycheck was in April of this year. Through so many incredible acts of kindness and lots of hard work in every form we have made it month to month and day to day and week to week and had absolutely EVERYTHING we have needed...but not much more. It's hard as a mother to know that Christmas is coming and you don't have much extra to "fill the stockings"" Melody Ross is an internati... posted on Aug 29 2013, 28,446 reads