The Teenager Who Started an Orphanage
On a not-so-uncommon trip to find herself after high school, Maggie Doyne ended up founding an orphanage and building a school in rural Nepal by the age of 23. It started when she made eye contact with an orphan girl in a small village who was carrying a heavy pack of stones to make money. Maggie saw, in that moment, what so many spiritual leaders have tried to distill in their teachings -- she kn... posted on Sep 17 2013, 70,943 reads

How To Focus A Wandering Mind
"A recent study by Matthew Killingsworth and Daniel Gilbert sampled over 2,000 adults during their day-to-day activities, and found that 47 percent of the time, their minds were not focused on what they were currently doing. Even more striking, when people's minds were wandering, they reported being less happy. This suggests it might be good to find ways to reduce these mental distractions and im... posted on Sep 16 2013, 0 reads

We Have Never Been Alone
Have you witnessed another person's vulnerability and unabashed surrender to their pain in a way that leaves you in a deep and humbled awareness of your own wounds? In this piece Hannah Brencher writes with a poetry that captures the rawness of our shared human experience. She reminds us of the bond and companionship that is ironically inherent in one of the most complex human emotions -- Loneli... posted on Sep 15 2013, 30,417 reads

Leave No Child Inside
Richard Louv says school shouldn't be a polite form of incarceration, but a portal to the wider world. When he challenges a group of real estate reps, "how are we going to build communities in the future that actually connect kids with nature?" he discovers unexpected advocates. He seeks solutions people might otherwise never have imagined. Read on to learn more.... posted on Sep 14 2013, 8,377 reads

The Day I Stopped Saying Hurry Up
Being a parent in this fast-paced world often means constantly fighting the clock to maintain control, make appointments, and complete to-do lists. What effect does this constant rushing have on our parenting and on our children? Rachel Macy Stafford was blessed with a laid-back, carefree, stop-and-smell-the roses type of daughter who made her ask this difficult question and who opened her eyes to... posted on Sep 13 2013, 132,340 reads

Why Giving Thanks In Hard Times Helps
"It is vital to make a distinction between feeling grateful and being grateful. We don't have total control over our emotions. We cannot easily will ourselves to feel grateful, less depressed, or happy. Feelings follow from the way we look at the world, thoughts we have about the way things are, the way things should be, and the distance between these two points. But being grateful is a choice. A ... posted on Sep 12 2013, 97,262 reads

The Man in the Red Bandana: A 9/11 Hero
Welles Crowther began carrying a red bandana when he was 6 years old. It soon became his signature, and a link between father (his dad carried a blue one) and son. When Welles turned 16, he signed up as a junior firefighter at the local fire station -- Empire Hook and Ladder Co. No. 1. On September 11, 2001, Welles was working as an equities trader on the 104th floor of the South Tower of the Worl... posted on Sep 11 2013, 5,814 reads

Dad & Daughter: The Unstoppable Kindness Duo
"People talk about how if they win the lottery they can help so many people. You hear that all the time. But if you start actually doing small acts... it really is a great way to see the human connection and how little things really do matter -- even if it's just a compliment or a smile. It doesn't necessarily have to do with money." Geoff Nedry is a long-time kindness agent who early on found an ... posted on Sep 10 2013, 23,825 reads

Steve McCurry: Family Matters
Steve McCurry has been a one of the most iconic voices in contemporary photography for more than 30 years, with scores of magazine and book covers, over a dozen books, and countless exhibitions around the world to his name. He brought the world the first visuals of the conflict in Afghanistan, putting a human face to the issue with the celebrated image of the Afghan Girl and many other such powerf... posted on Sep 09 2013, 8,303 reads

How to Train Your Brain to See What Others Don't
Remember the last time you had an 'aha' moment? The pleasure of a new and profound insight can leave us with that feeling of freshness and awe at witnessing something for the very first time. It is a deeply satisfying in itself and needs no external rewards. Cognitive psychologist, Gary Klein researches the science behind these epiphanies and shares his findings so that we can cultivate habits ... posted on Sep 08 2013, 107,721 reads