A Writer, a Plumber and a Plan to Save the Planet
"Aabid Surti is an odd character. A few years ago, the angular, bearded author was invited to meet the President of India to receive a national award for literature at a ceremony in the capital, New Delhi. He politely declined. Absorbed in writing the first draft of his new novel, he cited the reason that he did not have time. But what he has made time for every Sunday for seven years now, is goin... posted on Mar 25 2013, 14,264 reads

Write Therapy: Patient As Narrator
While illness is universal, many of us find it difficult to face its grim truths. But writers and celebrities like Susan Sontag, Christopher Reeve, and Michael J. Fox among others have tackled the subject head on through their writing. In the last 20 years, increasing numbers of patients have written crisis or illness memoirs that have far reaching ripple effects. While the writing itself can be c... posted on Mar 24 2013, 14,708 reads

Jessie's Joy Jars
Jessie Rees was diagnosed with an inoperable and incurable brain tumor at age 11. As part of an outpatient clinical trial, she was asked to undergo 30 days of radiation and chemotherapy. When she found out that some of the kids in the cancer ward did not get to go home everyday, she decided to do something to cheer them up and give them hope, and Jessie's Joy Jars was born. Before Jessie died a li... posted on Mar 23 2013, 6,980 reads

Who's On Your Fridge?
"His name, I later found out, was Marvin Moster. In the obvious ways, he was unremarkable. And yet, I couldn't help noticing him. He was older -- I guessed in his seventies -- and he was boxing with a trainer, punching in a rhythm they had obviously practiced before, ducking his head whenever the trainer threw a hook. Two things struck me: he was in excellent shape -- evidenced by his balance, his... posted on Mar 22 2013, 17,179 reads

Our Planet Through the Eyes of Children
"A competition launched by a National Geographic photographer titled Children's Eyes On Earth has drawn an astonishing number of striking images from children in 90 countries around the world. Over 4,000 photographs, on the themes I Love Nature and I Fear Pollution, were submitted by young people under the age of 17, from regions as diverse as the USA, Romania, Australia and Iran. The winning entr... posted on Mar 21 2013, 12,014 reads

My Manifesto For A Happier World
Today is the first ever United Nations International Day of Happiness. All across the planet people are taking steps towards our greater collective well-being, and are celebrating their "Happy Heroes"! In honor of this special day, the head of UK-based initiative Action for Happiness has created a 12-step Manifesto For A Happier World -- and it calls for change not just from world leaders but from... posted on Mar 20 2013, 23,930 reads

What Signs Are You Not Seeing?
"I want you to think about some of the big signs with big messages that I bet you wish you could wear around your neck sometimes so that people would be more gentle ... or even that you could put around the neck of someone you love ... my husband had an accident in 2004 that injured the frontal lobe of his brain. It has taken 6 years to get him back but in the middle there, between 2004 and now lo... posted on Mar 19 2013, 74,406 reads

Amazing Father-Daughter Duo Wins Marathon
"Iram Leon was the first runner to cross the finish line at the Gusher Marathon in Beaumont, Texas on Saturday with a time of 3:07:35. But Leon, who has brain cancer, insists that his 6-year-old daughter was technically the winner -- he pushed her in a stroller the entire 26-mile race. "Here sore, reflecting and grateful, I still can't believe that I won a marathon. Well, I came in second behind K... posted on Mar 18 2013, 13,296 reads

How Do You Measure Your Life?
"Every year, HBS Professor Clayton Christensen teaches students that well-tested academic theories can help them succeed not just in business, but in life. He expounds upon those lessons in his book, How Will You Measure Your Life? (...) "You'll see that without theory, we're at sea without a map or a sextant," Christensen writes. "If we can't see beyond what's close by, we're relying on chance --... posted on Mar 17 2013, 9,644 reads

Love Your Life: An Interview with Maurice Sendak
As our spirit grows, we become more in touch with the beauty of the world. Artist Christoph Niemann illustrates his personal take on an interview with Maurice Sendak on NPR's Fresh Air. He invites us into a world of wild things, inspiration and the love that Sendak has for the world. "Live your life, live your life, live your life."... posted on Mar 16 2013, 6,460 reads