author. speaker. motivator.
Affectionately known as "America's #1 Success Coach," Jack Canfield is the originator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series and a leading authority in the areas of self-esteem, achievement motivation, and peak performance. [www.jackcanfield.com]
political powerhouse. media mogul. author.
Arianna Huffington is the co-founder and Editor in Chief of the Huffington Post and the author of twelve books. [www.huffingtonpost.com]
author. speaker. linchpin.
Seth Godin is a prominent author, blogger and speaker. [www.squidoo.com/linchpin]
yogi. philanthropist. dynamic teacher.
Krishna Kaur is the founder of YOGA for Youth, a program that takes yoga, meditation, and stimulating discussions on the philosophy of yoga to urban youth. [www.yogaforyouth.org]
producer. philanthropist. tv legend.
Norman Lear has enjoyed a long career in television and film. He is also a political and social activist and philanthropist. [www.normanlear.com]
race car driver. activist. carbon free girl.
Leilani Münter is a professional race car driver and an environmental activist who uses her voice in the number one spectator sport in America as a catalyst for change. [www.leilanimunter.com]
Freedom Fighter. Philanthropist. Game Changer.
By going undercover to meet slaves and slaveholders, Kevin Bales exposed modern slavery's penetration into the global economy. He co-founded Free the Slaves, which has helped to liberate thousands of slaves. [www.freetheslaves.net]
mom. big dreamer. lady in red.
Sophie Chiche, lifebyme.com founder and curator, enjoys asking deep questions and living a life of meaning. Today she's launching Shape House, an urban sweat lodge, a place to melt away fears and fat. [www.shapehousela.com]
Writer. Entrepreneur. Daily Lover.
Entrepreneur and writer Mastin Kipp founded TheDailyLove.com, which merges pop culture with inspiration, and co-founded The Love Yourself Company, an apparel company that has started a global self-esteem movement. [www.TheDailyLove.com]
singer. musician. crier.
Liz Phair is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. [www.lizphair.com]
archbishop. author. peaceful leader.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu is Chairman of The Elders, a group of world leaders who address some of the world's most pressing problems. He works energetically for human-rights and in his ministry. [www.tutu.org]
author. ceo. humanitarian.
Zainab Salbi is the founder and CEO of Women for Women International, a group dedicated to helping women survivors of war rebuild their lives. [www.womenforwomen.org]
speaker. psychotherapist. life embracer.
Despite his physical challenges, Sean Stephenson has taken a stand for a quality of life that has inspired millions of people around the world. He's a professional speaker, psychotherapist, and author. [www.timetostand.com]
yogi. meditator. teacher.
Kia Miller teaches Yoga at Yoga Works in Los Angeles, leads teacher trainings, and runs retreats and workshops on meditation, chakras, pranayam, and mantras, and other practices. [www.kiamiller.com]
creator. writer. idea geek.
Simon Mainwaring is an ex-Nike/Wieden creative, former Worldwide Creative Director at Motorola/Ogilvy, branding/advertising writer, author/speaker/blogger, Australian, idea geek. [www.simonmainwaring.com]
Strategist. Writer. Life Coach.
Shannon Bindler is a style editor, life coach, and the co-founder of Get Up Girl, an empowerment company that inspires women to shine. [www.getupgirl.com]
Designer. Art Director. Passionate Creator.
Grammy-nominated art director/designer/photographer Mathieu Bitton has designed over 450 CDs and movie posters. He's a renowned collector of and authority on black films and their soundtracks. [www.candytangerine.com]
Agent. Producer. Photography Enthusiast.
Opus Reps founder and agent-producer Jorge Perez travels the world producing photo shoots with great photographers and celebrities. He's also very involved with Meals on Wheels in Los Angeles. www.opusreps.com
nurture
Andy Lipkis
environmental healer. practical visionary.
Andy Lipkis is the founder and president of TreePeople. [www.treepeople.org]
The simplest thing I do to stay engaged is to plant and to nurture. This goes back to the early days of TreePeople, the organization I founded when I was eighteen, when I saw how powerful and life-changing it was for young people to discover their ability to make a difference through planting and caring for trees.
In 1973, at a summer camp our staff worked with in the local mountains, some of the kids were gang members and, frankly, that was scary to me. There I was, just a few years older than those hardened, inner city kids, sharing with them about the wonder of trees – including their ability to feed the animals and clean the air. I was introducing them to the names and varieties of trees and they were doing the hard work – swinging picks and digging holes and planting trees. But I could tell I was stifling my enthusiasm, my open-hearted caring, because I could see that these were tough kids and I worried I was being judged as a wimp.
The next year, I went back to the camp to find that the same kids had returned. Something had happened. They were so warm and enthusiastic. They said to me, “Tell us again about the sugar pine! Tell us about the incense cedar! Tell us about the giant sequoia!” The spirit of the forest had entered their hearts. They remembered the names, they remembered me, and they remembered with caring. They wanted to hear the stories again, and they wanted to do more work.
That experience remains a high point of meaning in my nearly four-decade career of community forestry. I saw that tree planting wasn’t only food for the moment, but can give us lasting energy.
I like to say that when you plant a tree, you’re actually planting two trees, one that grows in the soil, and the other – a seed of caring – that grows in your heart. With luck, the physical tree survives and grows and lives on. But that seed of caring, awareness, and empowerment continues to grow, too, and it’s not limited by the size of your own body. It’s connected to others. I stay engaged by working to feed that seed of caring, that tree, in other people.
– Andy Lipkis
Explore More Meaning
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fearless creator. passionate solopreneur. avid supporter.
Michelle Ainslie is the go-to expert for aspiring creative solopreneurs who want to quit their boring jobs and make money doing what they love. [www.michelleainslie.com]
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neurotransmitter. sound innovator. yummy hummer.
Sound visionary and author Alex Theory draws upon extensive training in psychology, integrative medicine, and psychoacoustic music production to innovate new styles of music and media. [www.unifyearth.com]
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story re-writer. blame releaser. pep talker.
Andrea Lewis is the author of Dramaville is a not a place; it's a state of mind, a memoir filled with drama, emotional turmoil, and the inspiration to never give up. [www.andreamlewis.com/dramaville]
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creative teacher. storyteller. kid sparker.
Lee is an actor, director, and a founding member of Story Pirates. He enjoys playing music and being a teaching artist. [www.storypirates.org]
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free spirited mom. life lover. plant-eater.
Sandy Corso created Peaceful Daily as well her book, Peace Salad (100 Tips to Inspire a Peaceful Life), to create a community founded on principles of compassion, well-being, and taking action to make the world a better place. [peacefuldaily.com]
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change encourager. appreciative friend. fresh starter.
Ken Torrino is a web relations specialist for Elliman, brokers for New York City real estate. [www.elliman.com/new-york-city]
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pr maven. bully stopper. lillee lover.
Elissa Kravetz and her sister co-founded Kravetz & Company Public Relations. Elissa also founded The Farley Project, dedicated to putting a stop to bullying. [www.kravetzpr.com]
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Producer. Entrepreneur. Idea Generator.
Donray Von is the CEO of Ready Set Go!, a producer of original content for film, television and online.
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