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
bridge
Christina Rasmussen
happiness connector. thought shifter. soul communicator.
Technically speaking, Christina Rasmussen is a Grief Counselor she prefers to call herself a Strategist for Life After Loss. She crusades to change the way we cope with grief, devastation, and longing. [www.secondfirsts.com]
I live for the moments when I see someone’s face shift from grief to life. When I coach mothers who’ve lost children, I know there’s so much inside them, and with a couple of questions I can bring them from grief into life. Witnessing that is magical.
People ask me, “How do you do that kind of work? It must be devastating.” There’s devastation, and then there’s paradise. I’m the bridge. This is my gift. It’s what I’m here to do – be the bridge from grief to life.
In 2006, when my beloved husband died of colon cancer at the age of 35, I couldn’t believe the magnitude of the pain and loss I experienced. I couldn’t believe we could take people to the moon, but couldn’t give them the tools to bring themselves back to life after the devastation of loss. I knew then that I’m here for a reason. I didn’t just need to get myself back, I needed to get everyone else back. I was determined. I got myself back to life first, then I turned around. Now I’m going back to get everyone else.
From a practical standpoint, when we go through devastating loss, the brain sends out a huge alarm telling us we need to protect ourselves and not move onward in any way. The brain creates an infinite loop of loss. We go into automatic pilot mode where we feel like we’re grieving over and over again. But that’s not grief. It’s a repetitive pattern of the brain that keeps us from living again.
With the right question, asked when the brain isn’t expecting it, that repetitive pattern gets interrupted. That’s my way in. The moment someone says, “Oh my gosh! I didn’t realize that! I’ve never thought of it that way before,” there’s an opening for them to commit to plugging into a brand new activity that will allow them to start creating a life within their grief. By repeating that process, momentum is created for interrupting the automatic-pilot loop.
I want to move from my head to my soul 100 percent of the time. When I’m in my head, I’m just a human, full of insecurities, and that’s not the woman who can create change in millions of people’s lives. The way forward is through the soul.
– Christina Rasmussen
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wondering author. canine specialist. student of shirley.
Susannah Charleson is the author of New York Times bestseller Scent of the Missing and, recently, The Possibility Dogs. She is a flight instructor, canine search-and-rescue specialist, and service dog trainer.
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fitness expert. lifestyle changer. anti-aging guru.
Jeffry S. Life, M.D., Ph.D. is the bestselling author of THE LIFE PLAN and MASTERING THE LIFE PLAN. He is a Senior Partner at Cenegenics, the world’s largest age-management medicine practice. [www.drlife.com]
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granddaughter. continuous grower. self pusher.
Tahyira Savanna is a 24-year-old entrepreneur, talent manager, writer, blogger, dancer, and innovator. A Brooklyn native, she works every day to be a better person than she was the day before. [www.allinayearstime.blogspot.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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infant toddler development specialist. educator. educarer.
Elizabeth Memel is an infant toddler development specialist, adult educator, and author who studied for many years with Magda Gerber, founder of Resources for Infant Educarers. [www.authenticbabies.com]
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juxtaposer. course corrector. chicken soup maker.
Alan Cohen loves to extract lessons from the practical experiences of daily living and find beauty in the seeming mundane. He's an inspirational leader, author, and contributor for the Chicken Soup series. [www.alancohen.com]
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poet. photographer. lover.
Lynda Filler is a poet, author, photographer, and would-be public speaker who lives in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. She has two published poetry books and is currently working on two memoir/biographies. [www.thelovefix.com]
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writer. storyteller. spiritual psychologist.
Omer Vaughn is a writer and storyteller. Read more at [www.amomentofawareness.com]
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