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
laughter
Dave Kellett
cartoonist. creator. funny guy.
Cartoonist Dave Kellett previously worked as a writer and toy designer at Mattel Toys. He founded Sheldon Comics and is the creator of Sheldon cartoons. [www.sheldoncomics.com]
My family and my career are most important to me. In my family, with my wife and daughter, I do the best I can for them and try to be the best person I can be. In my career as a cartoonist, I essentially try to bring joy to people’s lives. Even if it’s only for micro-seconds a day, I try to make the world a little brighter for folks.
For me, being a cartoonist is a call to service. Every day, I see that humor is powerful. People send me messages saying things like, “You don’t know me. We’ve never met. But you really carried me through a tough time.” It’s very sustaining to know that what I do has that kind of effect.
What I’ve found is that by being the family jokester and a professional humorist, I’ve developed a muscle for finding humor because I’m looking for it every day. I feel a responsibility to find the humorous moment, even inside the terrible moments in my own life, and that feels wonderful.
Laughter is incredibly healing. When we laugh, we have a positive physical reaction. Our serotonin levels go up. And as social beings, we’re susceptible to the infectiousness of laughter. It can ripple through a gathering, bringing in a wonderful quality. It’s reinforcing for the human heart to be able to laugh.
Laughing – at a cartoon, for example – isn’t escapist. It’s a balancing of the burdens we face. Laughter lets us know there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. When a loved one dies and you’re all gathered around the hospital bed or at the funeral service, one little joke can bring in so much joy, for just a moment. Humor is a nice way to relieve some pressure.
In those times when we find humor – even for tiny little milliseconds – we’re reminded of what it is to be human. Laughing bonds us with ourselves. It’s a way of telling ourselves, Yeah, you do have these terrible moments of pain, but you’re more than this moment.
We develop a perspective, depending on the road we walk along as we live our lives, the profession we choose, and who we spend time with. As a cartoonist, I get to focus on a wonderful perspective: seeking out moments of joy. By now, my outlook is pre-set to seek out joy. It’s a great base to start from in the morning: Where can I find joy?
– Dave Kellett
Explore More Meaning
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educator. director of funding + outreach. life changer.
Laurie Grossman co-founded Mindful Schools, a public/private partnership program (one of the largest in the country), sponsored by Park Day School in Oakland, California. [www.mindfulschools.org]
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father. entrepreneur. abc conceptualist.
Dmitri Leonov is an entrepreneur working to make the world a better place through technology at Sanebox.com. He spends his free time playing music and thinking about how to make the world a better place in general. [www.leonov.org]
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writer. coach. inspired journeyer.
Bindu Wiles is a writer and a practicing Shambhala Buddhist. Through her creative coaching and online writing workshops, she supports people to heal, write, and create. [www.binduwiles.com]
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silent protesters. photographers. NOH8ers.
Celebrity photographer Adam Bouska and his partner Jeff Parshley founded the NOH8 Campaign, a photographic silent protest in direct response to the passage of Proposition 8 in California. [www.noh8campaign.com]
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writer. teacher. former list-maker.
Pat Verducci is a writer and a teacher of screenwriting at UCLA Extension. She's worked as a story consultant for Disney/Pixar, and recently co-produced the documentary Somewhere Between. [www.patverducciscreenwriting.blogspot.com]
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chairman. advocate. progressive changer.
Rick Jacobs is an investor, business executive, and chair of the Courage Campaign, an organizing network that empowers activists to push for progressive change and equality in California and across the country. [www.couragecampaign.org]
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leadership consultant. business coach. proud redhead.
Dr. Zara Larsen is a change leadership consultant and business coach. Her weekly radio show encourages us to create our own path by walking on it. [www.thelarsengroup.com]
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ted inventor. smithonian awardee. brilliant quester.
Richard Wurman, creator of the TED conferences, wrote over 80 books on subjects he had difficulty understanding. His books come from his desire to know, rather than from already knowing. [www.TED.com]
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