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
if then else
Dmitri Leonov
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]
There are things in our lives we control and things we don’t. Which is which? It can be very difficult to tell them apart and that causes confusion. I used to find myself stressing over things outside my control. At the same time, I’d blame someone or something for things that were clearly under my influence to change.
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this and I’ve realized that there’s not much we can do about the things outside our control – what people call “fate” – other than realize what their implications are.
Luckily, most of the problems we face as individuals and collectively as a human race are due to the choices we make about things we can control. The main problem isn’t that we make a lot of wrong choices, but that we don’t understand that we have choices and that there are very specific outcomes attached to the choices we make.
When I was a kid, I dabbled in computer programming. A concept that has really stuck with me from that time is “If A, then B, else C,” which is a core concept in programming. It applies perfectly to life and to things that are within my control.
Here’s how it works. If we start with the desired outcome, which is the B that we want to get to, then A is the choice or the action we need to make to get to B. If A is not chosen, then we get C, an undesired outcome. If something is within our control, an effective change in A will make B happen … or an ineffective change in A will make C happen. We can make problems disappear by putting them through this equation and always making choices that go in the direction of B, the desired outcome.
The biggest thing that gets in the way of living a meaningful life is lack of thinking. If we lack the awareness that we can choose a meaningful life, if we’re stuck in a pattern that we don’t question, then we’re not thinking in a way that would make a meaningful difference in our lives.
What inspires people to expand their thinking? It helps when people who do think about the big picture are vocal about it. As more and more of us ask questions and inspire others to live meaningful lives, there’s going to be a tipping point.
– Dmitri Leonov
Explore More Meaning
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tv host. satisfied customer. car washin' smiler.
Melissa Francis, author of Diary of a Stage Mother's Daughter, hosts two daily business shows on the Fox Business Network, including Money with Melissa Francis. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Harvard University. [www.melissafrancisofficial.com]
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joy recoverer. conscious coach. relationship aficionado.
Trent Blanchard shares words of encouragement, motivation, and inspiration in corporate America and in high schools around the country via his private coaching practice. He helps remove whatever gets in the way of living a life of JOY. [www.trentblanchard.com]
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Author. Motivational Speaker. Life Savorer.
Eli Davidson is a motivational speaker, internationally best-selling author, and executive coach who helps individuals and organizations re-kindle the zeal that fuels success. [www.elidavidson.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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me embracer. inner journeyer. wellness warrior.
Ava Sydney is the founder of Body Temple LA, a website created for everyone who wants to enjoy optimum health and happiness. She is also a life coach, producer and nature photographer. [www.BodyTempleLA.com]
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life by me’er. comedian. pretty thankful guy.
Life By Me’s Content Editor, Mikey Scott, gets to hear stories from people around the world creating meaningful (and pretty darn fun) lives for themselves. And he thinks that’s pretty neat. [www.mikeyscott.com]
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philosopher. scholar. visionaire.
Dr. Jean Houston, scholar, philosopher, and researcher in human capacities, is one of the foremost visionary thinkers and doers of our time, and one of the principal founders of the Human Potential Movement. [www.jeanhouston.org]
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life capturer. patience explorer. surprise welcomer.
Photographer Mark Hanauer moves seamlessly between genres, composing evocative and compelling portraits, otherworldly meditations on flowers, visceral and striking landscapes, and imagery with no traditional description. [www.markhanauer.com]
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