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
perspective
Eric Lumiere
awareness seeker. conscious music maker. helpful exaggerator.
Singer, songwriter, and producer Eric Lumiere is a Lover of Life and all things, and lives for the upliftment of consciousness everywhere. He is also graduate of Teen Insight. This piece is part of the Insight University and Life By Me week of giving back. [www.givingtuesday.org/insight-university]
I’m most grateful for being here, for the awareness I have, for the opportunities I’m given in every moment to discover more about myself, the world, and that we’re all One.
My gratitude has increased as my awareness has expanded. The higher consciousness I live from the more I can see that there is opportunity to be grateful for everything, just as it is.
Positive states of being, like love and joy, are natural states. People, including myself, are mostly out of that natural state because we focus our energy into a less positive aspect of our consciousness.
Our ego wants to be right, but gratitude has nothing to do with being right. It’s just about being present. Gratitude can be found anywhere. It’s a matter of perspective, what we choose to focus on, and where we spend our energy. This choice is made in every moment, often by conditioning. Yet the more we expand our awareness, the more we have the opportunity to make that choice consciously.
I’ve found that the best way to come back into gratitude is simply by becoming present. Breathing is a great way to do that. So is refocusing our energy into a higher consciousness. When I’m present, I’m much more neutral. Almost immediately, I become grateful again for just being and for all the blessings in my life.
When someone is lacking gratitude, they are usually lacking perspective and are stuck in a very narrow mind set. Suggesting alternative, positive ways to look at a situation can help them break out of that box. Just pointing out the obvious, like the clothes on their back or the food they have to eat, can do the trick.
Another way to assist someone is to exaggerate the pessimistic perspective they’ve taken to show them how silly it is. In a way, they get to be a spectator of the behavior, rather than the participant.
Imagine playing a football game where you can only see what’s in front of you, a very limited perspective regarding what’s happening with every player throughout the field. By watching from the stands, you are separate from the game. So you can see it as a whole much more clearly. In the game of life, gratitude is seeing life as a whole, a progression, a learning and growing experience that is always happening, whether we are aware of it or not.
– Eric Lumiere
Explore More Meaning
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author. philosopher. connector.
Marianne Williamson is an internationally acclaimed best-selling author and lecturer. She founded Project Angel Food, a meals-on-wheels program that serves homebound people with AIDS in the Los Angeles area. [www.marianne.com]
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education pioneer. classroom collaborator. inspired perspirer.
Joel Pelcyger, a nationally respected educator, has served as Head of PS1 Pluralistic School since 1971 when he co-founded the independent elementary school in Santa Monica, CA. [www.psone.org]
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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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people watcher. public connector. everyday life inhaler.
P. Frank Williams has won Emmy and Image awards. He produces entertaining and inspirational TV, film, and web content, including the BET Awards, NAACP Image Awards, and a music bio series. [www.prophetfromit.com]
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actress. environmental advisor. world peace representative.
Leigh Taylor Young is an Emmy Award-winning actress. She's also been a Special Advisor in Arts and Media for the United Nations Environment Programme. [www.lty.com]
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celluloid visionary. abandoner of ordinary. awe seeker.
Television personality, filmmaker and philosopher, Jason Silva has been described as "part Timothy Leary, part Ray Kurzweil, and part Neo from The Matrix." He recently launched a series of non-commercial micro documentaries exploring the co-evolution of human and technology.
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designer. self-described perfectionist. knitting enthusiast.
Angela Mayhoe is a retail girl by day, fashion designer by night, and blogger when time permits. [www.themuslin.com]
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appreciative son. moment cogitator. lesson learner.
Jeff Semigran is a senior at UC Berkeley studying environmental and civil engineering. He is an alumnus of the Teen Insight Seminars and Leadership series. This piece is part of the Insight University and Life By Me week of giving back. www.givingtuesday.org/insight-university
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