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Arianna Huffington

Arianna Huffington 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]

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Seth Godin author. speaker. linchpin.

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Mastin Kipp

Mastin Kipp Writer. Entrepreneur. Daily Lover.

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Liz Phair is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. [www.lizphair.com]

Desmond Tutu

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Zainab Salbi

Zainab Salbi 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]

Sean Stephenson

Sean Stephenson speaker. psychotherapist. life embracer.

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Jorge Perez

Jorge Perez 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

presence

Leigh Taylor Young 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]

What’s most meaningful to me is what I call simply loving God. I also call it the presence. The moment I say to myself, “I’m loving,” “I’m in tune,” or “I’m present with the presence,” I immediately focus on what I love the most, which is feeling a connection with the divine. There’s a warmth in that, a sense of safety, a sense of “I’m okay” that has nothing to do with who I am in this world, who I am in any relationship, or who I am on my to do list.

I’m a perfectionist, so I can set myself up very nicely for procrastination if I romantically idealize what spirit is for me. If I find myself going into shoulds, thinking, for instance, that my practice should look like sitting down and meditating, then I can get judgmental because I may not be doing that. But God isn’t judging me, I’m judging myself. What I’ve been learning to do instead is give myself permission to very quickly make contact by moving my consciousness.

When I practice moving my consciousness, there’s an immediate effect. In an instant, faster than an intake of breath, I shift into a deep honoring in the moment of who I am in the spirit – even if I do it through just a quick, “Hello, God. I’m here. I’m yours. I love you. Be with me as I travel through this.”

This is practical spirituality – if it doesn’t serve me, I’m not going there. I may think I’ll have time to sit down and meditate, but then all of a sudden I’m preparing lunch instead. So I just bring God in as I’m making lunch. Practicing the presence of God can look like chopping the carrots, making a salad, and having my consciousness there as I do it. It doesn’t even matter if the TV’s on. The conditions don’t matter. Part of what I’m practicing is that the presence of God is not conditional. I can practice by thinking things like, “Wow, this is a noisy room right now, but I know you’re with me, God.”

This way of practicing the presence is about not making it so special that I make it separate. I practice being creative with how I can tap into the presence as much as possible, no matter where I am or what I’m doing in this fast-paced world. And the truth of the matter is that God’s presence is never going anywhere. It’s with us every single minute.

– Leigh Taylor Young

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