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
play
Mark Simmons
author. entrepreneur. playful brit.
Mark Simmons is an author, branding expert, and entrepreneur who believes in the power of ideas to change the world. He founded the social enterprise useless.org. [www.useless.org]
Being British taught me never to take things too seriously, including myself. Otherwise, how could we Brits cope with our weather, the poor services, and the huge number of people crammed together on such a small island? Oh yes, right, there’s always the pub. We’re known for our pubs, but also for our sense of humor – it’s our coping mechanism for getting through life without going mad.
There’s a spirit of playfulness about most of the Brits I know. We’re quick to find the humor in any situation, however dark or depressing the situation might be. We love to prod and poke at conventions and we rarely accept things at face value. In many cases, this playfulness is a precursor to creativity, and over the years it’s led to innovation in the arts, fashion, music, and more.
Play helps us look at familiar situations in a new light and deal with unexpected problems that are thrown at us. Having too rigid a view of the world leads to inflexible thinking. It makes us do what’s been done before, regardless of changes in circumstances. Then we’re in danger of repeating the same mistakes, unable to break away from the familiar pattern.
While working in creative industries and dealing with some very talented artists and creative thinkers, I’ve learned that an ability to switch perspective, to take another point of view, leads to important creative breakthroughs.
It pays to act like children sometimes – to act your shoe-size, not your age – because children rarely take things for granted. They haven’t learned the rules yet and so are always asking why, which forces us to consider questions we might have otherwise simply left unasked. The only stupid question is the one not asked. When Einstein was a schoolboy arriving home from school, his mother didn’t ask him how well he did on tests, but whether he had asked any good questions.
I rarely profess to know the answers to anything (I often don’t even know where I left my shoes), but I do try to ask questions that point me in the right direction. I believe that the answer to a problem is often buried just beneath the surface and if we only ask the right question it will pop right out and reveal itself. Remaining playful has kept my mind open to new possibilities.
Now, how about a quick drink at the pub?
– Mark Simmons
Explore More Meaning
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professor. empowerer. encouragement entrepreneur.
Marcia Alesan Dawkins is an intellectual entrepreneur from New York City. She has written two books, including Eminem: The Real Slim Shady, as well as articles for Huffington Post and Truthdig. [www.marciadawkins.com]
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entrepreneur. coach. congruency connoisseur.
Scott Dinsmore is an entrepreneur and coach who helps people discover passion and purpose through his coaching company, Live Your Legend, and his investment partnership, Cumbre Capital Partners. [http://liveyourlegend.net]
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psychotherapist. author. life balancer.
Abby Seixas is a psychotherapist, author, speaker, mother, calligrapher, gardener, life-long spiritual seeker, and work-in-progress. [www.deepriverwithin.com]
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composer. muse listener. no-iPod-needer.
Guitarist/composer Tom Taylor and his wife, Stephanie, live north of Colorado Springs. His recordings feature the Kronos and Turtle Island String Quartets; mandolinist David Grisman. Tom teaches at Colorado College.
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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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children's author. conscious parent. blue sky thinker.
Nick Kettles' twin passions storytelling and the quest for self-realization have guided his career as a writer, spiritual teacher, coach, and, more recently, his experiences as a parent. [www.blueskyofhappiness.com]
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body healer. fear overcomer. joy indulger.
Mary Beth LaRue is a yoga instructor and writer whose mission is to inspire others to live their best life, and to fully inhabit, enjoy, and heal their bodies and minds through yoga and intention-setting. [www.mblarue.com]
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yogi. author. goodwill ambassador.
Author, yogi, and master reflexologist Cameron Alborzian left the world of high fashion to seek an inward beauty he insists is available to all of us. [www.yogicameron.com]
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