Jack Canfield Jack Canfield 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]

 
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]

 
Seth Godin Seth Godin author. speaker. linchpin.

Seth Godin is a prominent author, blogger and speaker. [www.squidoo.com/linchpin]

 
Krishna Kaur Krishna Kaur 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]

 
Norman Lear Norman Lear 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]

 
Leilani Münter Leilani Münter 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]

 
Kevin Bales Kevin Bales 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]

 
Sophie Chiche Sophie Chiche 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]

 
Mastin Kipp Mastin Kipp 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]

 
Liz Phair Liz Phair singer. musician. crier.

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

 
Desmond Tutu Desmond Tutu 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]

 
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.

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]

 
Kia Miller Kia Miller 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]

 
Simon Mainwaring Simon Mainwaring 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]

 
Shannon Bindler Shannon Bindler 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]

 
Mathieu Bitton Mathieu Bitton 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]

 
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

 

heart

Ronit Herzfeld Ronit Herzfeld psychotherapist. spiritual teacher. social activist.

Ronit Herzfeld is a psychotherapist, social activist, and blogger who uses technology to create innovative tools to shift humanity's consciousness. [www.ronitherzfeld.com]

The most meaningful thing to me, which has been present throughout my life, is my ability to help people discover their divine spark or heart, to get in touch with the essence they came here to be, and to give them the tools to manifest that.

I do this by helping people be present to what is – the chattering of the mind or the discomfort in the body they’re constantly running away from. I say, “Let’s just be. Let’s just observe this without making it be wrong.” Then I ask them to begin to examine the insecurities that come up or the actual discomfort in the body. “Is it really that horrible? Is this really something you need to be afraid of?” We look at that. It’s a grounding process.

I grew up in Israel during a time when there was a sense of pioneering and possibility. When I was four, my mom and I were on a bus going to visit my grandmother. I felt very jovial and open. I noticed an older man sitting across from us and looked at his eyes and his gray hair … and the next thing I knew I felt like I was able to look through his eyes, to experience the world as him. I tried it with someone else on the bus and the same thing happened. I said to myself, “Oh, we’re the same. Just the faces and bodies are different.”

From then on, my way of perceiving the world was to think of everyone as being like me. This was sometimes challenging and painful, if I lost the boundary between us. Over time, I realized that my ability to experience people could be used to help them heal their suffering. That gave meaning to my pain and freed me to find connections on a much deeper level.

When I’m having a difficult time centering myself, I seek out my son or my partner. My son is one of my greatest confidants. He understands my inner workings so well and can reflect me back to myself and help bring me back to my core. My partner is there for me, too. I reach out to both of them and that helps.

However we do it, the more grounded we get, the more we find the part of the divine we participate in. It’s not attached. It just flows. It allows us the perspective of saying, “OK, now this is happening.” We observe, but with a sense of being connected at the core to something divine.

– Ronit Herzfeld

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