
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 is the co-founder and Editor in Chief of the Huffington Post and the author of twelve books. [www.huffingtonpost.com]

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

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 has enjoyed a long career in television and film. He is also a political and social activist and philanthropist. [www.normanlear.com]

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]

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, 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]

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

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 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]

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 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 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 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]

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]

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
integrity

Growing up, I thought my mom was incredibly annoying. Every time we went clothes shopping, we had to put all the clothes back on the hangers before returning them to the saleswoman. Whenever we went to the grocery store, we had to take the cart back to the front of the store – we couldn’t just leave it near our car. And if a cashier ever made a mistake in our favor, we had to alert them to the error and give the money or the item back. It drove me crazy as a child and even as a young adult. I would whine, “Why can’t we leave the clothes on the bench?” or “Why can’t we leave the cart here?” or “Why can’t we take the headband – no one will ever know?” Her response was always the same: “Because it’s not right.”
Now, as an adult, I can see that my mother was and is a woman of great integrity. She does the right thing – not because someone is watching or because she’ll get recognition – but because it’s important to her. She understands that what she says and what she does comprises who she is.
Perhaps, in years to come, I will achieve the same level of integrity my mother maintains. And maybe one day it will come to me effortlessly and be part of my nature. In the meantime, I take great pleasure in recognizing all the opportunities that arise in which I can choose integrity. It isn’t like a New Year’s Resolution, or giving up swearing for Lent – it’s something I get to keep coming back to all day, every day.
I marvel at how, way back when, I thought having integrity was exhausting. Now, it’s so apparent that living life with integrity makes everything so simple, yet so profound.
Integrity is the gift that keeps on giving. It has taught me gratitude for the big stuff and for the small stuff, too. It has taught me kindness, compassion, and generosity. It has taught me to be honest and direct with others, but most important, with myself. Trying to live with integrity makes me a better person. It makes me a happier person. And best of all, it makes me want to be of service to others. And I cannot think of anything more meaningful than that.
– Rory Freedman


Explore More Meaning
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soul teacher. passionate writer. proud introvert.
Tamisha Ford, MBA, is a strengths strategist, assertiveness coach, and guide. She is the Founder of Strong & Soulful Living, which helps people embrace their strengths and spirituality in a socially saturated and distracted culture. [www.tamishaford.com]
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