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

 

intimacy

Susan Hayden Susan Hayden library girl. love giver. social creator.

Susan Hayden is a mother, poet, playwright, novelist, essayist, montage artist, community builder, and grief center volunteer. She thrives on long walks and long talks, never-ending friendship, horses, Paris, good coffee, and Americana music.

How do I show up in my life, for myself first and then for others? How do I find meaning? Through intimacy. I define my days by connecting to the truth of where I stand, by letting those around me in, and by creating and building community.

I write poems and stories to identify my own truths. I share my words in public readings to connect to others. My mission has always been the search for identity and belonging and a home for myself on this Earth.

More recently, my work has been about healing from grief after loss.

I shared two decades with my husband and creative partner, a true companion who was the top layer of me, the other side of my heart, my emergency contact. When I lost him suddenly and traumatically, I was forced to rebuild my life from the ground up and raise our child alone.

After my husband’s death, every close relationship I had changed. I didn’t know who I was without The Other. Autonomy was an unknown concept. But, early on, rather than asking, Why did this happen to me?, I insisted on asking, How can I grow from this and be more?

The awareness of impermanence was and is a harsh but beautiful lesson in gratitude and presence. Our loss pushed me and my son back into the world. We re-entered the spirit of our family as active participants, engaged and exchanging with other artists. We yearned for live events and deep connection. We wanted to feel alive, to stretch time, to feel a part of something greater than us. For my son, that’s about writing songs and making music. For me, it’s about writing and reading and listening to the spoken word.

I yearned to start something new that would reflect where I’d been before but at the same time build community and bring new voices to the forefront. So I created Library Girl, a literary series at the Ruskin Group Theatre in Santa Monica, where writers of my choosing come together and read from their work, based on a theme.

I don’t find meaning by hiding out, but by engaging in life, by diving in, opening up, and being available for connection. I create my life by showing up for myself and others. It’s about being uncovered and revealed. It’s being able to say, I wrote this and want to share it with you. I want to hear your words, too. What do you have to say? Come closer.

– Susan Hayden

Comments

Explore More Meaning

  • Dawn Shaw
    Dawn Shaw Dawn Shaw insightful speaker. obstacle climber. destiny fulfiller.

    Dawn Shaw authored her memoir Facing Up to It about living with a facial difference. This creation inspired her to become a speaker. She also raises and trains Icelandic horses. [www.facinguptoit.com]

     
  • Jim Moret
    Jim Moret Jim Moret television journalist. author. chief correspondent.

    Jim Moret is a veteran television journalist, author, and attorney who's currently Chief Correspondent for Inside Edition and a CNN contributor. [www.jimmoret.com]

     
  • Kimberly Brooks
    Kimberly Brooks Kimberly Brooks color mixer. mother. naked explorer.

    Kimberly Brooks is a contemporary American painter who exhibits internationally. Her studio is in Venice, California. [www.kimberlybrooks.com]

     
  • Keith Ferrazzi
    Keith Ferrazzi Keith Ferrazzi personal relationship developer. life transformer. corporate wunderkind.

    Keith Ferrazzi is an author, speaker, activist, and entrepreneur whose expertise in professional relationship development has transformed careers and lives worldwide. [www.keithferrazzi.com]

     
  • Kira Ryder
    Kira Ryder Kira Ryder grateful student. generous teacher. unionizer.

    Kira Ryder is grateful for all her teachers and the teachings that have been shared with her. One of Yoga Journal’s Top Teachers Shaping the Future of Yoga in America, her teaching emphasizes tuning into the alignment within your own heart. [www.lulubandhas.com]

     
  • Sean Stephenson
    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]

     
  • Sarah Samuel
    Sarah Samuel Sarah Samuel Writer. Linguist. Belly Laugher.

    Sarah Samuel lives in a mouse-infested apartment in New York City with three best friends. She likes to draw comics, write, and talk about linguistics. Whatever the future has in store, she hopes it includes an exterminator.

     
  • Jonathan Ellerby
    Jonathan Ellerby Jonathan Ellerby ceo. author. spiritual teacher.

    Jonathan Ellerby, PhD, is a spiritual teacher, healer, author, and the CEO for the Tao Center for Inspired Living in the Mayan Riviera. [www.jonathanellerby.com]

     
  • More

Contributors

  • Michael Sandler
    Michael Sandler Michael Sandler author. speaker. barefoot runner.

    Through his books, lectures, and worldwide coaching, bestselling co-author Michael Sandler helps people reconnect with the earth, their inner child, and the joy and health of being alive. [www.RunBare.com]

     
  • Samira Asemanfar
    Samira Asemanfar Samira Asemanfar entrepreneur. nail fashionista. people lover.

    In 2006, entrepreneur Samira Asemanfar founded Bellacures, the first high-end, branded nail salon in Los Angeles. Since then, Bellacures has developed a devoted clientele and received countless accolades. [www.bellacures.com]

     
  • George Mulling
    George Mulling George Mulling business developer. strategist. global seller.

    George Mulling is a Managing Partner at CapGenic Advisors, a senior strategy firm. He has 25 years of experience in global sales leadership and is occasionally a good listener. [www.capgenic.com]

     
  • Agapi Stassinopoulos
    Agapi Stassinopoulos Agapi Stassinopoulos unbinder. love giver. greek goddess.

    Inspiring teacher and published author Agapi Stassinpoulos conducts seminars worldwide for men and women, empowering them to recognize their individual gifts and create the lives they want. [www.unbindingtheheart.com]

     
  • Paul Inman
    Paul Inman Paul Inman music man. multi-platform artist. down hill skier.

    Paul Inman is a singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist, performer, poet, budding photographer and artist born and raised near Detroit, residing in Los Angeles. His performing name is Paul Inman's Delivery. [www.paulinman.net]

     
  • Tara Stiles
    Tara Stiles Tara Stiles yoga expert. author. couch yogi.

    Tara Stiles is reinventing yoga practice, proving you don't need to call yourself a "yoga person" to make it part of your life. She founded Strala Yoga and is Deepak Chopra's personal yoga instructor. [www.tarastiles.com]

     
  • Maia Monasterios
    Maia Monasterios Maia Monasterios compassionate producer. loving daughter. wisdom seeker.

    Maia Monasterios is an award-winning director, producer, and writer of such projects as PBS History Detectives stories including: Vietnam Diary, Titanic Luxury Liner Picture Frame, Clint Black's Rogue Book and The Beatles Autographs. [http://www.indiegogo.com/Vietnam-Veterans-Forgive-and-Heal]

     
  • John Groberg
    John Groberg John Groberg practical philosopher. clarity catalyst. dad.

    John Groberg is a husband, father, serial entrepreneur, writer, and executive coach. His writing and coaching focuses on assisting others to grow in their own clarity. [http://johngroberg.com]

     
  • Elyse Glickman
    Elyse Glickman Elyse Glickman word samurai. story gifter. barrier pusher.

    Elyse Glickman is a Los Angeles-based writer and editor with more than two decades of experience in magazine and newspaper journalism, online content production, and public relations collateral production. [www.elyseglickman.com]

     
  • Joel Pelcyger
    Joel Pelcyger Joel Pelcyger 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]

     
  • Ashley Josephine
    Ashley Josephine Ashley Josephine yoga infuser. course crafter. status quo shunner.

    Ashley Josephine has been studying yoga for five years. A writer, a traveler and a whole lot of other things, Ashley is passionate about empowering women with yoga and mindfulness based practices. [ashleyjosephine.com]

     
  • Albe Zakes
    Albe Zakes Albe Zakes waste combater. difference maker. minute exerciser.

    Albe Zakes wanted to work for TerraCycle (a pioneer in innovative upcycling and recycling systems) so badly he took an unpaid internship. He's now TerraCycle's VP of Media Relations. [www.terracycle.com]

     
  • Mark Reinfeld
    Mark Reinfeld Mark Reinfeld chef. entrepreneur. tuning fork.

    Mark Reinfeld is an award-winning chef, entrepreneur, and author specializing in vegan and raw food cuisine and recipe development. He offers vegan cuisine workshops, trainings, and retreats internationally. [www.veganfusion.com]

     
  • Bill Tai
    Bill Tai Bill Tai venture capitalist. kiteboarder. dream achiever.

    Bill Tai rides the waves of the stock market as a successful venture capitalist and the waves of the ocean as a sponsored kiteboarder. [www.about.me/BillTai]

     
  • Danny  Miller
    Danny  Miller Danny Miller writer. book editor. daddy.

    Danny Miller is a writer and book editor. He's a contributor to the Huffington Post and regularly writes in his own blog, "Jew Eat Yet?" [http://dannymiller.typepad.com]

     
  • Roberta Cysne
    Roberta Cysne Roberta Cysne fashion creator. grounded entrepreneur. balanced mama.

    With more than fifteen years of fashion industry experience, Roberta Cysne co-founded JilRo, a brand for all sizes, 0-24. JilRo is available at select department stores in the United States and Harvey Nichols in Saudi Arabia. [www.jil-ro.com]

     
  • Harold Linde
    Harold Linde Harold Linde producer. creator. storyteller.

    Film producer Harold Linde creates stories for our culture about living in harmony with the planet. [www.freetheslaves.net]

     
  • Leslie Carr
    Leslie Carr Leslie Carr self explorer. non-judger. surface scratcher.

    Dr. Leslie Carr is a psychologist who is reluctant to give advice, preferring instead to help people figure out their best course of action – no judgement allowed. [www.lesliecarr.com]

     
  • Chisa Yamaguchi
    Chisa Yamaguchi Chisa Yamaguchi grateful daughter. dancing inspirer. gentle pusher.

    Chisa Yamaguchi is a performer and the Education Director of Diavolo Dance Theater, an internationally renowned modern acrobatic dance company. She's also a yoga instructor for IRIS, the new Cirque du Soleil show. [www.diavolo.org]

     
  • Bassam Tarazi
    Bassam Tarazi Bassam Tarazi omnibuilder. nomad. inspirationalist.

    Bassam Tarazi is the Director of Operations of Omnibuild and a co-founder of Nomading Film Festival. He has recently launched Colipera, which focuses on collective inspiration and personal accountability. [www.colipera.com]

     
  • Lisa Cypers Kamen
    Lisa Cypers Kamen Lisa Cypers Kamen spiritual psychologist. philanthropist. happiness harvester.

    Lisa Cypers Kamen is a happiness expert whose blend of positive and spiritual psychology coaching, workshops, and philanthropic projects cultivates well-being in private and public audiences around the world. [www.HarvestingHappiness.com]

     
  • Teddy Margas
    Teddy Margas Teddy Margas jokester. humorous healer. quick quipper.

    Actor, comic, and writer, Teddy Margas, is co-founder of the Queers of Comedy. He's appeared in StreepTease, Margaret Cho's Blind Dinner Party, and The Women of Woody, An Evening of Iconic Woody Allen Women performed by an All-Male Cast. [www.teddymargas.com]

     
  • Gabi Ury
    Gabi Ury Gabi Ury doodler. filmmaker. globetrotter.

    Gabi Ury, an eighth grader at the Alexander Dawson School, lives in Colorado. She's a world traveler with passports from three countries. She loves dogs and other animals.

     
  • Brad Rassler
    Brad Rassler Brad Rassler organizational consultant. internal change agent. conversation starter.

    Brad Rassler is the founder and Chief Catalyst of A Sustainable Way, an organizational development consultancy. [www.asustainableway.com]

     
  • Gabriel Luna-Ostaseki
    Gabriel Luna-Ostaseki Gabriel Luna-Ostaseki marketing expert. calfinder. community builder.

    Gabriel Luna-Ostaseski co-founded CalFinder, where he directs global sales and operations. Before that, he managed Varsity Painting, one of the largest construction companies in California. [www.linkedin.com/in/gabelunaostaseski]

     
  • Judith Wright
    Judith Wright Judith Wright educator. lifestyles expert. friendly elevator rider.

    Dr. Judith Wright has been featured on 20/20, Good Morning America and the Today Show. She is a bestselling author, speaker, coach and consultant. [www.judithwright.com]

     
  • Robert Dirksen
    Robert Dirksen Robert Dirksen doctor of optometry. life coach. holistic balancer.

    Robert Dirksen is a life coach and doctor of optometry who specializes in holistic care. His passion is helping people balance all aspects of life – mind, body, and soul. [www.DrRobWellness.com]

     
  • Hayley Holmes
    Hayley Holmes Hayley Holmes character enthusiast. rollerblader. applause inducer.

    Hayley Holmes has turned her love for entertaining into a dream come true in Hollywood. She's a small-town girl who looks for new adventures every day and is enjoying the ride. [www.hayleyholmes.com]

     
  • Andy Lipkis
    Andy Lipkis Andy Lipkis environmental healer. practical visionary.

    Andy Lipkis is the founder and president of TreePeople. [www.treepeople.org]

     
  • More

Connection


© 2010-2023 lifebyme.com. All rights reserved. (design by nodethirtythree)