
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
get happy

After I had some very painful experiences happen in my life, I decided to take inventory of what was really important to me. I found that non-material things are of the utmost importance. My relationships with friends and family are key because when I take my last breath, I will not take with me the material things I have accumulated, but instead, the energy and essence of those I have loved.
My relationships with strangers top my list because I have the power in a smile and a loving gesture to change, brighten, and heal the world. Isn’t this one of the reasons we came into being?
But perhaps most important is my relationship with my Beloved Creator, who, by loving me without condition, exemplifies what I can and should do to my earth brothers and sisters!
Many times I have gotten disconnected from what is most meaningful to me: my love of Spirit, my connection with the Divine, and my purpose on this planet to be of service to others in remembering Who and Whose they truly are – Perfect, Whole, and Divine children of God. It really is quite easy to know when I’m off track because I look externally to find fulfillment in things, desperately trying to fill the void of that missing relationship. I get back on my path by first identifying that I’m off of it, and then by being gentle with myself while I take steps to return to my true essence.
I have found that many people are so wrapped up in what society says makes them a success – gaining material things such as cars, money, and homes – that they avoid doing what makes their heart sing and why they are truly here. As a result, they are miserable. If we all want the world to change, we all need to get happy. The current state of the world is a collective manifestation of what each of us experiences inside of ourselves. As it is within, it is without!
A great start to finding purpose and getting happy is to remember the things we loved doing and did without effort when we were children. That time in our lives when we simply did what we wanted to do without judgment and ridicule. These things will show us the way to our happiness and our purpose!
– Trent Blanchard
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