
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
making room

I always try to get to the root of things. When I get upset by everyday happenings, I dig within to see if they’re symptoms of a deeper emotional issue. I ask myself, What’s really going on here? What’s eating me up inside? I dive into the abyss of what’s happening underneath the surface.
I love the work of Carl Jung. Instead of labeling the mentally ill as broken and in need of repair, he took the time to get to know them as individuals. He was interested in what they were experiencing and what their lives were really about. He believed that mental illness is the body’s way of working through bigger issues.
I think we can learn something from that idea. We all have a dark side, a shadow self that reveals itself in jealousy, self-doubt, and criticism. Culturally, it’s not our way to look at our shadow selves. Instead, we embrace the happy self. We try to remain positive in order to survive and get through the day.
What we need to realize is that our negative places reflect the parts of us that need the most healing. Avoidance may work to some extent, but eventually those dark feeling will manifest in our lives in all kinds of ways.
It’s so important to take the time to understand and accept our dark sides. We can learn to create safety nets so we can love those parts of ourselves and treat them with compassion.
If you have a broken heart, allow yourself to have a broken heart. It’s okay to cry, listen to sad music, and be pissed off. Don’t disregard your broken heart as your negative self. Love it, allow it, and make it okay. Treat it with kindness in order to move on.
Our dark sides are part of who we are. They’re part of our daily experiences. Once we start to embrace our hurt areas, we can transform their energy into positive manifestations. We can turn hate into love, blame and resentment into forgiveness. By making room for our dark sides, we can begin to heal and create change in our lives.
– Amanda Enclade


Explore More Meaning
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early riser. mystic identifier. self opener.
Bob Walter is an editor and executive with several not-for-profit organizations, including the Joseph Campbell Foundation, an organization that preserves, protects, and perpetuates the work of influential American mythologist Joseph Campbell. [www.jcf.org]
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