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]
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]
author. speaker. linchpin.
Seth Godin is a prominent author, blogger and speaker. [www.squidoo.com/linchpin]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
singer. musician. crier.
Liz Phair is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. [www.lizphair.com]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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
nourishing
Benjamin Atkinson
culinary artist. gracious foodie. grapefruit huller.
Benjamin Atkinson launched The Dry Gourmet to re-make cooking wines. Along the way, he re-connected with food and grace. It is a journey he recommends for anyone. [www.drygourmet.com/the-story]
From an incomprehensibly complex universe comes our source of life, joy and sharing. Food has become a study in grace and community for me.
For most of my life I’ve been adept in the kitchen, but my cooking lacked art, for lack of a better term. Then a friend lost his medical license for self-prescribing narcotics. He entered rehab, found happiness and is living a sober life. A year into his sobriety he told me the one thing he missed most about his pre-sobriety days was cooking with wine. He asked me if I could make him a non-alcoholic cooking wine.
It was this challenge that led me to explore a deeper meaning in the food we eat. Cooking with wine is one among countless cooking techniques and traditions. The act of cooking itself can be a gesture of love, sympathy or compassion. Or, it can be the obligatory end to a harried day. So much of ourselves is revealed by our attitudes toward food.
While researching culinary techniques and recipes, I was reminded of the profound connection between food and life. I realized I had been taking food for granted. By forcing myself to slow down and prepare food deliberately, I re-kindled a passion and gratitude for food. My food tastes better now.
When I’m anxious, it helps to make something…anything…in the kitchen. Make your spouse a cup of tea. Make a casserole and freeze it for later. Peel some potatoes, or hull some grapefruit. Use your hands and your heart to prepare something nourishing for yourself or for loved ones. The act of cooking helps keep me grateful.
Gratitude to a higher power makes for a gracious and graceful person. Without grace, life is short and brutish. An anchor in eternity makes mortality bearable. Once you’ve grappled mortality to the ground, life becomes more colorful.
My kitchen has been the place for me to remember to slow down and reflect on all the blessings given to me. Preparing food has become a process of taking gifts given to me (ingredients) and preparing a work of art (a meal) for my loved ones. It might be something as simple as tuna salad, but it reminds me that I am sustained by the love of God, and that I can help nourish others with my love.
– Benjamin Atkinson
Explore More Meaning
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should exterminator. goal pusher. honesty pioneer.
Through Skype-based life coaching, Gwyneth Jones helps people get in touch with their true selves, find out what's holding them back, turn limiting beliefs around, and achieve their goals. [www.makelifemagic.blogspot.com]
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bird-girl searcher. poetic papa. avery-catcher.
William Henderson lives outside Boston with his children. He blogs about love and other unexplainable forces, tweets about books and parenting, and rarely reads directions. He still wanders in cemeteries, and often gets lost. [www.hendersonhouseofcards.com]
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intuitive. writer. journey sharer.
Danielle is a writer, coach, and intuitive who simply must share her journey with honesty, love, and beautiful words. She's married to her best friend and has two delicious children. [http://danielleboonstra.com]
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story pirate. avid learner. people person.
Benjamin Salka is the co-founder and CEO of Story Pirates, which celebrates the words, ideas, and stories of children, encouraging and empowering young people to invent big ideas for a new generation. [www.storypirates.org]
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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.
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life by me’er. comedian. pretty thankful guy.
Life By Me’s Content Editor, Mikey Scott, gets to hear stories from people around the world creating meaningful (and pretty darn fun) lives for themselves. And he thinks that’s pretty neat. [www.mikeyscott.com]
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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]
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motivational speaker. businessman. philanthropist.
James Malinchak has delivered over 2,200 motivational presentations, owns three businesses, has written eight books, and is a Contributing Author and Associate Editor for the Chicken Soup for the Soul books. [www.malinchak.com]
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