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

 

slow

Carl Honoré Carl Honoré journalist. advocate. godfather of slow.

Journalist Carl Honoré has written for The Economist, The Observer, and National Post, but he is best known for his advocacy of the Slow Movement. [www.carlhonore.com]

What gives my life meaning are human relationships and the feeling that the sum of my life leaves the world a better place.

I got into journalism early, wanting to make a change in the best way I could, given who I am and what I’m good at, which is words. I set out to write about injustice and how the world wasn’t working the way it should. I use words to change the way people think about the way they live and the connections they have with other people.

On a deeper level, I find meaning in human relationships, in the strength of the bonds I have with the people around me, starting with the people closest to home and moving out further and further. Making the world a better place makes sense because we’re all linked together. We’re all in the same boat going in the same direction.

Living in a fast-forward culture, we lose a lot. We lose joy and the pleasure of the moment, but we also lose sight of the big picture. We become very selfish and cut off from other people. There are certain things which, no matter how rushed you are or how fast your computer processor is, you cannot accelerate. One of those things is human relationships. You can’t make someone fall in love with you faster because you want to get married in June. Friendships, romantic loves, and family relations take time. They develop with a natural, universal tempo and rhythm. When we don’t nourish human relationships with oxygen so they can grow and blossom, we end up with a very superficial life.

My starting point, my realization that I’d lost my compass, was when I started speed-reading stories to my son. When I noticed that I was skipping lines and paragraphs I had an epiphany. I’d been devaluing the sacred moments when a parent sits down to read a story to their child.

One of the anchors of my days is reading stories to my children. They’re now 8 and 11, but I still read aloud to them. I cover the clock by the bed and we spend time together. It’s like being on a magic carpet – the rest of the world simply disappears while we go on amazing adventures together. We stop and have conversations about things. We huddle up together like we’re sitting around a campfire. Reading stories like this is, for me, the purest form of slowing down and being with my children.

– Carl Honoré

Comments

Explore More Meaning

  • Kate Northrup
    Kate Northrup Kate Northrup grounded flyer. northrup team member. self-truster.

    Kate Northrup created early financial freedom and spent 2011 exploring and teaching financial, emotional, and spiritual freedom. She co-created Team Northrup, a league of wellness entrepreneurs aligned with the work of her mother, Dr. Christiane Northrup. [www.teamnorthrup.com]

     
  • John Schindler
    John Schindler John Schindler fisherman. tree surgeon. renaissance man.

    John Schindler is a renaissance man. He served in the Army and he owned a natural foods grocery. He's a master butcher, tree surgeon, chef, baker, ?sherman, loving husband, and father.

     
  • Deborah Lloyd
    Deborah Lloyd Deborah Lloyd design overseer. president and cco. solver.

    As President and Chief Creative Officer for Kate Spade New York, Deborah Lloyd oversees all creative aspects of the Kate and Jack Spade brands, from design to public relations. [www.katespade.com]

     
  • Nancy Sherr
    Nancy Sherr Nancy Sherr reinvention catalyst. white canvas embracer. believer.

    Nancy Sherr is the creator of A Zestful Life, coaching brave hearted women through Big. Life. Change. She is an inspiring reinvention catalyst, supports graceful navigation of life transitions, exuberant living, fully expressed. [www.nancysherr.com]

     
  • Dr. Jin Robertson
    Dr. Jin Robertson Dr. Jin Robertson joyous author. inspiring speaker. dream accomplisher.

    Dr. Jin Robertson has been a factory laborer, an immigrant housemaid, a battered wife, and a U.S. army major. Jin received her M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University. She is an international inspirational speaker and bestselling author. [www.drjinrobertson.com]

     
  • Kyle Hermans
    Kyle Hermans Kyle Hermans creativity facilitator. inspired dad. theater baby.

    Kyle Hermans runs the West Coast division of Synecticsworld, a global innovation and creativity firm. He's deeply committed to releasing and enriching the creativity of others. [www.synecticsworld.com]

     
  • Sarah Seidelmann
    Sarah Seidelmann Sarah Seidelmann life coach. physician. light source.

    Author and life coach Sarah Seidelmann, MD, is a Board-Certified physician who left her practice to live out her destiny. In her work, she loves to ask, "How good are you willing to let it get?" [http://whatthewalrusknows.com]

     
  • Simon Sinek
    Simon Sinek Simon Sinek teacher. golden circle creator. why advisor.

    Simon Sinek teaches leaders and organizations how to inspire people. He created a simple model, The Golden Circle, that codifies what makes the most inspiring people and organizations so successful. [www.startwithwhy.com]

     
  • More

Contributors

  • Jonathan Hippensteel
    Jonathan Hippensteel Jonathan Hippensteel goal accomplisher. finish line crosser. adrenaline junkie.

    Jonathan Hippensteel is an Ironman triathlete, adventure traveler, part-time model and full-time banker. His passion is inspiring people primarily by what he does, but also by what he says. [www.linkedin.com/in/jonhipp]

     
  • Anna Cherry
    Anna Cherry Anna Cherry enrichment coach. workshop leader. feng shuier.

    Anna Cherry is an Enrichment Coach with a background in marketing communications, public relations, and technical writing. She's also a workshop leader and a qualified feng shui practitioner. [www.the9enrichments.com]

     
  • Val White
    Val White Val White artist. story-teller. bohemian soul.

    Val White has done it all, from Christian singing groups to teaching children's theater. He's thrilled to be part of the lifebyme.com family. [www.valwhiteonline.com]

     
  • Grace Kerina
    Grace Kerina Grace Kerina writer's shepherd. meaning beacon. surreal stepmama.

    Grace Kerina founded The Writer's Shepherd to help people find their own words and bring their unique wisdom into the open. Her goal is to eliminate writer's block from the planet. [www.the-writers-shepherd.com]

     
  • 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]

     
  • Carrie McCarthy
    Carrie McCarthy Carrie McCarthy personal lifestyle guide. author. style statement detector.

    Carrie created Style Statement, an intimate process of self-revelation and empowerment, explored through her book and in one-on-one sessions. [www.stylestatement.com]

     
  • Maya Corinne
    Maya Corinne Maya Corinne legacy architect. earth mama. celebrity stylist.

    Maya Corinne teaches conscious creative visionaries how to magnify privilege. Her studio has raised millions, and crafts values-infused giving plans for clients collectively worth more than $14 billion. [www.moon-storm.com]

     
  • Don Jose Ruiz
    Don Jose Ruiz Don Jose Ruiz author. musician. shaman.

    Don Jose Ruiz dedicates his life to combining and sharing new insights and ancient Toltec wisdom. He teaches and lectures around the world. [www.miguelruiz.com]

     
  • Cynthia Kersey
    Cynthia Kersey Cynthia Kersey author. humanitarian. speaker.

    Cynthia Kersey is the author of best-selling books and is the Chief Humanitarian Officer of the Unstoppable Foundation. [www.unstoppablefoundation.org]

     
  • Ben LaBrot
    Ben LaBrot Ben LaBrot floating doctor. kindness promoter. life grasper.

    Dr. Benjamin LaBrot from California, USA is the founder and director of the non-profit Floating Doctors medical relief team. [www.floatingdoctors.com]

     
  • Olivia Fox Cabane
    Olivia Fox Cabane Olivia Fox Cabane leadership lecturer. lover of the world. broccoli advocate.

    An expert in the fields of charisma and leadership, Olivia Fox Cabane has lectured at Stanford, Yale, Harvard, MIT and the United Nations. She helps people become more persuasive, influential, and inspiring. [www.AskOlivia.com]

     
  • Jeff Semigran
    Jeff Semigran Jeff Semigran appreciative son. moment cogitator. lesson learner.

    Jeff Semigran is a senior at UC Berkeley studying environmental and civil engineering. He is an alumnus of the Teen Insight Seminars and Leadership series. This piece is part of the Insight University and Life By Me week of giving back. www.givingtuesday.org/insight-university

     
  • Mark Leruste
    Mark Leruste Mark Leruste question asker. superhero maker. broccoli activist.

    Understanding what a busy lifestyle can do to both your emotional and physical state, Mark Leruste is passionate about creating radical shifts in people’s lives by empowering them to drop toxic habits, adopt healthy mindsets, and achieve breakthroughs. [www.lifeinshape.co.uk/about]

     
  • Sarah Blum
    Sarah Blum Sarah Blum nurse vietnam veteran. healer. conscious percussionist.

    Sarah Blum is a nurse Vietnam veteran, nurse psychotherapist, life coach, energy healer, spiritual guide, author, activist, African drummer, and has a black belt in aikido. [www.sarahshealinghaven.com]

     
  • Dennis N. T. Perkins
    Dennis N. T. Perkins Dennis N. T. Perkins insightful author. curious explorer. obstacle conqueror.

    Dennis N.T. Perkins is the author of Into the Storm and Leading at The Edge. He is CEO of The Syncretics Group, a consulting firm dedicated to helping leaders and teams thrive under conditions of adversity, uncertainty, and change. [http://www.syncreticsgroup.com]

     
  • Terri Schneider
    Terri Schneider Terri Schneider triathlete. limit breaker. authenticity chaser.

    As an adventure racer, triathlete, ultrarunner, and mountaineer, Terri Schneider has raced and adventured in over 70 countries. She is the author of Triathlon Revolution: Training, Technique, and Inspiration. [www.terrischneider.com]

     
  • Seth Godin
    Seth Godin Seth Godin author. speaker. linchpin.

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

     
  • Mary Anne Radmacher
    Mary Anne Radmacher Mary Anne Radmacher author. artist. gifter.

    Author Mary Anne Radmacher has been writing to make sense of life since she was a child. She's written in the gift industry for 30 years and her licensed work is distributed around the world. [www.maryanneradmacher.net]

     
  • Kim MacGregor
    Kim MacGregor Kim MacGregor author. speaker. flash mobber.

    Kim MacGregor is a transformational leader, author, speaker, and the founder of the global movement "I Believe She's Amazing." [www.IBelieveShesAmazing.com]

     
  • Eric Lumiere
    Eric Lumiere Eric Lumiere Musician. Creator. Lover of Life.

    Eric Lumiere is a recording artist, producer, creator, and lover of life. From a place of authenticity, vulnerability, and truth, he creates universal art that moves, inspires, and lifts. [www.purevolume.com/ericlumiere]

     
  • Josephine Bila
    Josephine Bila Josephine Bila blogger. survivor. moment grabber.

    Josephine Bila, M.S.W. is a storyteller who uses her personal experience and training in psychology to transform lives. She creates one blog post every Wednesday on her site. [josephinebila.com]

     
  • Russell Bishop
    Russell Bishop Russell Bishop speaker. consultant. transformer.

    Author Russell Bishop is a recognized expert in personal and organization transformation. He possesses an uncommon ability to inspire clarity and provoke transformational change. [www.russellbishop.com]

     
  • Katherine Woodward Thomas
    Katherine Woodward Thomas Katherine Woodward Thomas bestselling author. transformative educator. creator.

    Katherine Woodward Thomas is the bestselling author of Calling in "The One." She's a licensed psychotherapist, speaker, transformative educator, and co-creator of the Feminine Power Global Community. [www.femininepower.com]

     
  • Tammy Camp
    Tammy Camp Tammy Camp venture investor. creative adventurer. giver.

    Tammy Camp is a venture investor, company advisor, and adventure traveler. She's taken part in numerous successful business endeavors, including facilitating over a billion dollars in sales. [www.tammycamp.com]

     
  • Dave Towe
    Dave Towe Dave Towe aquatic healer. youth encourager. fear slayer.

    Professional life coach and visionary Dave Towe is the founder and executive director of Wave Academy. He's committed to serving wounded worriers – those returning from war diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. [www.waveacademy.org]

     
  • 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]

     
  • Jon Rose
    Jon Rose Jon Rose clean water champion. pro surfer. global changer.

    Jon Rose founded the non-profit organization Waves for Water, which works with world leaders and strategic partners to provide clean water to communities in need around the world. [www.wavesforwater.org]

     
  • Kathlyn Hendricks
    Kathlyn Hendricks Kathlyn Hendricks body-mind integration pioneer. relationship expert. mover and shaker.

    Bestselling author Kathlyn Hendricks, Ph.D., A.D.T.R., has been a pioneer in the field of body-mind integration and body-centered relationship transformation for nearly forty years. [www.hendricks.com]

     
  • Jorge Perez
    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

     
  • More

Connection


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