
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
heart + soul

There’s no greater thrill than the enlivening buzz of creativity flowing through me. Whether it manifests as a song, the written or spoken word, dancing, painting, coloring, or straight up silliness and playing just for laughs, the act of creation is one of the most joy-bearing and fundamental experiences that simultaneously reminds me of my spiritual essence and my human nature. The ability to imagine and bring forth something new, to innovate and express that which comes from within is one of the most amazing gifts we as humans possess. At the same time, the ineffable and transcendent nature of authentic heart-and-soul inspired art is always eluding to the greater Divine forces at work.
Those one-of-a-kind moments of grace when an idea strikes, when a melody arrives or when a vision first appears are truly sacred and magical. I live for those moments. In some way, every thing I do in my life in art or in relation to the people and world around me is an attempt to make room for that magic to unfold. That is why I ultimately chose the creative path. It is so deeply intertwined with the spiritual journey, and both lead to the realm of our highest potential. For me, life and art, spirituality and creativity, are truly one and the same.
I walk this path one step at a time and strive to always honor each step by living fully and passionately. By loving and expressing wholeheartedly. By always striving to do my best. By seeking to be true to the highest conception of what we are all capable of. By dreaming unapologetically. By gratefully celebrating every little dream that is caught and comes true. By asking questions and humbly engaging in an ongoing process of spiritual and creative curiosity. By exploring my beliefs and stories about life, people and myself and ensuring that I powerfully choose ones that are in alignment with the experience of freedom, love, and connection that I desire. Most of all, by remembering that life is in itself but a passing moment, a flash, a melody, a photograph and yet a masterpiece that is ours to create, express, and experience.
– Chris Assaad
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