
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
gratitude

Until I agreed to do it, it hadn’t occurred to me just how daunting it is to sum up what’s meaningful to me in one word. In an age where the world is perhaps more complex and polarized than ever, how do I choose one word that resonates with me and at the same time provides value for you?
I considered many options: love, honor, authenticity, service. Any of those could have been compelling. Yet it’s the word gratitude that feels right.
In my business, which is literally and figuratively a labor of love, gratitude has been the fuel that drives me. As a relationship coach who works with clients all over the world, I get to see my clients transform, heal their deepest wounds, and become empowered by love.
My personal life has also been transformed by the power of gratitude. I’ve attracted an amazing woman who has joined me in doing this powerful work. When we met, we dreamed of traveling the world together as we inspired others, and that dream is steadily becoming reality. We make gratitude a daily practice by finishing each night with a review of five great things that happened that day. That ritual has only reinforced what we know – that where focus goes, energy flows – as we continue to attract more and more good things.
Perhaps the greatest benefit of a life lived in gratitude is that when things pop up that may not seem good or desirable in the moment, I know that since there is no good or bad, the causes will be revealed in the future. We can train ourselves to manage our inner states and find empowering meaning when something unexpected happens, by asking one simple question that changes everything: “You know what’s great about that?”
As I look back on my life, I remember that what I once thought were my worst days were actually the precursors to my best days. From my divorce came a love better than I’ve never known and a living that I love. From a couple of bad bosses came my favorite boss of all: me. From my challenges and obstacles, I’ve grown stronger and wiser. I feel connected, directed, and protected, and I don’t think life is happening to me. Life is happening for me … and for that, I’m very grateful.
– Dave Elliott


Explore More Meaning
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publishing pioneer. novelist. dot aficionado.
William Gladstone is a bestselling novelist, a literary agent for exceptional authors, and a publishing pioneer. He contributed to the creation of the first print-on-demand book publishing company and the first eBook publishing company. [http://12thebook.com]
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