
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
grace

My whole life has been an amazing evolution. Every time I’m pushed to the edge, a shift occurs and I’m stretched even further then I suspected I could go.
A big part of my growth comes from helping others. I’ve learned that I can’t help someone else on my agenda. I have to understand where that person is and adapt to their space. I may have to modify my language so they can understand in their language.
I used to work as an instructor for Outward Bound. I took at-risk youth into the wilderness and taught them life skills through climbing. By helping students overcome their fears about climbing, I had opportunities to communicate with them in their language.
When I was climbing with students, they’d often become afraid of falling. Their bodies would start to shake and they’d have to be encouraged to take the next step. At that point, one of two things happened: Either they took action, putting a hand on the ledge above and pulling themselves up, at which point they were fine and the fear went away, or they’d take action and fall, safely attached to a rope. If they fell, they’d be suspended there and the fear would go away. Fear is caused by anticipation of what could happen, not by what actually happens.
In life, we get anchored in one place because we’re afraid to take the next step. Fear immobilizes the body. So the quickest way out of the fear is to move. I like to use the simple phrase “Action cancels fear.” When we move into action, we move out of fear. It’s true that once we jump we might fall, but 99 percent of the time we’ll land safely.
Though fear is deeply ingrained in the body, when we take action the experience flips very quickly. We experience a new sense of freedom. Even when we fall, that movement brings clarity. More resources show themselves. We gain a deeper awareness of life.
I’m on a journey to make a difference in the world. I want to contribute back to humanity. I want to find significant ways to touch the aspects of our society that need the most help.
At the end of the day, I know I’m in the right space when I experience grace, when I put my hand on my heart, feel it, and know that what I did that day made an impact.
– Dave Towe
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