
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
happy life

Happiness is not far away from us. We can always find happiness. Even in the smallest things, with only spare moments to smell the roses.
I believe that happiness and success in life depend on how well we utilize our available resources. No one knows how much effort is required or the price we must pay in that endeavor. I think that’s why people easily give up when the road gets too tough. Throughout many tough times in my past, I was often tempted to give up too. Luckily, I didn’t. Now I’m enjoying happy successes. The best part is that my happy fever is contagious, spreading and creating more.
Consequently, I’m grateful for the nightmarish times of my childhood. I detested getting up in the dark of the morning to prepare breakfast. Walking out half-asleep into a dark yard veiled by white breath, the unbearable cold wintry air slapping me in the face. I wished the whole thing was just a bad dream.
But the anger I discovered within myself towards the harsh reality and discrimination aroused rebellion in my heart. I wanted to become a justice seeker and prove that even a poor girl from the countryside could achieve something big. I desperately wanted to succeed. When my reality sharply departed from my dream, I refused to compromise. I would not allow myself to stop fighting against the unacceptable truth. I later realized that those four years of struggle formed a strong foundation for my hope and courage for my dreams.
Even then, I enjoyed moments of genuine happiness. On summer nights, I would lie down comfortably on a flat, square, wooden bench, indulging in the gentle night breeze. A few neighbors and friends would join my family on that bench. I would look long and hard into the vast night sky, filled with stars, scattered across the limitless space. The darker the surroundings were, the brighter they twinkled. Those stars inspired me to become just like them—proudly shining, high in the sky.
We can find happiness anytime only if we stop ignoring it. Finding the seeds of happiness scattered around and planting them to bloom into flowers, that is the task for us who want a happy life.
– Dr. Jin Robertson


Explore More Meaning
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Feng Shui Expert. Writer. Alchemist of Possibility.
Ariel Joseph Towne is the author of Serene Makeover: Inner Edition (Feng shui your life from the inside out), which empowers us to address our "inner house" and make changes that can affect all levels of our lives. [www.thefengshuiguy.com/serene-makeover-inner-edition]
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compassionate producer. loving daughter. wisdom seeker.
Maia Monasterios is an award-winning director, producer, and writer of such projects as PBS History Detectives stories including: Vietnam Diary, Titanic Luxury Liner Picture Frame, Clint Black's Rogue Book and The Beatles Autographs. [http://www.indiegogo.com/Vietnam-Veterans-Forgive-and-Heal]
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