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]
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]
author. speaker. linchpin.
Seth Godin is a prominent author, blogger and speaker. [www.squidoo.com/linchpin]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
singer. musician. crier.
Liz Phair is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. [www.lizphair.com]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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
aliveness
Geneen Roth
kindness warrior. food demystifier. vitality spreader.
Geneen Roth wrote pioneering books that were among the first to link compulsive eating and perpetual dieting with deeply personal and spiritual issues that go far beyond food, weight, and body image. [www.geneenroth.com]
What’s important is living the life I have – being utterly here and present – rather than wanting a different life or thinking there’s something more or better to have.
What makes me aware that I’m not in that place (and there are many moments when I’m not) is some degree of what I’d call suffering: discontent, dissatisfaction, hurt, projection, lack of ease. When I start wandering off into those areas, I take that as a sign to bring myself back.
The first thing I do is bring myself back to my body, because my body is the clearest expression of this moment. I notice my breath and the sensations in my body. Usually, when I’m in a place of suffering, I’m in my mind, not in my body. If bringing myself back to my body isn’t enough to relax me and dissolve the suffering, I start gently asking myself what’s going on. I ask myself if I’m being mean or harsh to myself, which is a familiar and unconscious pattern for me. I notice what’s going on, with softness and gentleness, and become curious instead of dismissive. True attention and kindness change the pattern.
Most of us want a sense of aliveness, engagement, and joy. What we look to other things for, what a lot of people look to food for, is that instant feeling of lusciousness or excitement in the mouth in that moment; or we use food to numb and sedate. First, stop judging yourself. It’s important to become actively curious and allow what’s there. Then ask yourself questions about what you’re doing: Does this energize or exhaust me? Does it enliven or deaden me? Is what I’m doing now allowing me to trust myself or tilting me towards being frightened of myself? Do I feel closer to what really matters to me or further away? Does it open my heart or close it? When I get to the end of this hour or day or week or year or life, will this be something I’ll be glad I spent my time on?
This is about finding out what makes you come alive.
Howard Thurman, Martin Luther King Jr’s mentor, said, “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
A vital person vitalizes everything they touch. Live as if you are enough and watch what happens. Live as if, walk as if, eat as if, talk as if … and see what happens when you start from the inside out, from what’s here inside right now.
– Geneen Roth
Explore More Meaning
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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]
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counselor. spiritual director. do-gooder.
John Morton is a minister, author, counselor, coach, and the Spiritual Director of several non-profit organizations, including the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness. [www.theblessings.org]
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female empowerers. entrepreneurs. modern moms.
Lisa Rosenblatt and Brooke Burke are the CEOs of ModernMom.com, creating a community for the woman behind the mom. [www.modernmom.com]
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gifts identifier. inner wizard finder. spiritual sunbather.
Mark Harradine is a strategist who creates flourishing commercial value for entrepreneurs by identifying their natural gifts, promoting clarity of purpose, and encouraging inner and professional development to expand and sustain business. [www.markharradine.com]
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professional life shifter. intuitive advisor. authenticity aligner.
Creator of the Life-Shift series, Bridget Pilloud works with people all over the world to help them enact positive change in their personal and professional lives. [www.bridgetpilloud.com]
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life embracer. sex redefiner. body connector.
Mark has taught yoga for over 20 years all over the world. His most recent book is The Promise of Love, Sex, and Intimacy. [www.thepromise.com]
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author. philosopher. connector.
Marianne Williamson is an internationally acclaimed best-selling author and lecturer. She founded Project Angel Food, a meals-on-wheels program that serves homebound people with AIDS in the Los Angeles area. [www.marianne.com]
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emoter. now chaser. crisis averter.
BJ Panda Bear is the natural blonde bombshell with the heart of gold entertaining through DJing, hosting events, and producing visual and audio works that shines light on the ups and downs of futurity. [www.BJPandaBear.com]
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