Jack Canfield Jack Canfield 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]

 
Arianna Huffington Arianna Huffington 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]

 
Seth Godin Seth Godin author. speaker. linchpin.

Seth Godin is a prominent author, blogger and speaker. [www.squidoo.com/linchpin]

 
Krishna Kaur Krishna Kaur 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]

 
Norman Lear Norman Lear 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]

 
Leilani Münter Leilani Münter 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]

 
Kevin Bales Kevin Bales Freedom Fighter. Philanthropist. Game Changer.

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Sophie Chiche Sophie Chiche 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]

 
Mastin Kipp Mastin Kipp 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]

 
Liz Phair Liz Phair singer. musician. crier.

Liz Phair is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. [www.lizphair.com]

 
Desmond Tutu Desmond Tutu archbishop. author. peaceful leader.

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Zainab Salbi Zainab Salbi 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]

 
Sean Stephenson Sean Stephenson 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]

 
Kia Miller Kia Miller 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]

 
Simon Mainwaring Simon Mainwaring creator. writer. idea geek.

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Shannon Bindler Shannon Bindler 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]

 
Mathieu Bitton Mathieu Bitton 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]

 
Jorge Perez Jorge Perez 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

 

move

Jeff Youngs Jeff Youngs business consultant. coach. effective team creator.

Jeff Youngs is a business coach, author, and consultant. His rich experience and intuitive gifts are brought to every engagement in service to transforming his clients' businesses and lives. [www.youngscom.com]

I’ve noticed that when I hit a snag, experience a setback, or am somehow knocked off my game, I feel lost. It’s like I landed on someone else’s Boardwalk space in Monopoly and it has two hotels on it. I feel like I have to get back to where I was. And I hope like the devil someone lands on my two-hotel property – twice – so I can feel like I haven’t lost any ground.

As I notice this, I realize I’ve been living most of my life in the get-back state, trying to catch up with something, only I don’t know what it is. I judge myself for losing net worth during a recession – like I should’ve known better. Like I AM the money that’s no longer there. If that’s so, then who am I now? Funny. I’m down on myself because I didn’t know better than the financiers and economists in charge of our monetary system. That doesn’t really make a lot of sense … yet here I am. What’s left for me is to look at the whole thing differently, to ask: “What’s the story I could tell myself?”

If I look at the story I am telling, it presupposes that the past is real. Yes, it did happen. But that’s trying to get back to something that’s no longer here, rather than talking about what’s real here and now. It was in the past, but it’s no longer here now. A better choice is for me is to look at the facts of my current situation and work from here. With that perspective, I’m not trying to get back to anything, I’m just looking to build, like I always have (and hopefully always will!).

The lie we tell ourselves is that there’s any “back” to get to. There is only now. And it’s now when we make plans for the future. My opportunity is to take all the creative energy I’ve been spending on getting back to some past success and apply it to moving forward.

Now the questions are: “What do I want to get to?” and “How do I get there from right here?” Then I do the only thing I or anyone else can do in this or any situation. I take a step. I take action. Here and now.

– Jeff Youngs

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