
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
fierceness

Being a mother is the most meaningful experience of my life. I don’t always do it well, but I love it. My creative work is similar. I feel passionate about them both. But the truth is deeper. It is a fierceness that consumes me. A demand. An insistence that must be met. It is a fact of my existence. I must write. I must be with my son. I must be creative.
It took me a while to believe that writing was a dream worth pursuing. My parents had convinced me that I’d not be able to make a good living as a writer, so I’d chalked it up as a bad call years before. But my soul wasn’t going to take no for an answer, and I kept getting nudges to write.
In 2007, a hand analyst told me, “You should write a screenplay.” It unlocked a sense of permission in me I didn’t know I wanted. That fierce passion came shortly thereafter.
Around the same time, I’d been asking for inner guidance about what was next for me. My higher self was coming through loud and clear. “Write like your life depends on it.” It took me a little while to get it, but once I did, I’ve kept on writing, and I haven’t looked back.
The biggest mistake I see people making is not giving themselves permission to dream. To think about what they truly want, or listen to those inner nudges from the deepest parts of their soul. We rush to discover what other people think is okay or possible. Even if we do “hear” the guidance from the voice of our soul, we dismiss those inklings as unrealistic faster than they have time to register. Luckily the voice of inner guidance is gently persistent, and if we take time to listen, it is possible to get back on track with what we were put here to do.
I was asked once if I’d give up writing for 10 million dollars. The answer was unequivocally no. I’d no sooner give up writing than give up my son.
Find that fierceness for your dream. What is your soul asking you for? Believe in that dream. Take small daily steps to move toward it. Don’t wait to feel the overwhelming passion first. Your soul knows. Take action. The passion will follow.
– Jenna Avery
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