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
acknowledge
John Thomas
history explorer. renaissance man. moral contributor.
Law professor, writer, film and record producer, musician, and creative risk taker, John Thomas recently penned Kalamazoo Gals which tells the hidden story of the women who built Gibson's WWII guitars. [www.kalamazoogals.com]
Choose your metaphor. No man is an island. A tree falling in the woods makes no sound. It takes a village. These phrases have endured because an isolated life is not as meaningful as one that is connected with the lives of others. It’s not simply that we need others to acknowledge the moral value of what we’ve accomplished, but that accomplishment without a positive impact on the world is morally neutral. Invent a gizmo or solve an equation and you’ve done something interesting. Use either to cure an ailment, assist the needy, or create art and you’ve made a positive moral contribution to the universe.
Simply put, we need one another. Knowing this and acknowledging the contributions others have made to our lives increases the readout on the worldwide meaningfulness meter. Anyone in a long-term romantic relationship understands this. Mentor and mentee understand this. Perhaps the best illustration lies in the parent-child relationship. No one who has ever had a child would consider disputing that despite the sacrifice, effort, and constant worry, a child’s very presence grants deep and true meaning to the parent’s life. Indeed, that additional meaning obtains, at least in part, because of the sacrifice, effort, and constant worry.
Recently I happened across a 1944 photograph that led me to meet people who enriched my life in ways that I’m still trying to fathom. The image depicted some seventy women lined up in front of the Gibson Guitar Company’s factory building in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The Company’s self-published history proclaimed that it made no guitars during WWII and retained only a few seasoned craftsmen to repair existing instruments. Who were these women? Why were they all posing in front of a factory?
I eventually tracked down and interviewed a dozen of the women in the photo, learned that they’d built thousands of instruments during the war, and relayed their stories in my book, Kalamazoo Gals. Finding people that time had forgotten, hearing their humble stories, and placing Laura the Luthier alongside Rosie the Riveter brought extraordinary meaning to my life.
It’s not simply our relationships with our contemporaries that matter. Our acknowledgement of our debt to our predecessors is important, too. By connecting with others, we enrich our lives.
Reach out whenever you can, even when you have to reach into the past.
– John Thomas
Explore More Meaning
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Radio Personality. Coach. Conversation Starter.
Elese is a coach, speaker, lecturer, and radio talk show personality who hosts a weekly show called "A New Way to Handle Absolutely Everything." [www.elesecoit.com]
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actor. mixed media artist. traveling eye.
Actor and artist Cutter Cutshaw mixes the profane with the elegant. His mixed media approach combines original photography with digital and organic brushwork, transforming chaos into sensual portrayals. [www.cutterartandphoto.com]
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angel of music. hypnotist. guide.
Daniela Torres-Mattus uses hypnosis, NLP, and her skills as an interviewer to empower people around the world. Her passion is guiding people to live extraordinary lives.
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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]
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miboso guru. life lover. light shiner.
Sabrina Bolin founded MyMiBoSo (My MInd, BOdy, and SOul), a coaching and healing practice where she compassionately guides others to create joy through the mind, body, and soul. [www.MyMiBoSo.com]
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armor penetrator. tattoo trendsetter. bliss follower.
Frank Gjata is a writer, coach, and bliss activist dedicated to creating fun, unique, and effective tools that guide people toward a world of bliss. [www.blississippi.com]
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psychotherapist. author. age celebrator.
Sarah Brokaw is a licensed therapist specializing in relational dynamics. She's an accomplished photographer, author, and philanthropist skilled at helping people individually and communally. [www.myfortytude.com]
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musician. songwriter. joy sharer.
Singer and songwriter Jason Mraz uses his voice to raise our spirits and his fame to raise awareness for charities, including the Free the Slaves organization. [www.JasonMraz.com]
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