
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
presence

What’s meaningful to me at this point in my life is being ripe, present, and engaged in the lives of my daughter, my wife, and my family.
During my past life as a lawyer in New York City, I had two eye-opening experiences. One was needing emergency surgery for a perforated intestine after I’d worked almost three weeks without sleeping. When your body literally rejects your career, you have to listen. That sent me on an exploration of what I wanted to do to earn my living. Eventually, I got out law and into the world of entrepreneurship, wellness, teaching, and writing.
The second eye-opening event was 9/11. Like everyone else who lived in New York City, I lost a friend that day. He had young children and a wife and they’d just finished building their dream home. I had a baby, a wife, a home, and a new lease on a space for a yoga studio. 9/11 smacked me into the reality that you just don’t know. I was freaked out at the prospect of putting my family at risk and trying to launch a business, but at the same time 9/11 was a huge reminder of the fact that if it’s not now, then when?
So that I can step away and look at what I’m doing more objectively, from the outside in, I cultivate a strong mindfulness practice by meditating and creating space in my day. I allow some sort of deliberate pause. If I’m present with myself and paying attention and my gut tells me this is not the right path, I listen. I have no problem investing a little bit of time, money, and energy into something to see if it feels right.
To me, as a parent, there’s nothing more important I can build than a child who feels loved and who’s confident, compassionate, passionate, and knows how to live well in the world. Because kids respond far more to our actions than our words, I’m trying to lead by example. If my daughter sees me every day being super involved in her life and super present and also building a career I’m jazzed about, that empowers her and gives her permission to do the same.
My goal is to show up every day, to be present, to love and be loved, and to be honest with myself and the people around me and let that guide me.
– Jonathan Fields
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