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
life
Josephine Bila
blogger. survivor. moment grabber.
Josephine Bila, M.S.W. is a storyteller who uses her personal experience and training in psychology to transform lives. She creates one blog post every Wednesday on her site. [josephinebila.com]
Hospitals can teach you a heck of a lot about life. The only reason I know this is because my existence depends on an endless routine of monthly doctor visits to treat a rare genetic illness that I was born with called beta-thalassemia major. Thalassemia inhibits my bone marrow from producing functioning red blood cells and forces me to depend on blood donations to survive.
Believe it or not, things were worse for me as a kid. Back then I would visit my treatment center every single week for transfusions. Ever see one of those depressing commercials featuring sad children hooked up to IVs? Yeah, that was me.
Hospitals can teach you a heck of a lot about life, only because they can also teach you a lot about death. I received endless amounts of pity from adults when I was younger. I watched many of my young friends die. At an early age, I knew more about mortality than I knew about living. What this gave me was divine vision.
The person who lives inside me from years past reminds me to never be fearful. She tells me to remove myself from my shyness. She forces me to remember that the end can come to anyone, at any unexpected hour, because she has seen it happen to many.
Whenever I find myself straying from the timeless life force that lives inside me, or whenever I intuitively feel that I have been driven away from hope, love, and grace, I think about the pain I experienced as a child. With that understanding, the little girl in me forces me to live in the moment with open eyes, ears, and heart; to be truthful and honest, loving and kind, and forever grateful. She says, “Right now is the last moment you may ever have, so you’d better make it count.” So, I do.
Tell the people in your life that you love them. Take a leap of faith and do those things you believe are outside of your comfort zone. Experience life right now, because if you don’t, who will? Live like you mean it.
– Josephine Bila
Explore More Meaning
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musical meditator. age defier. god befriender.
Letty Chihoro is the author of an autobiography. She's passionate about self-improvement in all areas of her life. [www.lettychihoro.com]
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change encourager. appreciative friend. fresh starter.
Ken Torrino is a web relations specialist for Elliman, brokers for New York City real estate. [www.elliman.com/new-york-city]
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college grad. registered nurse. little lady raiser.
Elaine Norton is a single 60-something mama. She has been Registered Nurse for over forty years, currently working for an Infectious Diseases specialist in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her daughter, Erin, lives in Los Angeles.
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doctor. bestselling author. integrative medicine pioneer.
Bestselling author Dean Ornish, MD, is the founder and president of the non-profit Preventive Medicine Research Institute, which performs scientific research investigating the effects of diet and lifestyle on health. [www.pmri.org]
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pre-healer. self seeker. innate clairvoyant.
Dr. Tiny Jaentsch is trained in Eastern and Western medicine. She created The Fear-less Sessions, an illness-prevention kick-start designed specifically for people who've battled cancer and are in remission but fear it might return. [www.tinyjaentsch.com]
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melody maker. peanuts appreciator. energy seeker.
Gabe Morgan, music and business student at CSU Northridge, is a musician, songwriter, lyricist, and producer. He is a 2004 graduate of Teen Insight and our featured contributor for Giving Tuesday. [www.givingtuesday.org/partner-detail/insight-university]
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skateboarder. artist. stirrer of the pot.
Mimi Knoop is a professional skateboarder and multi-media artist. She has won five X-Games medals in women's vert and is a co-founder of The Alliance, a non-profit organization of female skateboarders. [www.actionsportalliance.com]
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digital guru. buddhist. wonder seeker.
Nova Spivack is a technology futurist, serial Internet entrepreneur, and one of the leading voices on the next generation of searching, social media, and the Web. [www.novaspivack.com]
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