
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
co-create

I was raised an only child. Now I live with my husband, my two children, and my mother-in-law. My life has been enriched by sharing in these family connections. My children receive so much support and encouragement because they live with three adults.
People say they’d never want their mother-in-law living with them and encroaching on their time. They have concerns about living in a multigenerational environment. For me, it’s the ideal situation. I want to enjoy parenting, not be a parent out of duty. Having my mother-in-law here helps me stay focused on what it means for me to be a mother, wife, and working parent. I’m blessed to have the extra support.
Lots of families spend their mornings rushing around getting everyone up and ready for the day. Instead of talking to each other, they end up throwing out demands and commands. My family rarely has a morning like that. Each of us is assigned a particular responsibility based on our strengths. By working together, we’re able to make enough space for each of us to see who we are and to continue to grow.
My mother-in-law is an earlier riser. She likes to make breakfast and read the paper. Then we all enjoy breakfast together while she gives us highlights from the news. I love that. It gives me time to start my day a little more slowly. I have time for myself and time to crawl into bed with my kids, read a story, and then move into the day. I’m fortunate to have enough time to craft how I want the day to go. And I’m able to execute it because I have extra help.
I try to give myself 15 minutes every morning. I set a timer and sit in a chair by the window. I wake up and breathe into the day. If I’m not feeling my best, I recalibrate my thoughts. I remind myself that I decide what kind of day I want to have. If my day is filled with tasks that I don’t want to do, I figure out how to infuse the day with things I enjoy. If my day is busy, I focus on how I can relax more or ask for help. Those 15 minutes play a crucial part of my morning. When I don’t take them, I can tell I’ve rushed into my day because I don’t feel calm enough to be in the place I want to be.
We all sometimes get caught up in our to-do lists and have treadmill days. We forget to take time to craft the life we want. By giving ourselves time to ask some simple questions, we can move toward a purposeful life. Think back to when you were younger. What couldn’t you wait to do? How did you feel in those moments when you did it? Explore ways to ignite those feelings in your current life. By taking just a little time each day to reflect on those questions, you can create a purposeful life that ignites your passion.
– Kanesha Baynard
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