
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
freedom

For me, transformation is an adventure. It’s always been important to me to go within and ask myself, “Why am I engaging in this behavior? What does it mean?” and then use what I learn to transform myself. This process is a kind partnership with myself. I love myself. Even with all my flaws and weaknesses, this is the only me I have. I came here with a purpose and if I spend my life trying to make myself different from who I am, I’m going to waste a lot of time and not enjoy my life and what I’m really here for.
If I get off track, one of the things I do is what I call spiritual alignment. I give myself a little adjustment. Because I’m used to being in tune with myself, I can feel when there are slight disturbances, like in Star Wars, when there’s a disturbance in the Force. By noticing these little shifts I can make small adjustments to get back into alignment. In doing that, I stay on track, rather than getting way off and so needing to make major, sweeping life changes.
The way I do a spiritual alignment is by getting very quiet, clearing my mind, and going into a meditative state. For me, that might mean sitting in meditation, going for a walk, or dancing to my favorite music. I clear my mind of worries and come back to my center. I see my center as being in my gut area, where the third chakra is, where my instincts are concentrated. I picture vertical and horizontal lights extending from that center, like a cross with its center point in both the physical and the spiritual. I ask that place, that point, to bring me back to my center of energy. I say, “Okay, I’ll step back into this place and just be who I am.” Then problems or people who were getting under my skin fall away. I come back to a place of joy and realize that there’s really nothing wrong, ever.
When I do a spiritual alignment and tune in, I notice subtle clues, about me and about others. And if I don’t listen to them, then I’ll get another signal and another and another, until finally I say, “OK, OK, I hear you.”
One of my simple prayers is to ask God to allow me to be a channel for God’s energy simply to pass through me to others.
– Kimberly Cain
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