
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
evolving

The inner journey has always been more fascinating to me than the outer journey. Since I was little, I’ve asked the question Who am I? My whole life has been about discovering myself.
I’ve always been extremely curious and interested in things that are different and outside the box. As a young kid, I remember buying and studying volumes on astrology. I was really curious about all the different ways there are to understand ourselves.
My curiosity is one of my strengths, but it didn’t always feel that way. While growing up, I felt a sense of wondering what was wrong with me. Where did I fit in? When I looked around, I didn’t see a lot of support for what was unique and creative about me.
It took me until my adult life to understand and accept myself. I’m continually evolving and learning to feel confident about my decisions and my direction. I love those moments in my life when I just know, the moments when I’m so solid and grounded that I don’t need assurance or validation. I’m working on having more of that sturdy knowingness.
We’re so often in our heads, cut off from the valuable source of knowledge within. I can take off in my head from A to Z in two seconds and be somewhere unreal. Then it’s important to slow down and reinhabit myself. Some people like to take walks or go for a run to reconnect. I jump on my balance board.
One thing I absolutely love to do is lie flat on the floor. I don’t follow a plan of trying to empty my mind or anything. I just lie down. It has a Pavlovian effect. My body knows it can let go, because the floor will support me. My body lets go and starts to open.
However we do it, when we reconnect with our source and ourselves, we find that we have the answers we need.
– Lara Schwartz


Explore More Meaning
-
social/spiritual activist. forest preserver. bridge builder.
Jes Richardson is a social/spiritual activist whose issues change protesting the Vietnam War, working with Cesar Chavez's Farm Workers, building a bridge of hearts to Iran but who always comes from a place of love. [www.BridgeofHearts.org]
-
daddy. faithful entrepreneur. life journey passenger.
Luke Schilling is an entrepreneur, designer, and inventor, and father of three. He is the founder of Schilling Interiors and co-founder of Everitt and Schilling Tile Co., producing tile out of reclaimed and repurposed materials. [www.eandstile.com]
- More
Comments