
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
being true

The truth often speaks very quietly. It’s the voice we often avoid or want to ignore. We don’t want to trust it, because if we do it may mean we’ll have to make tough decisions or go in a new direction that will mean upheaval. It can be challenging to listen to and navigate by that truth. It’s not always convenient.
The trick to bringing that voice forward is using it, like a muscle. The more we listen for it, the more we trust it, the more we follow it … the more exciting life becomes, the more vibrant and dynamic, because we’ve stopped living like a cardboard cut-out and started flowing with true purpose.
Finding purpose starts with going within and having the courage to want to find that true voice, to listen to it and then follow it. Connecting with that voice is a moment by moment choice of being conscious, of asking “Am I consciously choosing this?”
I’m a big fan of solitude, of being on my own in a quiet space and asking. “Where am I? Am I conscious? Am I here?” I take deep breaths and bring myself back, so I’m not letting my moments take me over. The more we practice self-awareness, the more we can continually bring ourselves back into the moment and stay on course.
I always thought of myself as an extrovert, because I’ve been a performer, but in fact I’m an introvert. When I was younger, I spent a lot of time on my own and thought there was something wrong with me because of that. There was a learning curve of becoming okay with being on my own. Now I’m used to it. Being on my own is a necessary step for being able to do the work I do.
I believe we’re co-creators with life, but we have to know what we want to create, otherwise we create by default. Just because my family was a certain way doesn’t mean I have to fall into those same patterns. I want to be a sovereign person – thinking and acting for myself, creating my own path, breaking down my conditioning and patterns so I don’t create them over and over again without even realizing I’m doing it.
At the most fundamental level, what I’m about and what’s most meaningful to me is being true to myself. That gives others permission to be true to themselves as well.
– Lyndelle Palmer-Clarke
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