
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
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Meaning in my life has come from the very intense spiritual training I’ve undergone. I’ve gained the ability to access the advanced meditation states of sarvikalpa and nirvikalpa Samadhi and that’s impacted my consciousness very intensely.
The truth is that the only source of true joy and consistent, deep, profoundly realized happiness lies within. It’s a simple message, direct and constantly repeated by beings who’ve spent time on the subject. It’s simple because it is true. The source of all happiness, all wisdom, and all joy arises from the self. The self is what’s being sought down every turn, every road, and every alley.
Through my studies, I’ve come to know that life becomes meaningful to the extent that the truth is experienced, and truth is the fruit of the self. It’s the source of meaning and the source of love.
How do we find this truth within? I’ve seen that meditation is the direct apprehension of the spiritual world. Through meditation we’re able to discover the self.
As human beings, our lives become full and complete as we acquire the means to travel within, to move across the inner planes and landscapes to find and connect with the source of truth, a wellspring spontaneously born within. That’s our taproot to the infinite ocean of the self. From this self, all truth arises. From this truth, all meaning flows into our lives. From this meaning, we derive and experience the fulfillment and happiness and joy of life truly lived. No matter what occurs outside us, it will never provide this reality. Only the inner connection to the self can do this.
From the standpoint of spiritual life, as human beings we already have all the necessary circuitry within to realize the self. When we awaken to the self, it’s not that something is given away or given to us that we don’t already have. It’s more like throwing a light switch or using a candle to light another candle. No light is diminished. Light is just spread.
Joy comes from one place, from within. It is what we all seek. And it’s what makes us the same.
– Mark Griffin


Explore More Meaning
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singer / songwriter. dream interpreter. angelic messenger.
Former Canadian pop star, KAYA, walked away from fame to pursue a deep inner spiritual calling. His profound angelic encounters and intensive dream work led to his emergence as an international spiritual teacher with his wife, Christiane. [www.kayadreams.com]
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grateful student. generous teacher. unionizer.
Kira Ryder is grateful for all her teachers and the teachings that have been shared with her. One of Yoga Journal’s Top Teachers Shaping the Future of Yoga in America, her teaching emphasizes tuning into the alignment within your own heart. [www.lulubandhas.com]
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infant vocalist. continuous learner. light shiner.
Chandrika Tandon is a Grammy-nominated singer & composer who has received praise from NY Times for her "limpid, serene voice.” Her new album “Soul March” reinterprets “Raghupathi Raghava Raja Ram,” a song sung by Gandhi and his followers during the 1930 Salt March.
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