
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
openness

Dealing with my current personal challenges means reaching out and sharing myself with the world, something I’ve never had to do before. In the past, I satisfied my needs for having a successful, creative business, and I raised a beautiful child who (I’ve happily observed) has become a successful and happy adult. Work, relationships, and activities all seemed to appear before me. That dynamic has changed. Now I need to create those things for myself, by taking an active rather than a passive stance. I no longer want to only make money at my craft. It’s now paramount to share my creativity and love with the world.
My trips to India last year were spiritually eye-opening. I traveled there to do research about visual stimulation and I certainly got a lot of that. More importantly, I left India with sense of patience. I had no choice there but to slow down and take in what was around me. Amidst the poverty and crowds were beauty, humor, an understanding of others, and spirit that’s accepted and worn openly. I’m so inspired to travel, to learn, and to always be recharging my senses.
I’ve discovered two types of comfort. The most obvious type comes from things that truly make me feel good: exercise, physical contact, a great meal, a hot bath. I find the other type – and this is a somewhat recent realization – in the dark places my unconscious mind wants me to go, places that are familiar and cozy but not healthy: old addictions, depression, fear. Places where light doesn’t get in.
When I get off track or when those dark places beckon me, I stop, close my eyes, breathe, and meditate. That’s where it all starts. Then I add physical exercise, then the mental stimulation that my work gives me. After that, things seem to fall into place. I can then create the openness and space necessary to allow surprises to happen.
– Mark Hanauer


Explore More Meaning
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pink medicine revolutionary. community builder. mojo reconnector.
Author, artist, motivational speaker, and Pink Medicine Revolutionary Lissa Rankin, MD, founded OwningPink.com, a website and workshops that build authentic community and empower women to get their mojo back. [www.linkedin.com/in/lissarankin]
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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]
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