
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
alive

My family has been through quite a lot. We’ve always been able to stay connected through the chaos because of our commitment to one another. How do we continue to love? We explore love at deeper levels and enjoy the experience of life, whatever that is to each of us and whatever we’re each enthusiastic about. This connection gives me a rich, meaningful experience.
This importance of family and relationships has come forward during my generation. During most of my life, things didn’t quite make sense to me. In my senior year of high school, I found out that my mom was an alcoholic. It had been hidden from me because my parents wanted to protect us, but I’d always knew something was up and this created confusion. I took that confusion, that knowing that there was something more, inside myself and experienced a hunger that made me want to experience life – but I didn’t know how.
I was in a state of immobilized fear by the time I went into a training program to be a coach. A lot of the other coaches in the program pointed out that I actually had choices. From that, a sense of freedom emerged. It felt like a miracle. I realized I’d wanted to share with so many people for so long, but hadn’t known a way that would work for me to do it – until I created my own way.
There’s so much emphasis on doing something. For me, though, getting back on track if I get off means slowing down and realizing that there’s nowhere else to be and nothing else to do but be here right now.
When I’m not in a place of feeling alive, it’s usually because there’s something I feel I need to do or to be and I’ve chosen resistance or fear, when really all I need to do is meet myself wherever I am, here and now. I don’t have to change, just celebrate being here and now. I do this celebrating in different ways. I do whatever occurs to me to do in the moment. Maybe I’ll move my body in whichever way feels best. Or I’ll get some exercise. I ask myself what I’d like to be doing right now and then I go in that direction.
What I’d like to be doing right now is just what I am doing – feeling alive and celebrating people.
– Matt Schweppe


Explore More Meaning
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grounded artist. soulful voice. nana's girl.
Entertainment Tonight called singer/songwriter Alisha Zalkin "uplifting and inspiring." Her debut EP, March to a Different Beat, features soulful, piano-driven narratives combining her big-voiced inspirations and her multicultural family musical history. [www.alishazmusic.com]
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